Men's Basketball Concludes Homestand Against Savannah State

Dec. 29, 2006

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MILWAUKEE (AP) - Hoping to get another easy win before starting BIG EAST play, No. 18 Marquette closes a month-long homestand Saturday against Savannah State.

The Golden Eagles (12-2) begin their second season of Big East play on Thursday at Providence, but will not have the element of surprise like last season, when they posted 10 league wins and finished fourth after being picked for a 12th-place finish in the preseason.

Coach Tom Crean's team is 5-2 on this homestand, which included a shocking 64-60 loss to North Dakota State on Dec. 2 and a 70-66 defeat to current-No. 4 Wisconsin on Dec. 9. The Golden Eagles have since reeled off three straight victories - none by fewer than 18 points - and are coming off a 77-57 rout of Morgan State on Dec. 22.

"I thought our guys played well, played at a high level," Crean said after seeing his team shoot 54.7 percent from the field. "We had a lot of mix and match lineups and were able to get better."

Jerel McNeal, among the nation's leaders with 50 steals, scored a career-high 25 points and also had seven assists and four steals. The sophomore guard has at least 15 points in six straight games, shooting 51.4 percent from the field, after scoring that many in only three of the team's first eight games as he shot 35.8 percent.

"I have been doing the same thing all year long and now the shots are starting to fall," McNeal said. "I am working on the whole team getting better and getting everyone involved. We are a lot better as a team if everyone gets involved on offense and defense."

Dan Fitzgerald hit three 3-pointers and was the only other Marquette player in double figures with 11 points. Leading scorer and point guard Dominic James, who averages 16.6 points, was held to a season-low seven and has committed 12 turnovers in his last two games.

Savannah State (6-11) is playing its third Big East opponent this month after suffering lopsided losses at West Virginia and Louisville by a combined 61 points.

The Tigers have lost 10 of 11 following a 5-0 start and are coming off a 58-46 home loss to Stetson last Saturday, their third game in four days.

"Stetson just out-hustled us," said Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax. "The played aggressive and we did not adapt. They beat us to rebounds and loose balls."

Fatigue may have contributed to the lack of hustle as the Tigers made just one basket in the final 10:08, were outscored 26-8 in the paint and outrebounded 36-24. Lazarius Coleman scored 15 points for Savannah State, which has lost 42 consecutive road games since a 73-59 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Feb. 12, 2004.

The Tigers are playing their first game against a ranked opponent since falling 113-62 at Florida on Jan. 18.

Marquette routed Savannah State 79-41 in the 2003-04 season in the only game between the schools.