MARQUETTE FALLS TO LOUISVILLE WITHOUT JAMES

March 2, 2009


Life after Dominic James began for Marquette on Sunday with an afternoon showdown in Freedom Hall against Louisville, a former Conference USA rival. The Golden Eagles put forth a good fight in a tough situation, but MU's Shooting Woes Contribute to Defeat (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) as the Cards pull out a 62-58 victory in the Big East conference showdown.

It was the second straight loss for MU, dropping them to 12-4 in the Big East and into fourth place. The Golden Eagles are just 3-4 after starting conference play at 9-0. They close out the regular season this week with a game at Pittsburgh and a home date against Syracuse at the Bradley Center when their fans will bid farewell to their senior class that includes James, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Mathews and Dwight Burke Saturday afternoon. Next week the Golden Eagles head to New York for the 2009 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Their hold on the fourth spot, and last double-bye, is very tenuous as the last week of the regular season gets underway.

On Sunday afternoon, the impact of playing without James was evident as the Golden Eagles managed to shoot just 34% from the field and register just seven team assists. McNeal, possibly trying to put too much on his own shoulders, struggled through a miserable offensive afternoon by shooting 3-19 from the floor and finishing with 10 points.

Wesley Mathews led MU with 19 points and Lazar Hayward added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the game.

Of course, Louisville had an impact on the MU shooting woes as the Cards' Defense Was Delightful Against Familiar Foe (Courier-Journal) and held the usually high-scoring Golden Eagles to 58 points, well below their season average.

In throwback uniforms and Rick Pitino breaking out the all-white suit for the Freedom Hall 'white-out', the Cardinals Dress to Thrill (Kentucky.com) and deliver as they move to 14-2 in the conference, keeping their regular season title hopes alive.

Andre McGee had a team-high 16 points and Terrence Williams added 14 points, 8 rebounds and seven assists, filling the stat sheet as usual. Earl Clark posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to help the cause.