GAME NOTES: Seeking to bounce back from the team's first loss of the season, the Marshall Thundering Herd return home to take on the Morehead State Eagles in a non-conference tilt at Cam Henderson Center.

Morehead State is off to a 2-4 start on the season, with losses in three of the team's last four games. The Eagles are coming off a tight 51-46 defeat at the hands of American in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Rustin, Louisiana.

Marshall was 3-0 before the team hit the road for the first time all season to take on a dangerous Louisville team. The Cardinals defeated the Thundering Herd by 18 points, 85-67, to hand Marshall its first loss in four contests.

Morehead State didn't shoot the ball all that poorly against American in the team's most recent loss, but the Eagles only made eight attempts from the free- throw line (hitting half of them) while American got up 20 tries from the charity stripe. The Eagles were led offensively by Karam Mashour, who netted 11 points with a team-best nine rebounds in the defeat. Billy Reader was the only other player to get to double scoring figures, netting 10 points with seven boards.

Angelo Warner nearly missed hitting a scoring total in double digits against American, when he had nine points. He still leads Morehead State in scoring this season through six games, averaging 15.4 ppg. Brent Arrington (13.5 ppg) is the only other Eagles player to average more than 10 points per outing. Reader's 5.7 rpg mark is the best on the squad, and Kareem Storey adds a Morehead State-high 38 assists with nine steals. The team is scoring 64.3 ppg this season, and is allowing opponents to net 63.5 ppg.

Neither Louisville nor Marshall shot the ball particularly well in the Thundering Herd's last game, but Louisville still held a 41-27 advantage at the intermission because Marshall could only manage 34.5 percent shooting in the first half. Shawn Smith scored a team-high 16 points in the loss, while Ryan Taylor completed an impressive 15-point, 18-rebound double-double. Cheikh Sane rounded out the double-digit Marshall scorers with 10 points before fouling out.

Taylor has taken over as the go-to player for the Thundering Herd following Kareem Canty's transfer in the offseason. Taylor enters the matchup with Morehead State netting 17.3 ppg, adding in a 10.8 rpg mark for the double- double average. Smith comes in at second on the squad contributing 12.5 ppg, and Sane completes the double-digit scoring trio with 10.5 ppg. Taylor also is the team's leading assists man, registering 19 through four games.

Both sides are complete with strong scorers, solid defenders and good depth, but Morehead State hasn't been able to fully take advantage thanks to a relatively tough non-conference schedule. Marshall's non-conference slate hasn't been very difficult with the exception of Louisville. The Herd get a boost in front of their home crowd, but will need Taylor to be at his top form. Guard Tamron Manning is questionable to play with a groin injury.