HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Rondale Watson scored 20 points, Ajdin Penava added 18 with 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and Marshall beat Southern Miss 85-66 in Thursday night’s Conference USA opener for both teams.
Jon Elmore scored 13 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds, Jarrod West added 15 points with four 3-pointers, and Marshall (10-4) made 10 3s to the Golden Eagles’ three and won the rebound battle 47-26.
Penava, who scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half, tied it at 11 with a layup and sparked a 10-4 run which Marshall rode to a 35-25 halftime lead. Elmore’s back-to-back layups amid an 11-4 run put Marshall up 53-34 with 12:18 left to play and the Thundering Herd led by as many as 24.
Marshall, which has won nine straight home games, was without its second-leading scorer, C.J. Burks, who was out due to illness.
Tyree Griffin scored 19 points and Cortez Edwards added 18 for Southern Miss (7-7), which has lost three straight.

Marshall box
MARSHALL 85, SOUTHERN MISS. 66
SOUTHERN MISS. (7-7)
Davis 3-5 1-2 8, Edwards 9-13 0-2 18, Richardson 3-8 0-0 7, Griffin 8-14 3-6 19, Holland 1-5 0-0 2, Rowe 0-4 0-0 0, Draine 3-4 0-0 7, Conley 0-0 0-0 0, Weatherspoon 0-0 0-0 0, Hampton 2-6 1-2 5, Gill 0-0 0-2 0, Magee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-59 5-14 66.
MARSHALL (10-4)
Penava 7-9 3-4 18, Mijovic 0-3 2-2 2, West 5-11 1-2 15, J.Elmore 5-15 2-4 13, Watson 8-13 2-2 20, George 0-2 0-0 0, Koljanin 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 2-6 2-2 7, Reed 0-1 1-2 1, Bledsoe 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 31-67 13-18 85.
Halftime—Marshall 35-25. 3-Point Goals—Southern Miss. 3-12 (Davis 1-1, Draine 1-2, Richardson 1-3, Hampton 0-1, Rowe 0-1, Edwards 0-2, Holland 0-2), Marshall 10-32 (West 4-7, Watson 2-5, Penava 1-2, Bledsoe 1-2, Williams 1-5, J.Elmore 1-8, Reed 0-1, George 0-1, Koljanin 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Southern Miss. 23 (Hampton 5), Marshall 43 (Penava 15). Assists—Southern Miss. 12 (Griffin 6), Marshall 22 (J.Elmore 11). Total Fouls—Southern Miss. 17, Marshall 10. A—5,537 (9,048).