[Rosiak's Blog] MU 79, DePaul 70

[ToddRosiakSays]

MU 79, DePaul 70


Jan. 24, 2009 3:18 p.m.  




The Marquette Golden Eagles remain unbeaten in Big East play and atop the league standings.

Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal scored 20 points apiece and Lazar Hayward added 14 points and 16 rebounds to lead 11th-ranked MU to a 79-70 victory over the DePaul Blue Demons in front of a crowd of 18,949 at the Bradley Center on Saturday afternoon.

Dwight Burke added 10 points and seven rebounds and Dominic James eight points and nine assists as the Golden Eagles (17-2, 6-0) were able to overcome 32.0% shooting over the final 20 minutes to outlast the Blue Demons (8-12, 0-7).

MU also had to overcome poor shooting from three-point range (4 for 12, 33.3%) and the free-throw line (21 for 36, 58.3%) to emerge victorious. The Golden Eagles did pick up a season-high 14 steals, and out-rebound DePaul, 41-28.

Eighteen of those boards came on the offensive end, leading to 24 second-chance points.

Dar Tucker scored 18 points, Will Walker 17 and Mac Koshwal 14 points for the Blue Demons.

MU missed seven of its first eight shots coming out of the locker room to open the second half, allowing DePaul to narrow a 14-point halftime deficit to 53-45 with 14:39 to go in the game.

The Golden Eagles were able to stretch their lead back to 65-52 after a Burke putback at the 7:33 mark, but the Blue Demons kept hanging around and after a Tucker 360-degree dunk on a breakaway were back within single digits at 71-62 with 3:45 left.

DePaul was able to get no closer, however. All told, MU managed just one field goal over the final 5:58 and went 8 for 15 from the free-throw line in that same span. The Blue Demons, meanwhile, managed just two baskets over the final 5:26.

DePaul kept itself afloat in the first half thanks to 6-for-11 shooting from three-point range, with Walker knocking down 3 of 4.

Consecutive threes by Walker and Matija Poscic pulled the Blue Demons to within 31-25 with 7:13 left, but the Golden Eagles responded with an 8-2 run to make it 40-27.

After a three and a layup by Mario Stula to narrow the gap to 40-32, MU closed the half on an 8-1 run, sparked by a pair of Hayward layups, to head into halftime with a 48-34 lead.

Matthews led all scorers with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while McNeal knocked down a pair of threes en route to 10 points. Hayward had nine points and James four points and nine assists as the Golden Eagles shot 55.9% and registered nine steals.

Walker's nine and Koshwal's eight led the Blue Demons, who shot 43.3%.

MU leaves later tonight for Notre Dame, with whom it has a nationally televised Big Monday matchup on ESPN. The FIghting Irish host Connecticut at 6 tonight.

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http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/38275559.html

[Sir Lawrence]

Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal scored 20 points apiece ????

and Lazar Hayward added 14 points and 16 rebounds  ??


C'mon Todd, read the box score.