Hungry hungry Hauser
Despite coming off his worst 3-point shooting performance of the season on National Marquette Day, 0-for-5 from deep, Sam Hauser wasn’t short on confidence. The freshman, who had made just one of his last 11 long-range shots, started the night of 4 of 4 from 3-point range. Hauser finished the game with a team-high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 5-for-8 from 3-point range.
“The previous games the shots were right there they just weren’t going in,” Hauser said. “I wasn’t really too worried. This game they fell, so that’s a relief. I haven’t done anything different, just being ready to shoot and when I’m ready call for it.”
Running Reinhardt
It hasn’t been a great stretch for Katin Reinhardt either, whose play has dropped off since his heroic performance against then-No. 1 Villanova. But Reinhardt showed no signs of struggling tonight, scoring 16 points on nine shots. He showed off his versatility in the first half, going on a solo 10-2 run that included a turnaround jumper, a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws earned as a transition ball handler.
“Katin had one of his best games in a while,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “Obviously he’s a guy who can score. He had a couple post ups when they had their three small guards where he tried to get them in the post, and he was able to capitalize on that. But I also thought he had a really good floor game. Against St. John’s, their defense is unconventional. They really are as aggressive a team, probably in the country, for steals on every possession, not just when they’re trying to come back. To have a guy like Katin, who you can have inbound the ball or have the ball inbounded to is a nice thing to have.”
Return of the JJ
Jajuan Johnson was mysteriously glued to the bench during Saturday’s demolition of Xavier. Steve Wojciechowski called it a “coaching decision” and said nothing more on the subject. Johnson made his return to the court on Tuesday night and he made his presence known, producing two highlight reel plays: a violent and-one dunk and a circus bank shot from the lane while being fouled hard.
“He was good,” Wojciechowski said. “That’s what he better be. At this time of year… he better be good.”
Sharing is caring
Three of the six Marquette players who average double digits didn’t even reach seven points tonight, but five players scored at least 11 points anyway. In addition to Hauser’s 19, Reinhardt’s 16 and Johnson’s 11, Andrew Rowsey had 18 and Matt Heldt had 15. The Golden Eagles had 22 assists, leading to another great offensive outing, scoring 1.21 points per possession. The ball was whizzing around, opening up shots for the nation’s second best 3-point shooting team who hit 12 of its 24 3-pointers.
Best stat line
Matt Heldt: 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting and 3-for-3 at the free throw line, 10 rebounds
Stat of the night
Marquette has led by double digits for 67 minutes and 39 seconds over the last two games.
Up next
The Golden Eagles head to Providence as they continue their two game revenge tour. The Friars scored a 79-78 victory at the Bradley Center days after then-No. 1 Villanova fell to Marquette on the same court. Providence is suddenly a bubble team after reeling off wins against Butler and Xavier, making this a crucial game for the Golden Eagles.
