Barton leads the way as Tigers take down Marshall

Marshall guard Damier Pitts said the team would have the upper hand when they faced Memphis on Saturday. Will Barton emphatically disagreed.

The sophomore guard scored 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting and grabbed eight boards en route to an 83-76 victory over the Thundering Herd in front of 17,337 at FedExForum. Tarik Black also added 19 points and Wesley Witherspoon chipped in 12, including two crucial free throws that turned the tide against Marshall.

After picking off Pitts' pass and taking it all the way for a layup, Witherspoon intercepted another pass from Dennis Tinnon and was intentionally fouled on the breakaway, giving the Tigers two free throws and an extra possession. Witherspoon calmly slotted them both away, and Will Barton's jumper pushed what had been a tied game to a four-point Memphis lead with seven minutes remaining.

Marshall (13-8, 4-3 Conference USA) came back to tie the game again moments later, but momentum was not on their side and they couldn't retake the lead.

"I was very proud of the guys for finding a way to win," said head coach Josh Pastner. "From defense to rebounding, we found a way to win. In the end, we won the game from getting stops on the defensive end."

Witherspoon's two steals helped to shift momentum in the Tigers' favor, but it was a tremendous all-around defensive effort that earned Memphis (15-6, 6-1 C-USA) the win. Memphis outrebounded the third-leading rebounding team in the nation 33-31, pulling in 21 defensive rebounds, as well as six team steals and six blocks.

Marshall also had a great defensive game with 19 defensive boards, eight team steals and seven blocks, but they were killed by Memphis' advantage in points from turnovers (26-12) and points in the paint (48-28). Memphis hit six more field goals than the Herd, shooting 55.6 percent from the field.

Tarik Black had one of his best games of the season, offensively, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Pastner credited the victory to the efforts of his coaching staff in trying to strengthen the team's defensive identity.

"Coach (Jack) Murphy, Coach (Damon) Stoudamire and Coach (Jimmy) Williams have done an amazing job," he said. "Since Christmas break, we've had carryover, but are we a finished product? No. We've continued to get better to this point each day since the break. That not only shows in wins, but also on the stats."

Marshall was led by Shaquille Johnson's 21 points. Pitts had 19 points and Marshall's leading scorer DeAndre Kane added 15 points.

The victory sets up a top two showdown in Conference USA on Wednesday. Memphis and Southern Miss each have 6-1 records in C-USA, with USM currently sitting in first place with a superior overall record. The winner of Wednesday's matchup will take sole possession of first place in the league.

"It's going to be a tough road game," Black said. "Probably one of the toughest we see this year."