 quickly tied it.Howard had a three-point play and capped a 13-5 run with a free throw that made it 38-all with 14:18 left. He gave Marquette its first lead since the opening bucket at 40-39 with a pair of free throws a minute later.Hauser liked the team's ability to hang in there.''In the first half we were kind of struggling,'' he said. ''In the second half, a lot of guys stepped up.'' After honoring former star Dwyane Wade with a celebration that included a halftime tribute, Marquette surged and improved to 13-0 at home.Howard was a questionable starter earlier in the week after exiting Marquette's road win at Georgetown on Tuesday with lower back tightness. The Big East's leading scorer (24.4) logged just three minutes before he came out of that game.Wojciechowski was concerned about Howard and Ed Marrow, who missed the Georgetown game with an ankle injury, playing without full practices.''We were able to do enough that they would be able to play,'' Wojciechowski said. ''This is a hard game not to have practice preparation.'' The lead then changed seven times before Marquette's Sacar Anim hit a 3-pointer that began a 10-2 run. The Friars (11-7, 1-4) twice pulled within two points, but Hauser and brother Joey Hauser combined for 12 points to keep Marquette ahead.''Joey and Sam have amazing chemistry,'' Wojciechowski said. ''They play really, really well together.'' Sam Hauser scored 20 points in the second half. He finished 8 of 13 from the floor and 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. His brother, Joey, a freshman forward, added 11 points, including a 3 and a three-point play down the stretch.''The Hausers make it really tough because they spread the floor,'' Providence head coach Ed Cooley said.Nate Watson tied his career-high with 21 points for Providence and Alpha Diallo had 16.Providence came in having won three of the last four meetings, including the last two at the Bradley Center. This was their first matchup at the new Fiserv Forum.Marquette is known for its defense at home, but Providence turned up the pressure.The Friars hounded and slapped at each Golden Eagles' possession, allowing just seven baskets on 25 attempts (28 percent), including 5 of 14 from 3-point range. Howard had 10 points and Sam Hauser had five, but no other Marquette starter scored in the first half.BIG PICTUREProvidence: The Friars outscored Marquette 18-4 in the paint and 10-0 on second-chance points in the first half.Marquette: Marquette shot 28 percent (7-25) in the first half and 55.2 percent (16-29) in the second.BOARD BATTLEProvidence outrebounded Marquette 43-31 owned the paint, 40-22 and had 18 second chances to the Golden Eagles 2.DWYANE WADE DAYMarquette celebrated the Hall of Famer in the marking the career of Wade, a former Marquette star (2000-2003). The 12-time NBA All-Star and three-time champion watched from courtside as video tributes were shown during breaks.UP NEXTProvidence: Plays at Xavier on Wednesday.Marquette: Hosts DePaul on Wednesday.)
Jan 19, 2019Marquette proved it could win a Big East game without Markus Howard. The Golden Eagles may need to do that again when they host Providence on Saturday afternoon.Howard, one of the nation's top scorers, played just three minutes against Georgetown on Tuesday when his back tightened up on him. No. 15 Marquette was able to collect a 74-71 road victory without him and junior forward Ed Morrow Jr., who sat out with an ankle injury."He's been experiencing some low-back soreness," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I'm not going to put a guy out there unless he is 100 percent, especially Markus. He wanted to give it a try and he did not look like Markus. So we're not going to put him in jeopardy. Fortunately, the other guys stepped up." When healthy, Howard can fill up the nets as well as any player in the country. He had 45-point nights against ranked opponents Kansas State and Buffalo and torched Creighton for 53 points in a 106-104 overtime win on Jan. 9.The Golden Eagles (15-3 overall, 4-1 conference) survived the Hoyas with a 31-point outburst from forward Sam Hauser, the team's second-leading scorer at 14.4 points per game."I've done it before," Hauser told the Journal Sentinel. "Nothing I am not accustomed to. With Markus and Ed being out, there was a lot of next-man-up mentality for our whole team." Providence (11-6, 1-3) captured its first Big East victory by topping Seton Hall on Tuesday, 72-63. Freshman guard David Duke led the way with 18 points, while junior swingman Alpha Diallo supplied 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists."I thought our guys played with a little desperation," coach Ed Cooley told the Providence Journal. "You don't want to use that word too early, but we were in a state where you can only go down so far in this league and try to climb back out." The Friars ramped up their defense, as the Pirates committed 22 turnovers. Providence's win quieted down the team's critics on social media and in the stands."I think it's part of our business. You can't take it personal," Cooley told the Journal. "I'm glad we have fans that are passionate and care and that come out here to The Dunk (Dunkin Donuts Center). You're always going to have quarterbacks who've never thrown a ball or people who never called a timeout, but they paid their money and have a right to have an opinion. It's up to us, the coaching staff, to keep our players tight." Providence lost to Creighton, Villanova and Georgetown in its first three conference matchups after winning its last three non-conference tilts.Diallo is the team's top all-around threat, leading the team in scoring (17.2), rebounding (8.7), assists (3.4) and steals (1.7). Providence will play another road game against Xavier on Wednesday before returning home to face DePaul on Sunday, Jan. 27. The Golden Eagles host DePaul on Wednesday.Marquette will travel to Providence on Feb. 23.--Field Level Media
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