CHARLESTON - Ohio University's first trip outside the friendly confines of The Convo didn't turn out too well here Saturday night inside the Charleston Civic Center for Bobcat head coach John Groce during the Global Sports Invitational.

That's partly because Thundering Herd 7-foot freshman Hassan Whiteside had a monster game off the bench to help Marshall University to the 60-53 triumph.

"It's nice to grow from winning," said MU head coach Donnie Jones, who watched Whiteside tie a Thundering Herd record with nine blocked shots while at the same time leading the victors with 14 points and also a game-high 17 rebounds.

"It motivated us to swing the momentum and that's what we needed," Whiteside said of his block barrage, noting his personal best was 25 in prep school.

Ohio University, now like the Thundering Herd with a 4-1 mark, led 14-11 with 9:12 left in the first half after Tommy Freeman sank a 3-pointer for part of his game-high 16 points. However, the Bobcats then went cold from the field and watched Marshall go on a 16-2 spurt as the gang from Huntington never let the contest get to within a single possession again.

"Coach has been stressing defense and we held them to 25 percent," said MU guard Shaquille Johnson, who chipped in nine points and a game-high four assists.

"That's the difference between winning these types of games and losing it."

Marshall, which entertains Division II Salem International at 7 p.m. Thursday, took the lead for good at 15-14 on two foul shots by Johnson at 7:44 of the first half. A Darryl Merthie trey from an inside-out assist by Nigel Spikes followed by a 16-foot Damier Pitts jumper gave MU its first double digit lead at 27-16.

Ohio University, off to face Tulsa next Saturday, trailed 34-21 at intermission and was still behind 45-34 with 12:52 to play when Johnson slowed down on an open break to feed his big man Whiteside for a thunderous dunk as he hustled down the lane.

"You've got to reward the big man," Johnson said. "He ran the floor so why not give it to him."

When the Bobcats, who went 6-of-26 from downtown and lost the rebounding battle 48-38, went down the floor it seemed like Whiteside was always around to block or alter a shot.

Following Whiteside's slam, Spikes put the Herd up by a baker's dozen, 47-34 with 11:46 remaining, but the Bobcats fought back behind deuces from Reggie Keely and D.J. Cooper. After Freeman sank another triple, this time from an Armon Bassett steal and assist, the Bobcats had clawed to within 47-43 with 6:37 left to go.

That's when Whiteside proceeded to hit a shot clock buzzer-beating flip-hook in the paint to take it back to six points.

A Cooper 3-pointer with 1:20 to go cut it to four for the next to last time, but Whiteside had another block and Tyler Wilkerson hit 3-of-4 foul shots in the waning seconds to help secure the victory.

Wilkerson was the only other MU player to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds. Merthie joined Johnson in netting nine markers.

Cooper finished with 15 in the setback for the Bobcats, who watched Bassett and DeVaughn Washington combine to miss all 15 of their field goal attempts.