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It took four games, but the DePaul Blue Demons finally have their first win in Big East play. It was all thanks to Billy Garrett Jr., who scored a clutch and-one to give DePaul the lead against Providence. His late scoring outburst was enough to lift DePaul to a win and keep them from falling further in the standings.
Speaking of standings, DePaul currently sits 8th in Big East play. The only thing keeping them in that position is the fact that they have a better conference record than Georgetown or the aforementioned Friars. If DePaul wants to make sure that they don’t drop down to the bottom, they have to keep the momentum from this win. They have two winnable games right in front of them now and need to get a win from that small stretch.
DePaul wasn’t the only team to snap a losing streak. The Marquette Golden Eagles ended a two-game losing streak with a win against Seton Hall, getting revenge on the Pirates who beat MU just two games earlier. Thanks to some clutch free throw shooting in overtime, the Golden Eagles were able to keep Seton Hall at bay and walked away with a 89-86 win. Wednesday’s OT win helped the Golden Eagles improve their record to 11-5, good for 6th in the Big East.
With a conference record of 2-2, Marquette needs a lot more wins to jump up in standings.
How to watch, listen, or stream
Game Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: FSN
Radio: WSCR 670 AM (DePaul) || 540 ESPN Milwaukee (Marquette)
Streaming: Fox Sports Go
Gamblin’ Odds
Odds: Marquette enters this game as a 16-point favorite (via OddsShark.com)
Record ATS: DePaul (6-11) || Marquette (8-8)
O/U: 155.5
3 things to watch
Will Marquette keep up their offensive pace?
The Golden Eagles are one of the top offensive teams in the country. Marquette currently sits 20th in the country in terms of points per game (83.9). And they aren’t just a team who runs up and down the court shooting inefficiently either. According to KenPom, Marquette is 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency and they will be a lot for DePaul to try and contain. Jajuan Johnson is the top man for Marquette, averaging 13.2 points per game, but Marquette gives him a lot of help with five players averaging double digits points per game.
Ball movement for Marquette
Having five guys who average 10+ PPG is really impressive. Most it is due to the Marquette moves the ball around on offense. They are 32nd in the country in assists per game with a mark of 17.1. That certainly helps their offensive standing nationally as it shows that they have guys who don’t just score the ball but are good playmakers as well. Be on the lookout for the ball movement from Marquette.
Both teams need this game
And for different reasons. DePaul needs this to get back on track and hopefully help them win some more winnable games down the road. Marquette needs this so they can get another victory under their belt before entering a very tough three-game stretch against the top Big East teams. This isn’t a game that will make or break each teams season. But they both are looking at this fixture like they can win it.