Dominic James and Jerel McNeal pleaded with the ref, challenging the foul that had just been whistled on Dan Fitzgerald.
Marquette trailed by six with 2:36 remaining, and every DePaul fan inside Allstate Arena could see it coming.,”Rosemont, Ill. – The long walk down the court toward the free throw line said it all.
Dominic James and Jerel McNeal pleaded with the ref, challenging the foul that had just been whistled on Dan Fitzgerald.
Marquette trailed by six with 2:36 remaining, and every DePaul fan inside Allstate Arena could see it coming.
Wesley Matthews tried to provide a cohesive presence, striding toward the conversing threesome with his hands out, palms down. But it was no use.
No. 13 Marquette was coming apart at the seams.
The Golden Eagles (21-6, 8-4 Big East) lost their composure Wednesday night, and as a result, lost the game as well, 72-67 to DePaul (15-11, 6-6).
Different facets of Marquette's game that usually serve as strengths operated out of sync versus the Demon Deacons.
The Golden Eagles' vaunted fast break never got into a rhythm, and for possibly the first time all season, was outdone by that of DePaul.
However, head coach Tom Crean wasn't about to chalk up the poor transition on miscommunication.
"That's just called lack of effort," Crean said. "That's called not getting back and understanding that they wanted a lob dunk every time."
Sloppiness plagued a Marquette half-court attack as well. The Golden Eagles committed 16 turnovers Wednesday night and shot 39.1 percent from the field.
"We got a little bit caught up tonight in our own offense," said McNeal, who finished with 16 points. "We didn't get back to cover their transition offense."
James broke out of his scoring slump by contributing a team-high 17 points. He also handed out six assists but willingly took credit of a different sort in the post-game press conference.
"It came down to execution, and we didn't get it done," James said. "It starts with me, getting guys involved. The drive-and-kick has got to be there."
Alas, it wasn't.
Marquette claimed the lead early when McNeal, Matthews and James each were driving to the basket with precision and confidence.
But as the turnovers began to mount, the Demon Deacons began building steam. DePaul went on a 9-0 run to take the lead midway through the first half.
Sammy Mejia led the way with 18 points, but it was the play of DePaul's front court that got Crean's attention.
"Our frontline did not match their front line tonight," Crean said.
DePaul forward Wilson Chandler posted a double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Marquette's two starting forwards combined to contribute just four points but did grab a combined 17 rebounds.
The second half was a see-saw affair with Marquette nipping at DePaul's heals only to have the Demon Deacons eventually kick them away.
Fitzgerald provided several crucial shots that kept the Golden Eagles within striking distance and finished with 16 points.
"We got the type of tempo we want," James said. "But the defensive transition wasn't there, and they got some easy baskets. We got the lead a few times, but we couldn't make enough stops.
"We couldn't ever get over the hump."
“