The men's basketball players Tuesday evening produced what head coach Tom Crean has pumped into their heads: They played fast, defended well and then played faster.

Virtually all the team's rebounds and steals turned into easy transition buckets. Marquette smelled blood from the tip, and the result was an 87-45 drubbing of Detroit. Apparently, Crean had reasons for trimming the shot clock to 20 seconds in practice this year.

"When you focus on defense, then you're able to spark," sophomore Wesley Matthews said. "And then you get more energy on offense."

Marquette forced 27 turnovers, leading to an eye-popping 27-0 shutout of the Titans – who never adjusted to the pressure – in fast break points. Detroit rarely got back on defense, and when it did, Marquette abused the Titans in the halfcourt.

Freshman Lazar Hayward and sophomores Jerel McNeal and Dominic James forced 11 of the team's 17 steals. Marquette had not recorded more than 11 steals in any game since a win against South Dakota State last December.

"Fast-break points, second-shot points and points in the paint are big," Crean said. "And we've been doing a pretty good job there."

A tale of two teams

Marquette shot 29.2 percent in a 59-56 overtime win against Idaho State Monday, including 5-of-25 from downtown. Twenty-four hours later, against another low-caliber opponent, Marquette was an entirely different team. Its transition opportunities led to 10-of-19 three-point shooting.

At the 16:28 mark of the first half, Matthews set the tone when he drilled a three-pointer off a swing pass from James, giving him eight points and Marquette an 11-5 lead. Matthews finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Despite controlling the glass against Idaho State on Monday, Marquette failed to take advantage. The team blew layups and other open looks the entire night.

Fast-break offense is conducive to high turnovers, but against Detroit on Tuesday, Marquette paired just 13 turnovers with a blazing fast offensive attack. Relaxed passing got everyone involved – most importantly Hayward.

Breakout performance

After playing just 13 minutes Monday night – a decision Crean said he regretted – Hayward was a primary bench option Tuesday. He responded with 14 points and four steals, and was disruptive on defense. Hayward's production made it seem as if he had played more than 17 minutes.

The penetration of James, McNeal and Matthews created opportunities for him.

"Those guys are just so unselfish," Hayward said. "Sometimes, it makes things easier. When they penetrate, they just pass it right off and all I gotta do is shoot. It's very unusual for scorers to be that unselfish."

Hayward spread the floor Tuesday, and the guards felt less pressure as a result.

"He's got a scorer's mentality, and that's really important for us right now," Crean said.