TicketsFeb. 2, 2008
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CINCINNATI - Deonta Vaughn scored a game-high 23 points, but the rest of the Cincinnati roster could not muster enough falling to No. 17 Marquette, 75-60.
Lazar Hayward scored 14 of his team-high 19 points - his second big game in a row -to lead the Golden Eagles (16-4, 6-3 Big East) to their first road win in the league.
Behind Vaughn's second 3-pointer of the afternoon, the Bearcats (10-12, 5-5 BIG EAST) led by as many as nine, at 22-13, in the first half. The Golden Eagles responded with a 15-2 run over the final 4:09 of the period to take a four-point lead at the intermission.
Four Marquette players finished in double figures in a balanced attack that has carried the Golden Eagles to three straight wins. Hayward had a career-high 23 points in his last game, a 62-54 win over South Florida.
Ousmane Barro added a season-high 19 points.
Both teams had breakthroughs in mind. Marquette had been 0-3 on the road in the Big East Conference, raising questions about the Golden Eagles' mettle.
The Bearcats had already knocked off two ranked teams at home - No. 19 Villanova and No. 15 Pittsburgh - and needed one more win to match their victory total from last season.
Plus, they had a little swagger in their stride. The Bearcats were coming off a lopsided 62-39 victory at West Virginia earlier in the week.
For the first half, the Bearcats brought the same defensive intensity that carried them to victory on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles were only 5-of-20 from the field in the early going.
Then, Cincinnati went cold, missing nine shots the rest of the half. Jerel McNeal had a pair of baskets to close the half and put Marquette up 28-24.
Barro took advantage under the basket, repeatedly getting layups. His inside basket stretched the lead to 38-29 early in the second half, putting Marquette in control for good.
The senior forward reached double figures for only the third time this season.
Wesley Matthews scored inside and hit a 3 from the left corner on consecutive possessions, pushing the lead to 48-33.
After Cincinnati's 10-point run cut it to 50-46, struggling Marquette guard Dominic James got his first basket, a driving scoop shot that ended his 0-for-6 slump and ended the comeback.
James, who leads Marquette with 13.5 points per game, has been in a deep shooting slump. He went 1-for-7 in the win over South Florida, and finished 2-for-9 from the field for eight points against Cincinnati.
Hayward made three free throws in a six-point spurt that rebuilt the lead to 64-52 with 4:09 left, finishing off the Bearcats.