March 15, 2010

Game Notes

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.--Marshall University (23-9) hosts former Southern Conference rival Western Carolina (22-11) in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Mar. 16 at the Henderson Center.

Marshall is taking on a former Southern Conference foe in Western Carolina. The Herd lead the all-time series against the Catamounts 29-13. Marshall defeated Western Carolina 83-68 Dec. 20, 2002 in the last meeting between the two teams.

The Catamounts went 22-11, the most wins for the program since it moved to Division I. Western Carolina is returning to the postseason for the first time since 1996. Among the Catamounts' victories this season includes wins over Louisville (91-83 at Louisville, Dec. 12) and the College of Charleston (100-90, Jan. 25).

Senior Brandon Giles was an All-Southern Conference selection by both the league's head coaches and voting media. Giles leads Western Carolina in scoring (11.8). Jake Robinson (11.4) and Mike Williams (10.0) also score in double digits for the Catamounts.

About The CIT: The CollegeInsider.com Tournament is a single-elimination tournament, consisting of four rounds, with the first three rounds being played at on-campus sites, which are determined by seeding. The championship game will be played at an on-campus site to be determined by seeding.

Match-ups are determined by geography and are balanced competitively in regions. This tournament does not work off of a bracket format.

The opening round games are scheduled for March 16-18, the quarterfinal round is scheduled for March 22, the semifinals are set for March 24 and the championship game is set for March 30. The official website of the CIT is http://www.collegeinsider.com/tournament

The tournament is in its second year with Old Dominion taking home the 2009 champions' trophy in the finals over Bradley.

CIT Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets online at www.HerdZone.com until 4 p.m. Tuesday or by calling 1-800-THE-HERD. Tickets can also be purchased in person by visiting the Cam Henderson Center Ticket Office prior to tip-off Tuesday. The Marshall Ticket Office will be open until 8 p.m. Monday and re-open Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 for lower reserved seats, $11 for upper reserved, $10 for general admission and Marshall Students can secure tickets for only $4 with a valid student ID.

Marshall is the number one overall seed in the tournament and will host a second round game if it advances. The second round game against a TBD opponent will be on Monday, March 22. Tickets for a potential second round game will go on sale Wednesday morning should Marshall advance.

CIT Parking: Fans attending Tuesday's 7 p.m. CollegeInsider.com Tournament game with Western Carolina can park for free in the Third Avenue Parking Garage and at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium West Lots that are adjacent to the Cam Henderson Center. All parking is on a first come, first serve basis.

CIT Television: FOX College Sports Network will broadcast the CIT Championship Game on March 30. All other tournament games will be available via online broadcast only on www.FoxCollegeSports.com.

CIT Internet Streaming: Due to CIT contractual obligations, Herd All-Access video and audio will not be available for CIT games. The video feed, along with the audio of the official Thundering Herd/ISP Sports broadcast, will be available on a pay-per-view online basis at www.FoxCollegeSports.com.