Marquette University
DePaul
Men's Basketball Sweeps Season Series from DePaul, 62-47
2/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2006
MILWAUKEE - Led by sophomore Dan Fitzgerald who registered a career high 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from three point range, the Marquette men's basketball team defeated rival DePaul, 62-47 at the Bradley Center. The Golden Eagles win its third straight to improve to 15-5, 4-2 BIG EAST, while the Blue Demons fall to 8-10, 1-6 BIG EAST.
"We played 40 minutes of defense which was the key to this game," said head coach Tom Crean. "He (Fitzgerald) has been spending extra time in the gym. He is the first one in the gym and the last one out. It is a great example of a person who spends extra time. It is a tribute to our coaching staff that spends the extra time with him helping him to improve. It is fun to watch our young guys grow and learn the college game. I am proud of the way they are playing."
Freshman Dominic James added 12 points and seven assist and freshman Jerel McNeal added 11 points in the win.
The Golden Eagles finished the game shooting 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the field including 9-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles defense helped to seize 16 Blue Demon turnovers as Marquette grabbed 10 steals and tied a season low with 11 turnovers.
"After I hit my first shot my confidence went up," said Fitzgerald. "I played a lot of point, two and three and even some four tonight. I am willing to do whatever it takes and play where ever. We are a defensive minded team. My job is to guard first and foremost, and this game was no different. We have so many scorers on this team which is a tribute to how good of a team we are. My role is to hit open shots and I did that tonight."
DePaul shot 37.7 percent for the game (20-of-53). Draelon Burns led the Blue Demons with a team high 16 points and four rebounds. DePaul's Marlon Burmfield helped the Blue Demons to win the battle of the boards, 32-30, pulling down a game high nine rebounds.
Marquette shot well in the first half connecting on 51.9 percent (14-of-27) of their shots, while DePaul made just 37.9 percent (11-of-29) of its attempts. Fitzgerald led the Golden Eagles in the first with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. McNeal contributed nine points and three rebounds while senior Joe Chapman and James each added four points apiece. The Golden Eagles held a 17-14 rebounding advantages and forced eight Blue Demon turnovers, while grabbing four steals in the first.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early seven-point lead after a 7-0 run to lead 11-4 after just four minutes into the game. DePaul quickly cut the deficit with its own 7-0 run, and shaved Marquette's lead to one point, 15-14.
The two teams traded buckets until Fitzgerald hit a trey and connected on his next three attempts from beyond the arc to help give Marquette a 10 -point advantage, 32-22, with under three minutes remaining in the half. The Golden Eagles scored four more points, with a tip-in from McNeal and a lay-up by Chapman to end the half leading by 12 points, 36-24.
Marquette started out sluggish in the second half making just one of its attempts in the first four minutes of the second half. A jumper from James sparked a 13-4 run in six minutes helping the Golden Eagles take a 19-point lead (56-36), with 8:36 left in the game. A buzzer beating three pointer from Chapman and a jumper from McNeal gave Marquette its largest lead of the game, 22 points, 58-36, with 4:54 left in the game.
The Blue Demons rallied late in the game with an 8-2 run, cutting the Golden Eagles advantage to 15 points, 60-45, but the Golden Eagles still proved to be no match for Marquette as James capped the win with a layup helping the Golden Eagles to close out the win, 62-47.
The Golden Eagles will take to the road and travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., where they will take on the no. 10/12 Panthers on Saturday, January 28. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. CST, and will be broadcast locally on WMLW, channel 41.
"I am looking forward to going to Pittsburgh to play as tough of a game we have played all season," added Crean about the upcoming match up with Pitt. "They play hard, are well coached and have a lot of depth. It will be a challenge for us. I would have a hard time believing they are not one of the toughest teams in the country. They don't make many mistakes and guard at an incredibly high level. They are good all the way across the board."
