MARQUETTE DROPS !ST BIG EAST GAME IN A STUNNER

February 7, 2009


The weekend started early with a Stunner as USF Topples No. 8 Marquette (Tampa Tribune) Friday night at South Florida. The Bulls Upset the Golden Eagles, 57-56 (St. Pete Times), handing Marquette their first loss in conference play this year after starting 9-0 in Big East play.

Jesus Verdejo scored 21 points and Dominique Jones added 15, including the go-ahead basket in the final 30 seconds as USF withstood attempts by Wesley Mathews and Lazer Hayward to win it for Marquette.

The Bulls Snap MU's 12-Game Winning Streak (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) as Marquette can make just 10-23 shots from foul line and a dismal 4-24 from the three-point arc.

Jerel McNeal scored a game-high 22 for the Golden Eagles before fouling out in the last minute. Hayward had a game-high 14 rebounds, including a rebound off of Mathews (11 points) last second miss, but he was unable to convert at point-blank range and MU went down, giving Stan Heath his biggest win as the USF head coach.