HUNTINGTON — Two words not associated with modern-day Marshall basketball were uttered with a grin Thursday night: lethal defense.
No typo. After Marshall struggled to score 74 points and still beat Alabama-Birmingham by 15 — that’s right, it was 74-59 — coach Dan D’Antoni and his defense were preaching that unfamiliar gospel.
Tongue in cheek, to a degree.
“Man, we’re turning into a defensive team,” point guard Jon Elmore wisecracked. “I’m just kidding.”
But Elmore couldn’t out-joke D’Antoni, who invoked the “lethal defense” line and then proclaimed: “I’m not joking about that defense, and I want you to say that!