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No. 18 Marquette holds on for victory at Rutgers

Thu 8th, January 2009

Piscataway, NJ (Sports Network) - Wesley Matthews posted a game-high 23 points thanks to perfect 10-for-10 shooting from the floor, with a team-best six rebounds as 18th-ranked Marquette slipped by Rutgers, 81-76, at the RAC.

Jerel McNeal posted 16 points for the Golden Eagles (14-2, 3-0 Big East), winners in six straight games. Dominic James added 15 points with six assists.

Mike Rosario scored 22 points for the Scarlet Knights (9-7, 0-3), who dropped their fourth in a row, all to ranked opponents. Corey Chandler chipped in with 19 points and seven boards while JR Inman posted a game-high eight rebounds in the loss.

The Golden Eagles erupted for a 13-4 run out of the gate in the second half. Dwight Burke began the clip on a dunk then McNeal drilled a three for a 51-32 advantage a little less than four minutes in.

A James dunk increased the visitors' lead to 57-36 with 12:37 left in regulation before Rutgers awoke and began chipping away.

Rosario's three made the Scarlet Knights' burst 18-7 for a 64-56 game with 5:25 to go, and after Matthews' layup increased Marquette's lead to 10, an Inman lay-in and trey from Rosario brought the home team's deficit to 66-61.

Rosario hit a jumper with 37 seconds to play and Rutgers was behind only by 73-71 before Lazar Hayward and McNeal hit their free throws to wrap up the victory.

Marquette used an early 10-4 run to take an 18-12 lead with nine minutes played on a James jumper, then a 12-4 burst followed for a 30-18 Golden Eagles edge after James sank a layup with just over four minutes left before the half.

Chandler's tip-in brought Rutgers within 30-24 with 1:51 remaining, but a late run saw Marquette take a 37-28 lead to the break on Jimmy Butler's jumper.

Game Notes

Marquette has won three of four meetings...The Golden Eagles shot 52.5 percent (31-of-59) from the field while the Scarlet Knights hit 49.2 percent (31- of-63).