Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
Fordham
No. 17 Men's Basketball Dominates Fordham, 79-55
12/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 8, 2001
By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE - Marquette got its usual rout, its normal bumps and bruises and a rare apology.
Dwyane Wade led the No. 17 Golden Eagles with 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a 79-55 victory over feisty Fordham on Saturday.
Although the Rams fell to 2-4 and the Eagles improved to 9-0, forward Oluoma Nnnamaka swore it wasn't easy.
"We know they're a good team," Nnnamaka said. "We knew we were in for a fight."
But not like this.
With the rout in hand, elbows flew freely from both sides in the final few minutes and the Rams' frustration boiled over when Michael Haynes (13 points) was ejected with 1:05 left after he clothes-lined Kevin Menard on a breakaway layup.
It appeared as though fisticuffs were about to break out, but the officials kept order.
Rams coach Bob Hill ran to halfcourt to escort Haynes away as Fordham lost for the 11th time in 12 games against Marquette.
"I want to apologize for Michael Haynes," Hill said. "He's one of the greatest kids I've ever coached in my life and when I went out to ask him, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'You told us to foul if they go to the basket.' And I said, 'You've got to go for the ball, not the neck.'
"He didn't mean that, I promise you. And I didn't tell him to do that. We don't believe in that. We don't play that way. ... So, I apologize. That's not what I stand for, nor will it ever be."
Marquette coach Tom Crean went ballistic on the sideline after Haynes' intentional foul, but he accepted Hill's personal and public apologies.
"I've been a big fan of his as a young coach," Crean said. "I've only met him one other time, but I have a lot of respect for him. I wouldn't expect anything different from him. It was just one of those things at the end of the game.
"I thought the referees did a good job. It wasn't like they could step in and stop the clothesline. It just happened and cooler heads prevailed. I'm not going to ever not stick up for my players. But it's over and done with."
Marquette's players were diplomatic about the ejection and numerous elbows that were flying over the final five minutes.
"It was a physical game from the beginning," Nnnamaka said. "They are a physical team and we try to be a physical team, so it was just the nature of the game."
Marquette, off to its best start since the 1997-98 team won its first 10, routed its second straight Atlantic 10 Conference team. The Golden Eagles beat Dayton by 22 Wednesday night.
The Eagles' 20-point lead was whittled to nine before Marquette closed with a 27-12 run.
The Eagles built a 39-23 halftime lead behind the multitalented Wade, whose energy and playmaking skills on both sides of the court slowly but surely deflated the Rams.
Fordham went without a point for a six-minute stretch in the first half in which the Eagles took control, turning a five-point lead into a 29-17 cushion.
The double-digit lead held until the Rams went on an 11-0 run, capped by Steve Canal's tip-in that made it 52-43. Travis Diener ended the drought with a 3-pointer for Marquette, Wade hit a foul shot and Cordell Henry scored on a fast break off a steal and the rout was back on.
"We know a lot of people look at us and say, 'They're undefeated. Are they going to give up?"' Wade said. "No. Marquette wants to be known as a team that no matter what the score is, we're always going to fight. We want to fight if we're down 20 or up 20.
"We want to be known as a fighter."
