Marshall's Meredith Maier (23) shoots a pass away from Coastal Carolina's Anaya Barney (3) on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington.
Marshall's Meredith Maier (23) shoots a pass away from Coastal Carolina's Anaya Barney (3) on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON — Meredith Maier’s six-point, one-rebound, one-assist performance Saturday was far from a career best in any of those categories, but was among the most important of her career.
Maier, a 6-foot junior forward, returned after missing three games and all but nine minutes of a fourth after suffering a knee injury in a 71-65 Marshall women’s basketball victory Feb. 1 at Georgia Southern.
Thundering Herd coach Juli Fulks eased Maier back in the lineup, playing her for 16 minutes off the bench in a 66-57 loss to Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
“[Saturday] was the first time she’s gone as long as she’s gone†since the injury, Fulks said of Maier. “She’s been working through the progression and done a really good job. We didn’t know how much we were going to use her. Some of it depended on legs.
“She was fresher than everybody else. It was good for her to see the ball go through the net again and get her legs back under her on offense and defense.â€
In terms of averages, Maier is Marshall’s third-leading scorer at 10 points per game and No. 2 rebounder at 4.9. Her return significantly helps the Herd in both categories.
She figures to be an important piece in MU’s quest to avenge its 68-64 loss to Appalachian State on Jan. 18 at the Cam Henderson Center. Marshall (8-18, 3-11 Sun Belt) visits the Mountaineers (13-12, 9-5) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Boone, North Carolina.
“Taking a couple of weeks off is hard,†Fulks said of Maier. “It’s harder than people think. Just taking the first hit again, you have to get through all the mental stuff as well as the physical.â€
C.C. Mays, the Herd’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points a game and No. 3 rebounder at 4.8, said she welcomes Maier back to the court.
“When she was out, it was a tough thing for all of us,†Mays said. “We prayed for her. We were hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Thank God we didn’t [receive] the worst. I’m very happy to have her back.â€
Mays said Maier takes pressure off her and leading scorer Aislynn Hayes, who scores a conference-best 17.2 points an outing.
“She’s a shooter, she’s a threat on the offensive end,†Mays said of Maier. “We’re just trying to get her back in the rotation and get her back into a rhythm.â€
