Marquette can take a sigh of relief after defeating IUPUI, but it was much closer than anyone expected.
Duane Wilson hit an and-one layup with 15 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Golden Eagles a 75-71 victory over the Jaguars. It was a big moment for one of the players who has struggled the most for Marquette this season, shooting one for 14 from three through two games and turning the ball over five times Monday.
“Duane has a great attribute that a lot of really good scorers have – amnesia,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “Sometimes I wish as a coach I had that.”
The two teams were tied at halftime, and the Golden Eagles actually trailed the 275th best team in the country according to KenPom for eight minutes. Like Belmont, the Jaguars were in a good position thanks to three point success. IUPUI drained nine of 32 from long range, and unlike Belmont, it isn’t a skill IUPUI is usually good at.
Marquette’s issues stemmed from careless giveaways, as its 20 turnovers were mostly mostly unforced errors. The offensive unit looked stagnant without Henry Ellenson on the floor.
“We were very careless with the ball,” Wojciechowski said. “We haven’t shot the ball well, so defense keeps getting more and more compact. So you drive in there, and there’s four or five people in the drive. Or you hit the post, and there’s three or four players surrounding the post player. We weren’t strong with the ball. We didn’t make good decisions.”
Defense was once again a cause for concern for Marquette. The pick-and-roll has been a struggle for the big men, and the defense as a whole falls to shambles anytime a player loses their man. Sophomore Sandy Cohen couldn’t pinpoint the cause of these woes, but said the issues aren’t due to unfamiliarity with teammates.
“I’m really not sure,” Cohen said. “That’s something we have to go and watch film and break down.”
Luke Fischer played with far more aggression than he did against Belmont, recording his second straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. 13 of those points came in the first half, as he was double-teamed most of the second half. He played well from the get-go, finishing off a perfect pass from Ellenson despite getting fouled.
“We wanted him to play with more force on the offensive end,” Wojciechowski said. “I think he did that. Especially in the first half, we were really able to establish him.”
Ellenson led the team in scoring again with 18 points. He got into a bit of foul trouble, causing him to play ten minutes less than Fischer.
Marquette ends its three-game home stretch Thursday night with a tougher challenge, hosting Iowa as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Series. The Golden Eagles will head to Brooklyn for two Legends Classic Games next week.
