Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
Louisville
Golden Eagles Lose Triple Overtime Marathon, 77-74
2/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2001
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Erik Brown scored the go-ahead basket and a free throw in the third overtime to lead Louisville to a 77-74 win over Marquette in a tough, physical marathon at the Bradley Center Saturday night.
Brown, a sophomore, scored with 33.6 seconds left to put the Cardinals up, 76-74, and then made one of two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to ice it.
Marquette's Cordell Henry missed two free throws with four seconds left. The second miss was intentional and Marquette got the ball. But Brian Wardle's 3-point shot at the buzzer fell short.
Several players started shoving each other in front of the Golden Eagles' bench as the game ended, but the court was cleared.
"I didn't see what happened at the end," said Louisville coach Denny Crum. "That was a heck of a college basketball game. Any time you win on the road in this league you've done pretty well. To beat this team here is very good."
The loss dropped Marquette to 14-11 overall and into a tie with Cincinnati for first in the American Division of Conference USA with a 9-5 record. Louisville is 11-17, 7-7 in the conference.
It was the first triple overtime game in Marquette history.
"Obviously you don't want to go away a loser on the scoreboard on senior night," Marquette coach Tom Crean said. "It was extremely hard-fought, very physical. We didn't shoot the ball very well. Yet, we were in it right until the end.
"You have to give them the credit. They have talented players. He (Crum) is a great coach. We didn't make a couple plays, and they did at the end."
Henry tied the score at 70-70 on a free throw with 23.5 seconds left in the second overtime. Louisville's Reece Gaines worked for a final shot and fell to the court after contact with a Marquette player. No foul was called, and play continued into the third overtime period.
Gaines, playing an hour from his hometown of Madison, had a big basket with 29.7 seconds left in the first overtime to give Louisville a 64-59 lead.
But Henry scored with 16.1 seconds left and again with three seconds left to pull the Golden Eagles even at 65-65 and force the second extra session.
Marques Maybin's 3-pointer with 33.7 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 55-55. Oluoma Nnamaka's tip-in with 1:37 left gave Marquette a 55-50 lead that looked like it might hold up, but Gaines made it 55-52 on a jumper with 1:08 remaining. Maybin then tied it with his 3-pointer.
Wardle led all scorers with 24 points, but connected on just six of 23 shots from the floor. Maybin had 22 before fouling out.
The Cardinals did not score until 15:25 left in the first half, but by the midway point they had taken a 12-11 lead.
The first half saw three lead changes and three ties. John Harris scored the last two baskets of the half on tip-ins to give Marquette a 24-20 lead at halftime.
NOTES: Crum coached against Al McGuire and on Saturday coached on the Bradley Center floor that was dedicated Thursday to the late Marquette coach...Saturday's game was senior night for Marquette. Brian Wardle, John Mueller, Brian Barone and Greg Clausen were honored...Wardle set a Marquette record by playing 52 minutes. Ric Cobb and Joe Thomas played 50 minutes on Feb. 7, 1970.
