by Charleston Daily Mail

The Thundering Herd is playing Wesleyan for the first time since Jan. 2, 1964, when Marshall defeated the Bobcats 93-74. MU leads the all-time series 30-12 and has won eight in a row in the series since Feb. 24, 1942, when Wesleyan defeated Marshall 67-62.

Coming off a 15-17 season, MU returns seven lettermen and four starters to the squad. A total of seven newcomers are ready to play for the Herd this season.

Tickets are $5. Season tickets for all 18 home games in the lower bowl chair back sections are $205 for the season and require a Big Green Scholarship Foundation donation. Bench seating located behind the west basket is $180 for the season. All upper reserved chair backs are $95. Season basketball tickets can only be purchased by calling 1-800-THE-HERD or visiting the Cam Henderson Center Box Office Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Marshall opens the regular season by hosting North Carolina A&T on Nov. 15 as part of the Global Sports Invitational. Marshall's games against North Carolina A&T, Middle Tennessee State (at home Nov. 17), Lamar (at home Nov. 25), and Ohio (in Charleston Nov. 28) comprise the Global Sports Invitational which has earned NCAA exempt status. This exemption means only one of the games will count toward MU's regular-season schedule.

Marshall's non-conference opponents compiled 254 wins last season and a .583 winning percentage (254-182). With 17 home games, the Herd hopes to continue the tradition of success in the Henderson Center. Since opening in 1981, Marshall is 296-94 (a .751 winning percentage) in the facility.

Volleyball State Tournament pairings set

Pairings for the SSAC volleyball State Tournament for 24 high schools teams were finalized Monday, and area teams Charleston Catholic and Buffalo play in Class A quarterfinals Friday at the Charleston Civic Center.

Buffalo opens Class A play at 8:30 a.m. against Doddridge County. The Irish open at 1:30 p.m. Friday, meeting East Hardy.

Three courts will be utilized at the civic center for quarterfinal doubleheader sessions at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, followed by semifinal doubleheaders in the same format at 6:30 that night.

Finals are set for center court Saturday in a tripleheader, starting with the Class AA title match at 10 a.m.

Admission per session is $8 (adults) and $7 (students). All-session passes are available for $30 (adults) and $25 (students).

(State Tournament pairings in Scoreboard, Page 2B, under Volleyball.)

WVU Tech men top Salem International

MONTGOMERY - The WVU Tech men's basketball team evened its record against West Virginia Conference teams to 1-1 with a 77-51 victory over Salem at the Biasi Center on Monday night.

Tech senior Darryl Slack led the Golden Bears (2-1) with 15 points and three assists. Freshman and former Herbert Hoover star Josh Stricker had nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

WVU Tech returns to action today at the Biasi Center against Ohio Valley at 8 p.m. The women's game begins at 6 p.m.

WVU women to play Loyola in NCAA first round

The WVU women's soccer team begins its quest for the 2009 College Cup against Loyola (Md.) at 3 p.m. Friday against Loyola (Md.) at W. Dennie Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"Any time you make the NCAA tournament, your first reaction is excitement," Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "We knew we would be traveling somewhere within in a driving radius. We are excited to be playing in such a tough bracket and our preparation for Loyola begins tonight."

WakeForest will serve as one of 16 host schools for the first and second rounds of the national tournament. The other first-round match in Winston-Salem features 10th-ranked Wake Forest versus Kennesaw State.

The Demon Deacons and Owls begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets prices have been set at $5 for students and seniors and $7 for adults.

The Mountaineers are 9-9 all-time in NCAA tournament play, including a 3-1 mark against teams on a neutral site. WVU has played only one match all-time at W. Dennie Spry Stadium - a 2-0 loss to Virginia in the 2006 NCAA first round. West Virginia and Loyola have met twice, with both contests coming during the NCAA tournament (2002, 2003).

UC men's soccer team in Division II Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS - The University of Charleston men's soccer team will play face Millersville (17-2) at 2 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock University in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The resurgent Golden Eagles (17-3-0), who were winless in 2007, are making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1999.

The Eagles won the West Virginia Conference title, while the Marauders - who were ranked No. 1 in last week's NCAA Division II Poll - fell to Slippery Rock in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title match.

Slippery Rock (17-3-1) will play Mercyhurst (14-5-1) in the other first-round match.

Quarterfinals will be held on campus sites and completed by Nov. 22. The semifinals and final will be played Dec. 3 & 5 at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida.

Dion Peters leads the Golden Eagle offense with 15 goals, while Darko Karamatic chips in with 11 goals and nine assists. Sean Teepen has a miniscule 0.54 goals against average in goal for UC.

COMPILED FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS

Correction

Sissonville's Justin Matheney scored 17 goals for the Indians boys soccer team this season. His name was inadvertently omitted from the final Kanawha Valley leaders.

Miles voices support for SEC officials

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - LSU Coach Les Miles says he is satisfied with the response he received from the SEC about a questionable call by officials during the Tigers' game against Alabama.

Miles said Monday he has spoken with Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive and Coordinator of Officials Rogers Redding regarding a near-interception by Patrick Peterson late in the ninth-ranked Tigers' 24-15 loss Saturday.

Miles says he was fine with what he was told, and if he felt differently, he "would say so.''

SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said the league would not comment on the call.

Copyright 2009 Charleston Newspapers
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.