Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
FOREIGN TEAM EXHIBITION (ex)
Marquette Pounds BC Albacomp In Exhibition Finale
11/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2001
Milwaukee -- Sophomore guard Dwyane Wade (Oaklawn, Ill.) scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to spark Marquette to a 103-57 win over BC Albacomp Monday evening in the team's final exhibition game prior to the season opener.
Wade connected on 13-of-20 from the floor and four-of-five from the free throw line in leading MU to the decisive win. Wade was one of four double-figure point producers for Marquette with seniors Oluoma Nnamaka (Uppsala, Sweden) and David Diggs (Dayton, Ohio), along with sophomore Scott Merritt (Wauwatosa, Wis.) all contributing 11 points. Merritt also came through with 10 boards and helped the Golden Eagles to a 47-25 edge on the glass.
BC Albacomp got off to a fast start and led Marquette by an 18-12 margin with 14:47 left in the first half, but Marquette roared back to outscore the visitors, 37-7, over the remainder of the first half to take a commanding 49-25 lead into the locker room at halftime. Aiding in the scoring barrage was a 23-3 spurt over the final 9:48 of the opening half. Wade scored 19 points during the opening minutes of play while senior Cordell Henry (Chicago, Ill.) contributed eight points, including a three-pointer that put MU ahead for good with 11:44 left in the half. In the first half, the Golden Eagles shot 58.1 percent (18-of-31) from the floor compared to BC Albacomp's mark of 34.5 percent (10-of-29).
"Obviously, we tried to put together 40 minutes of basketball and I thought that our players did a much better job of doing that this week," said Head Coach Tom Crean, comparing tonight's effort to last week's exhibition opener vs. EA Sports. "Our defensive intensity and ability to rebound got our entire game going. Our players are starting to learn that if they play hard and play with great intensity, and a passion level that they have an opportunity to succeed. And when we play defense like that, and we bring that level of intensity to the glass, that gives us a chance to keep getting better."
The Golden Eagles ended the contest shooting 58.0 percent and held their opponent to 37.7 percent. Included in Marquette's 47-25 margin in rebounds was a 19-9 bulge on the offensive end of the floor that helped it to a 22-6 scoring advantage in second-chance points.
Marquette opens the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 17, when it plays host to Loyola starting at 1:00 p.m., at the Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center. On Sunday, Nov. 18 (7:00 p.m.), the Golden Eagles host Chicago State, coached by former MU All-American Bo Ellis.
