LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In its first game without guard Dominic James, No. 8 Marquette got a look at just how difficult the remainder of its season might be.

The Golden Eagles struggled to find any rhythm on offense against No. 6 Louisville, shooting just 33.9 percent (19-of-56) from the field and losing a 62-58 decision.

"A lot of that is credited to Louisville's defense with their length, athleticism and the players," coach Buzz Williams said. "We want to say that it was a great defensive effort by Louisville."

Marquette (23-6, 12-4 Big East) shot just 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from the field in the first half as the Cardinals built a slim 28-25 advantage. Senior guard Jerel McNeal (10 points, six rebounds) personified the Marquette attack, shooting just 2-of-13 in the opening 20 minutes. The Golden Eagles also managed to dish out only one assist (from McNeal) in the first half without James, the team's assist leader.

Louisville (23-5, 14-2 Big East) managed to shoot 45.8 percent from the field in the first half, but neutralized their advantage slightly by turning the ball over eight times. Forward Terrence Williams (12 points, five rebounds) led the Cardinals with a trio of 3-point baskets.

"I tried to tell the guys at halftime 'Look, you guys are acting like you're down 13. They're playing really good defense, you're playing really good defense,' " Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "When you play against Marquette . you have to be consumed with the final score."

Louisville started the second half with a quick run over the first three minutes to build a 36-26 lead. Senior guard Andre McGee started the run for the Cardinals with a layup at 18:57.

Freshman center Samardo Samuels followed that with a layup of his own on Louisville's next possession. Marquette forward Lazar Hayward (16 points, 10 rebounds) found himself open on the baseline on the Golden Eagles' next possession but didn't even hit rim. That led to another layup from Samuels and a quick Marquette timeout with the Golden Eagles trailing 34-26.

"I think we took a couple of quick shots early on," Hayward said. "They execute really well when you feed into their tempo and are shooting bad shots."

Louisville continued its run after the timeout, with a pair of dunks by McGee and junior forward Earl Clark, before Marquette guard Wesley Matthews (19 points, five turnovers) answered back with a quick layup to make the score 38-28.

But even with its margin of error cut to zero by James' broken foot, the Golden Eagles managed to make a second-half run. Trailing 41-30 at 15:22 after a 3-point basket by junior guard Edgar Sosa, the Golden Eagles went on an 8-0 run to trail 41-38 with 10:54 remaining.

The Cardinals repelled that advance and rebuilt a 55-46 lead with 6:00 remaining. McNeal hit a three pointer to get Marquette within six (at 55-49) and with 24 seconds left, the Golden Eagles were down just 61-58.

"Throughout the course of the game, that's what you have to do, you have to battle," McNeal said. "Whether you're up or you're down."

That was as close as the Golden Eagles would get, however, as Samuels hit a free throw with 22 seconds remaining for Louisville's winning margin.