Marquette University
Texas Southern
No. 23 Marquette Mauls Texas Southern, 76-40
11/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov 30, 2001
By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE - Dwyane Wade had 19 points and seven assists in No. 23 Marquette's 76-40 rout of winless Texas Southern on Friday night.
Marquette, which won the Great Alaska Shootout, improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1997, when the Golden Eagles won their first 10.
The Golden Eagles will play Sam Houston State (3-1) Saturday in the championship of the Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic at the Bradley Center. Sam Houston State beat Northern Illinois 80-73 in the opener.
Texas Southern (0-4) will play its fifth straight road game Saturday in the consolation game.
Cordell Henry added 13 points for Marquette, which never trailed, and reserve Travis Diener added 10. Rakim Hollis led the Tigers with 15 points and Steven Hoyer had 11.
With freshman Todd Townsend (11 points) replacing forward Odartey Blankson, out for three weeks with a broken foot, in the starting lineup, the Eagles never missed a beat against the Tigers, who have lost their four games by an average of 36 points.
The Eagles forced the Tigers to turn the ball over on four of their first five possessions, which Marquette turned into an 8-2 lead. The Tigers turned the ball over 15 times in the first half alone, which ended with the Eagles leading 37-21.
Things didn't get easier for the Tigers in the second half with Wade either dishing the ball to the open man or taking the shot himself until taking a seat with the game well in hand.
Scott Merritt's 15-foot jumper with 10:53 left gave the Eagles, a power in the Conference USA, a 62-31 lead over the Tigers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference who are still trying to get new coach Ronnie Courtney his first collegiate victory.
Marquette has won the last two classics and has played in the championship game of its homecourt tournament every year since 1967.
