[Cracked Sidewalks] Marquette blitzes Rutgers to win fourth straight

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Marquette blitzes Rutgers to win fourth straight

Written by: NY Warrior

Marquette opened the second half with a 20-6 run and never looked back, burying the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 78 - 48 in Milwaukee this afternoon.  With the win, the Golden Eagles moved to 20-6 on the season and 10-5 in Big East play.  Marquette has won at least 10 conference games in each of its first three seasons in the Big East.

Jerel McNeal was electric all afternoon, scoring efficiently and defending with the vigor MU fans crave.  McNeal finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and five steals.

The Golden Eagles' offense was terrific, with crisp passing and off-the-ball movement creating open looks throughout the game.  Marquette shot an impressive 56% from the floor, and had a remarkable 21 assists on 32 made baskets.  Dominic James, hampered by a sprained ankle sustained late in the first half, finished with 13  points and six assists.  Wesley Matthews dropped in 12 and Lazar Hayward had 13.

The Golden Eagles inspired second half play was keyed by trademark defensive pressure.  The Scarlet Knights struggled to score, needing more than 12 minutes of action to score in double-digits in the second stanza.

Marquette led at the half 35 - 29 despite a poor defensive effort that allowed Rutgers to shoot an uncharacteristic 52% from the field.  McNeal led MU with eight points and five assists at the break.

Next up for Marquette is a Big Monday matchup in Philadelphia against the Villanova Wildcats.  Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm.

By the way, can somebody at ESPN mute Dickey Simpkins' microphone?   He's atrocious.  Is he the best that the WWLS can offer?

Media Recaps
Box Score

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/02/marquette-blitzes-rutgers-to-win-fourth.html

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

By the way, can somebody at ESPN mute Dickey Simpkins' microphone?   He's atrocious.  Is he the best that the WWLS can offer?

Haha, he wasn't THAT bad...but I did get tired of him sayin' how McNeal was "partyin' like a rock star" like 20 times.

[mu_eyeballs]

I didn't see the game...but the box score says Cube and Scott C. started?  Is that true?

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

Nope...ESPN box scores are goofy.  Starters were DJ, JM, WM, LH, and OB.

[IAmMarquette]

Nope.

James, Matthews, McNeal, Hayward, Barro

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20080223_RUT@MARQET

[farmdaddy]

By the way, can somebody at ESPN mute Dickey Simpkins' microphone?   He's atrocious.  Is he the best that the WWLS can offer?

Haha, he wasn't THAT bad...but I did get tired of him sayin' how McNeal was "partyin' like a rock star" like 20 times.

He said that quote so many times I wanted to puke...Plus he needs to come up with a better line.

[mosarsour]

By the way, can somebody at ESPN mute Dickey Simpkins' microphone?   He's atrocious.  Is he the best that the WWLS can offer?

Haha, he wasn't THAT bad...but I did get tired of him sayin' how McNeal was "partyin' like a rock star" like 20 times.

He said that quote so many times I wanted to puke...Plus he needs to come up with a better line.

Boom goes the dynamite??

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

Haha, not quite boom goes the dynamite.

Basically, the only thing Dickey Simpkins said all day was

"Jerel McNeal, that's why he's on our star watch!"

"He's partyin' like a rock star!"

[CTWarrior]

I love how they constantly talk about Simpkins winning the rings with the Bulls, like it mattered at all that he was on the team.  Man, he is lucky he ended up on the end of that bench rather than the end of the Hornets bench or something.