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WHERE: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
STREAM: Fox Sports GO
RADIO: WJFK 106.7 FM (Washington, D.C.)
LINE (via OddsShark): Marqutte -9.5
O/U: 159
SERIES HISTORY: Georgetown leads, 12-11. The Hoyas won the last meeting, 80-62, on Feb. 11, 2017.
The Marquette Golden Eagles (9-4, 0-1 Big East) will host the Georgetown Hoyas (10-2, 0-1 Big East) on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee, as both teams will attempt to bounce back from tough losses on Wednesday night. The game is the first of a two-game road trip for the Hoyas, who are playing in their first road conference game under first-year head coach Patrick Ewing. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are playing in the second game of a two-game home stretch to open conference play.
In their last game, the Hoyas blew a 20-point lead against Butler (11-3, 1-0 Big East) in a double overtime loss. They surrendered a career-high 31 points to Kamar Baldwin and 27 points to Kelan Martin. The result was particularly disappointing for the Hoyas, as they played very well in the first half, but were let down by 12 turnovers after the intermission. Late-game execution also burned the Hoyas, who allowed a late tip-in at the buzzer to force overtime and failed to get a shot off on their final possession of the game.
As for Marquette, No. 6 Xavier (13-1, 1-0 Big East) proved too much for the Golden Eagles to handle on opening night, losing by four points. Markus Howard, one of the conference’s most lethal scorers, struggled to get it going on Wednesday, making 6-of-19 field goals, including 1-of-8 from deep. As a unit, Marquette shot the ball well in that one, making 46 percent of their field goal attempts, but attempted just 14 free throws, converting on eight.
There were bright spots for both teams in their opening games, however. Georgetown’s frontcourt duo of Marcus Derrickson (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Jessie Govan (19 points, 13 rebounds) each posted a pair of double-doubles. The pair dominated throughout the game, but the Hoyas were unable to get the ball to their big men late in the game. Derrickson attempted just one shot in the final 10 minutes, while Govan mustered only two in the last 11. The fate of Georgetown throughout the season has depended on the play of its big men, and the Hoyas could look to use their size advantage to slow down a Marquette team that is both undersized and capable of putting points on the board in hurry.
Andrew Rowsey continued his hot start to the season on opening night, pouring in 31 points, while Jamal Cain and Sam Hauser added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Rowsey and Howard are number one and two in scoring in the conference, with Rowsey contributing 21.5 points per game and Howard chipping in 21.1 per game. The Hoyas have struggled to defend scoring guards all season, surrendering 28 points to Richmond’s De’Monte Buckingham and 29 points to Syracuse’s Tyus Battle in addition to Baldwin’s aforementioned 31 points. For Marquette to be successful, their frontcourt duo will have to provide a spark on offense.
Prediction
Markus Howard bounces back in a big way as the Hoyas struggle in a tough road environment. Marquette 87, Georgetown 74.