HUNTINGTON — All that work Terrence Thompson has done to shed the label of “offensively challenged” is starting to play off.
Thompson scored a career-high 20 points Saturday afternoon to propel Marshall to an 81-69 victory over North Carolina Central in the season opener. Long known as a rebounding presence, he grabbed 10 boards.
From the middle of last season, the 6-foot-7 junior from Durham, North Carolina, has worked feverishly on his jump shot and other offensive moves. By all accounts, that intensified over the summer.
“It’s a night-and-day difference,” said point guard Jon Elmore. “When Terrence got here, he was an ‘energy’ guy, really played hard, really rebounded, brought some of the things we needed, but Terrence knew in the offseason what it was going to take to make a major impact.