Marshall scores career-high 24 points to lead UM women to 74-71 win over Jacksonville

Natalija Marshall said she transferred from Notre Dame to the University of Miami to play a bigger role in her fifth season.

She is already making a major impact. Marshall scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Hurricanes women’s basketball team to a 74-71 home win over Jacksonville in her second game in a UM uniform.

The 6-5 graduate student had never made a three-point basket throughout her career with the Irish, and she went 3-of-4 from behind the arc Monday night, including the opening basket of the night. She also had six rebounds and had two blocks and a pair of steals.

“She’s tall, quick, great IQ, very skilled, and when you put all those things together…what impressed me is how well she shot from three today,” said first-year UM coach Tricia Cullop. “And to post her up with her length, that was difficult for them.”

Marshall was familiar with Cullup, who previously coached at the University of Toledo, and liked that the coach was a post player herself. She was eager to learn from her in her final season.

“I did everything I wanted to do and accomplish, and I wanted a fresh start,” Marshall said during the preseason. “I really trust Coach Cullop’s vision and the coaching staff’s vision and there was a need for my position. On my visit, it really felt like family. I felt like I’d be able to gel with the team right away and be that versatile four or five player that I’ve been envisioning for the past year.”

Both of Marshall’s parents were collegiate athletes at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her mother, Anne, was a shot putter and her father, David, played soccer. She did swimming, gymnastics, dance and tennis growing up, and fell in love with basketball in eighth grade..

Mississippi State transfer Darrione Rogers added 13 points for the Hurricanes on Monday and the Cavinder twins also played important roles as Miami improved to 2-0. Haley Cavinder had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists and her sister, Hanna, had a game-high seven assists to go with seven points and five rebounds.

The Hurricanes led for 37 minutes but had to work for the win in the closing minutes. A pair of Priscilla Williams free throws tied the game 70-70 with 2:05 remaining and Miami got clutch baskets from Jasmyne Roberts and Rogers down the stretch. Rogers’ two free throws sealed the victory.

Cullop said she was particularly pleased with the team’s 85.7 percent free throw shooting Monday.

Senior guard Edyn Battle led Jacksonville with 21 points.

The Hurricanes play at University of Florida on Saturday afternoon and are back home Nov. 19 against cross-town rival FIU.