MILWAUKEE – Four Marquette players scored in double figures, led by senior Wesley Matthews' 26 points and nine rebounds as the 16th-ranked Golden Eagles (2-0) posted a 106-87 win over Chicago State (1-1) Monday evening at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee to open the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
Matthews scored seven of MU's first nine points in a span of 1:19 as the host team claimed an early 9-0 lead. Senior guard David Holston (Pontiac, MI/Avondale HS) (Pontiac, Mich.) led a CSU rally with four three-pointers as the Cougars posted a 16-6 scoring run in nearly four minutes to gain a 16-15 advantage with 14:28 remaining. An 18-6 run put the Golden Eagles ahead by a 33-22 margin with at the 7:39 mark, however, Chicago State used an 8-1 scoring drive in just a minute to pull within 34-30 after a tip-in from senior Tawrence Walton (Chicago, IL/Kennedy-King College) (Chicago, Ill.). Marquette closed the half by scoring 18 of the final 24 points to go into halftime with a 52-36 leading margin.
Continuing where it left off before intermission, MU began the second half by outscoring the visitors by a slim 27-21 margin in the first nine minutes but extended its lead to 79-57 after a Matthews steal and layup at the 11:11 mark. Holston drained a triple to start a quick 10-0 CSU run in four minutes to slice its deficit to 79-67 with 8:19 left in the game. A layup from junior Lazar Hayward at the 5:06 mark later increased the home team's lead to 91-75, but the Cougars posted a 10-5 scoring drive to pull within 96-85 after senior Mike Wilson (New York, NY/Mt. San Jacinto CC) (New York, N.Y.) hit a three with 2:51 left in the game. CSU could get no closer the rest of the way.
“We played very hard tonight, but we got into foul trouble midway through the first half. We had key players that had to come out with two and three fouls. A lot of credit goes to them (Marquette) because they are very fast and athletic and that is why they are the 16th rated team in the country,” said CSU head coach Benjy Taylor.
Holston finished with a game-high 33 points for Chicago State, including 7-of-13 from downtown, while fellow senior John Cantrell (Pontiac, MI/Northern HS) (Pontiac, Mich.) added 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sophomore Carl Montgomery (Chicago, IL/Shepard) (Palos Heights, Ill.) added nine points and seven boards. Wilson finished the game with eight points and four assists.
Hayward contributed 21 points and nine caroms for Marquette. Senior Jerel McNeal posted 17 points with a game-high six assists and sophomore Patrick Hazel recorded 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minute off the bench.
CSU returns to the Jones Convocation Center Thursday evening for a home contest against Central Michigan with the tip-off set for 7 p.m.
~ CSU ~
