Marquette University Athletics
Marquette falls in overtime to TCU
3/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Mar. 9 (Sports Network) - Corey Santee's three-pointer with 11.8 seconds left in overtime lifted TCU to a 60-57 win over Marquette in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament from FedEx Forum.
Nile Murry paced TCU with 12 points and Santee ended with eight for the eighth-seeded Horned Frogs (19-12), who will face top-seeded Louisville in the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon.
Steve Novak scored a game-high 16 points, but the Golden Eagles (19-11) were unable to pull off any late-second heroics. Todd Townsend had 14 points and eight rebounds, while Dameon Mason chipped in 12 points for Marquette.
Murry was fouled late in the extra session and made both shots for a 56-55 TCU lead. Townsend's slam, however, put Marquette back in front by one. With 18.8 seconds left, Aaron Curtis was fouled in the paint and knocked down 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 57-57.
Marquette had to go the length of the court, but turned the ball over during the inbounds pass. Novak lost control of the ball and Murry found an open Santee, whose three-pointer put TCU in front, 60-57, with 11.8 seconds left.
The Eagles had one more chance and Novak lost control of the ball again, but time had already expired.
TCU raced out to a 10-0 lead, but the Eagles scored six straight to pull within four. The Horned Frogs would grab some breathing room at 19-10 on consecutive threes by Murry and Brent Reese-Hackett with 11 minutes left.
Marquette then pulled within 24-21 on three straight three-pointers by Ryan Amoroso, Chapman and Novak. TCU pulled away, though, and headed to the break with a 34-28 advantage. Novak led all scorers at halftime with 13 points.
Townsend scored on a flying dunk along the baseline to pull Marquette within 35-32 early in the second half. The Eagles kept clawing away and tied the game at 37-37 on Chapman's foul shot with 11 1/2 minutes to go in the game.
After TCU scored five straight points for a 42-37 lead near the midway point of the second half, Novak's three-pointer opened a 12-0 run that gave Marquette a 49-42 cushion. Townsend's three capped the surge and TCU was scrambling for a score with 3 1/2 minutes on the clock.
The Horned Frogs then made two quick baskets to make it 49-46 and Novak was fouled with 1:40 to go. After the non-shooting foul, the inbounds pass was stolen and Novak was forced to foul Murry, who made both free throws for a 49-48 score.
TCU collected another Marquette turnover and Marcus Shropshire later sank a pair of foul shots for a 50-49 TCU lead with 1:12 left. Mason was then sent to the line seconds later and he made 1-of-2 shots to tie the game at 50 apiece.
Both teams had a chance for the win in the waning seconds, but TCU was called for a shot-clock violation, while the Eagles never got a decent attempt off.
The Eagles played without guard Travis Diener, who suffered a broken hand during practice last month and is out for the season. He sustained displaced fractures of the left fourth and fifth proximal phalanges during a non-contact drill and led Marquette in scoring (19.7 ppg), assists (7.0 apg) and steals (1.4 spg) this season.
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