Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Survives Scare from Valparaiso
11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MILWAUKEE, Wis. ?
Travis Diener?s streak of 72 minutes without a turnover to start the season came to an end, but the junior guard still produced his best performance of the season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic. Diener led Marquette (3-0) with 26 points and nine assists, in a 75-70 win over Valparaiso (1-1).
Valparaiso jumped out to an early 11-0 lead, thanks to three Marquette turnovers and three three-pointers in Valpo?s first four possessions. An 11-4 run by Marquette that featured two Diener three-pointers cut the lead to two at 17-15 midway through the first half. The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to one three times before the end of the half, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Ali Berdiel gave Valparaiso a 34-30 lead.
Marquette?s offense would respond in the second half, as the Golden Eagles shot 61.3 percent from the field following the intermission. For the game, Marquette shot 50.9 percent, the highest field goal percentage in three games for the Golden Eagles.
Scott Merritt joined Diener on the All-Tournament team, as he notched a double-double with 16 points, and a team-leading 10 rebounds. Steve Novak also chipped in five points and seven rebounds on a rough shooting night for the forward.
The Golden Eagles are back in action Monday night, November 24. Marquette hosts Northern Michigan at 8 p.m. at the Bradley Center.
