Marquette's Sam Hauser Had 29 Points in Win over American.
MBB Minute -- BIG EAST Teams Have 3-0 Thursday; Three More Games Set For Friday
DePaul, Marquette and Butler got ready for the holiday break - and league play next week - with homecourt victories by comfortable margins on Thursday. The BIG EAST schedule shows three more games for Friday night with Villanova, Xavier and Providence in action.
DePaul probably had the toughest test, taking on a Miami, Ohio, team that brought a 7-4 record. But the Blue Demons got a total of 62 points from the trio of Marin Maric (22 points), Max Strus (21) and Eli Cain (21) and posted an 83-66 victory at Wintrust Arena. A 14-0 run midway through the first half gave DePaul a 26-17 lead and the Blue Demons did not trail the rest of the way. Strus has scored at least 20 points in five of the last six games. The Blue Demons (7-5) have won five of their last six contests.
After putting together a 46-30 lead at intermission, Marquette used a 14-0 run to open the second half and roledl to a 92-51 victory over American. Sam Hauser shot 7-of-9 from 3-point range en route to a game-high 29 points. Andrew Rowsey added 19 points and Markus Howard had 10 points. Rowsey and Howard have been in double figures every game this season. Marquette (9-3) held American to 35.4 shooting from the field and a season-low point total.
Butler was not taxed in a 107-46 defeat of Western Illinois. The Bulldogs (10-3) led 49-22 by halftime. Kelan Martin finished with 20 points. Nate Fowler had his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Reserve guard Henry Baddley also scored 20 points in just 15 minutes of playing time. The Bulldogs were 18-of-31 from 3-point range, which tied for second in 3-pointers made in program history.
On Friday, No. 1 Villanova plays a "home" game against Hofstra at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. The Wildcats (11-0) have had to play at some alternate sites while The Pavilion is undergoing renovations this year. Coach Jay Wright coached Hofstra for seven seasons (1994-2001). FS1 has the game at 8:30 p.m. ET.
In the first game of the FS1 doubleheader, Providence (8-4) hosts Sacred Heart at 6:30 p.m. The Friars will try to bounce back from Wednesday's 70-59 loss to Houston. Rodney Bullock had 24 points and eight rebounds. He leads the Friars in both categories with 15.6 and 6.6 averages, respectively.
No. 9 Xavier has a formidable road test at Northern Iowa. The Musketeers are 15th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 87.8 ppg. UNI is fifth in the nation defensively, allowing 59.0 ppg. Xavier starters J.P. Macura and Kaiser Gates missed Tuesday's win over Marshall with injuries. Freshman Naji Marshall was injured in the game and did not return. CBS Sports Network has the telecast at 9 p.m.
BIG EAST teams have won 55 of the last 65 games overall. For the season, the BIG EAST non-conference record is 95-23 (.805), the best record since 1988-89 (.831).