Marquette’s hot shots top Providence, 79-72
Sunday, January 22, 2012
If you can hit nine out of 11 shots from the free throw line, you’re doing pretty well.
That’s 82%, in case you were wondering. It’s also the percentage that Marquette’s 21st ranked Golden Eagles shot from the three-point line – not the free throw line. And the sharp-shooting from the outside helped the Golden Eagles hold off the Friars 79-72 at the Dunkin Donuts Center Saturday night.
The game featured back-and-forth offensive runs by both teams in a very competitive first half. After the Friars jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the opening four minutes, Marquette began to find its range from outside of the three-point arc. Senior Darius Johnson-Odom (18 points), freshman Todd Mayo (10 points) and sophomore transfer Jamil Wilson (career best 16 points) all connected from deep as the Golden Eagles put together a 20-3 run to take a nine point lead with 9:00 to play in the half.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPC answered the surge with a 14-4 run of their own, as Bryce Cotton (28 points) and Vincent Council (11 points, 7 assists) found room enough to penetrate and shoot against a tough Marquette man-to-man defense. The Friars managed to hold onto the one-point lead at halftime, 40-39, despite shooting just 31% from the floor. An advantage on the backboards, particularly on the offensive glass (14-7 first half edge), helped PC hang tough despite the Golden Eagles connecting on six of their eight shots from the three point arc.
The toughness faded in the second half, however.
"We showed no defensive toughness at all," Providence coach Ed Cooley said. "I'm disappointed in our guys because we showed no mental toughness."
PC led 55-54 with 12:37 remaining, when Marquette launched a game-deciding 21-7 run, thanks in large part to the continued torrid shooting from Wilson and Mayo. Even though Johnson-Odom, Marquette’s leading scorer, picked up his fourth foul with 13:16 left, MU managed to stretch their advantage thanks to their dead-eye shooting, and spot-on defensive play.
"We spend an inordinate amount of time in practice on our defense," Golden Eagles’ coach Buzz Williams said. "I think in the last 13 minutes we were good defensively – maybe our best all year."
Wilson gave Marquette (16-4, 5-2 Big East) a 62-57 edge with 10:45 to play when he hit a jumper from the top of the key and followed that with a 3-pointer from the left corner. After Gerard Coleman (4 points, 2-8 field goals) scored for Providence (12-8, 1-6 Big East), Wilson had consecutive baskets in the lane, pushing the Golden Eagles' lead to 66-59 with 8:02 left.
In the second half alone, Marquette shot 68% from the floor (15 of 22 field goals made), adding 3-for-3 from the three-point stripe to the 6-for-8 performance in the first half. The Friars were also held to just seven offensive rebounds in the second half, after gaining 14 in the first period.
In total, those numbers were too tough to overcome, especially on a night where the Golden Eagles didn’t need much help from the free throw line…shooting their way to a fifth Big East win, and their first on the road this season.
Friar Notes
PC outrebounded Marquette 40-33 for the game, giving the Friars a rebounding advantage over their opponents in six of the seven Big East games they’ve played thus far…the threesome of Wilson, Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder (18 points) combined for 20 of MU’s 29 field goals, and 52 of their 79 points. DJO and Crowder are seniors (and former JUCO all-Americans), while Wilson is a transfer from Oregon…the Golden Eagles outshot PC 54% to 37% from the floor for the game…PC shot a respectable 43% themselves from the three-point stripe (6-14), and also connected on 77% from the line…Buzz Williams is now 6-0 against Providence, and appears to be well on his way to leading his team to a 4th straight NCAA tournament berth in his 4th season as Marquette’s head coach…MU assistant coach Aki Collins was on Ed Cooley’s coaching staff at Fairfield from 2006-08…a pre-season pick for 6th in the Big East, Marquette has now won eight straight against the Friars, dating back to a 74-59 PC win in 2007 at the Dunk…the game marked just the second loss for the Friars this season (with 10 wins) when Bryce Cotton managed to score in double figures. He led all scorers with 28 points, his second-highest single game total this season (34 vs. Bryant)…PC will spend the next week on the road, traveling to Pittsburgh to play the Panthers (0-7 Big East) Wednesday, and then moving to Tampa, FL for a match with improving South Florida on Sunday, January 29th…
