With 13:05 left in the first half Wednesday night, Seton Hall forward Brian Liang dribbled awkwardly across center court and into Marquette territory. Sophomore Dominic James met him there, ripped the ball away and zinged it upcourt to sophomore Jerel McNeal, who had only one man to beat.

Instead of turning to the bucket for a challenged shot, McNeal darted the ball back to a trailing James just as soon as he had touched it.

James blasted off into the air for the prettiest bucket of the night, a finger roll layup, plus the foul. The ball did not hit the floor once – a theme which would become common by night's end.

Marquette (18-4, 5-2) used crisp ball movement and a fast pace for an 89-76 win against Seton Hall (11-8, 3-4).

The Golden Eagles committed only 11 turnovers, four of which came during inconsequential garbage time in the game's last three minutes.

"For us, if we can reverse it once, or reverse it twice and then drive into a gap and create something," head coach Tom Crean said, "that's our best basketball."

Many Golden Eagles' possessions lasted less than 10 seconds. Whoever grabbed the rebound passed upcourt smoothly, thrusting the team to an electric pace that thrashed the Pirates 38-2 in the fast break points.

Movement both on and away from the ball has given the team a lethal look of late. The stagnant half-court sets of earlier this month have become but a memory.

"That's not our style," said sophomore Wesley Matthews, who tied McNeal with a game-high 22 points. "We're not just a 'swing it around the perimeter and shoot jump shots' team.

"When we drive and kick and when we have the defense rotating – that's what we do in practice. That's what we do in pick up. That's what we do in the off-season and that's how we play. That's when we're most comfortable."

The Pirates displayed no desire to get back on defense, and Marquette held the squad accountable.

Both teams had four players in double digits, but the Golden Eagles' ability to get to the foul line, paired with their 57.9 shooting percentage, proved the difference.

Sound fast break passing and well executed half-court sets have comprised a promising offense in Marquette's last four games, so much so that the team has shot 50.9 percent over that stretch.

Marquette was a bigger, faster and stronger team Wednesday. The Pirates came to Milwaukee with ideas of applying full-court pressure and left after a slaughter at the hands of a team with capable ball-handlers. McNeal had career-high 10 assists.

"Teams know (sophomores Dominic James, Matthews and I) have the ability to score at the basket," McNeal said. "So my main thing, I want get easy shots for my other teammates.

"Not only me, but all of our guys did a great job of that tonight."