Marquette found an unexpectedly reliable source of offense in its 77-74 overtime win at Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles (17-4, 4-2 Big East) entered Sunday ranked 296th in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (63.3). And after starting the game 10-of-17 from the charity stripe, the prospects of improving that mark were unpromising.

But the team composed itself and converted its final 14 attempts, finishing 24-of-31 from the line. The boos sophomore Dominic James heard in Milwaukee after missing three crucial free throws down the stretch of a loss to Syracuse were out of his mind Sunday. He went 7-of-8 from the line and made the go-ahead free throws with 0.9 seconds left in overtime.

"Ice water was going through my mind at the end," James told the Associated Press after the game, referring to the two free throws that "iced" the game.

James has sparked the Golden Eagles' four-game win streak. He has averaged 19.8 points per game and has looked more confident from outside. The guard has nailed 11 of his last 21 three-point attempts, and was named Big East Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. After a midseason funk, James seems to be easing into his role as the team's primary scoring option.

Big man on campus

Junior Ousmane Barro has looked more comfortable in his role, too. Any questions whether the center's production might decrease against better Big East competition have proved unfounded.

In fact, his numbers have increased. Barro is averaging 10.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in conference play. Before this season, he had never eclipsed six boards in any of his 58 career games; he's had two double-doubles in his last four games (four double-doubles this season) and is the team's most improved player.

Barro guarded Pitt's All-American candidate, Aaron Gray, in the post for much of Sunday's game. Statistically, the match-up was a near-wash (Barro had 12 points and 7 boards, Gray had 16 and 9), and Gray became less effective as the game wore on.

Don't bother coming back

Sunday's game puts Marquette's road record at 4-1 and capped off a series of impressive Big East wins away from home, which included wins at Connecticut and Louisville.

Last season, the Golden Eagles' road struggles (3-7) hurt their seed when the NCAA tournament came.

"It's experience," said sophomore Wesley Matthews before the Pitt game. "The second-year guys are a lot more comfortable playing in an intense atmosphere."