Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
Charlotte
No. 21 Men's Hoops Holds Off Charlotte, 67-64
1/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan 18, 2003
By JENNA FRYER
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Winless in Charlotte in eight previous tries, No. 21 Marquette didn't need any reminders of its struggles against the 49ers.
But they got one before the start of Saturday night's game, then rallied to snap the streak with a 67-64 victory over Charlotte.
"We knew that we have struggled here in the past, but our radio guy told us just how bad it was right before the game," Marquette coach Tom Crean said. "Thanks to him, the team and probably all of Milwaukee found out how bad we are here right as we tipped off."
 | We've got confidence and a lot of chemistry. Dwyane Wade |
The Golden Eagles (12-3, 4-1) were clinging to a spot in the Top 25 when they came here last February, lost and dropped out of the rankings for good.
Back in the Top 25 this season, they knew they had to beat Charlotte (7-8, 2-2) to stay there.
It wasn't easy as Marquette had to overcome foul trouble for forward Robert Jackson and an onslaught of 3-pointers from Charlotte's Demon Brown to rally for the win.
Dwyane Wade scored 20 points to lead the Eagles and Jackson had 13, despite playing just 18 minutes because of foul trouble.
"Winning with him out for a lot of the game just proves we know what we've got on this team - a group of guys that can play together with a lot of different combinations," Wade said. "We've got confidence and a lot of chemistry."
Brown, who made a career-high nine 3s in Tuesday's win over UAB, finished with 23 points for Charlotte and was 6-for-15 from 3-point range.
"Demon Brown is as good a shooter as we have faced all year," Crean said. "We knew that coming in and knew beating Charlotte would not be easy."
Marquette's Robert Jackson scored on a layup that drew a foul and made the free throw for a 63-61 lead with 1:36 to play. After a pair of Charlotte misses, the 49ers had to foul Travis Diener and he made both free throws with 16 seconds left to give the Eagles a 65-61 lead.
 Travis Diener shoots over Charlotte's Mitchell Baldwin in the first half  | |
Brown made his sixth 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds to play to cut Marquette's lead to 66-64. The 49ers fouled and Steve Novak made one of two free throws to give the Eagles a 67-64 lead with 1.7 to go.
Charlotte had one final chance, but Wade intercepted the long inbound pass and heaved it toward Marquette's basket as time expired.
"Give Marquette credit, they came back to win and that's why they are a Top 25 team," Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. "They made the shots at the end and we didn't."
The loss gave Charlotte four losses at Halton Arena, the most in a season since the 49ers began playing here seven years ago.
Wade, Conference USA's scoring leader at 23.4 points a game, didn't get going until the second half when he scored nine straight.
He scored on a driving layup, connected with Diener on an alley-oop dunk, hit his only 3-pointer and capped the spurt with a putback to give Marquette a 50-45 lead with 6:22 to play.
But he later missed a 3-pointer, Charlotte got the rebound and he fouled Brown as he tried a 3 to send him to the line for three free throws. Brown only made two, enough to put Charlotte up 53-52 with 3:32 left.
But Wade made up for it on a no-look pass to Jackson, he converted with a layup that drew a foul and a 55-53 lead. Brown answered for Charlotte with another 3, then gave the points right back to Marquette when he fouled Diener on his 3-point attempt and Diener made all three free throws to put the Eagles back up 58-56, a lead they would never relinquish.
"I made a stupid mistake and fouled a great free-throw shooter at the wrong time," Brown said.
Scott Merritt had 11 rebounds, and Diener had 10. The Eagles went 17-for-20 at the free-throw line, but shot just 4-for-20 from 3-point range.
