Marquette’s quest for a return to the NCAA Tournament became a bit easier Friday night, edging out Louisville 77-74 in the third-place game of the National Invitation Tournament in Brooklyn, New York.
“When it came to an overtime setting, I felt us as a team really executed well,” junior guard Markus Howard said. “We really made plays.”
The Cardinals had plenty of opportunities to win the game, missing three shots in the final possession of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Then the Golden Eagles shut down their former BIG EAST foe in overtime. Louisville hit only one field goal in the extra five minutes. The other four Louisville points came from the free-throw line.
“We won a game with our defense,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “It’s nice to be able to say that.”
Freshman Joey Hauser hit a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Golden Eagles a three-point lead. Louisville guard Christen Cunningham had two chances to get a three, but once again, Louisville could not convert.
The younger Hauser brother also had the game-tying tip-in at the end of regulation that tied the game 68-68 with 15 seconds left.
“Joey was outstanding down the stretch,” Howard said. “He doesn’t play like a freshman.”
Marquette dominated the charity stripe, hitting 20 of 23 free throws. The team scored more shots from the line Friday than in the previous two games combined.
When Marquette fell flat offensively, often going more than two minutes without a field goal, junior guard Sam Hauser stepped up. He led the Golden Eagles with 22 points, which included several momentum-swaying buckets.
Sam Hauser was 4-for-7 from the perimeter. The rest of Marquette was 3-for-11 from deep.
“If there is one word to describe (Sam), it’d be consistent,” Howard said. “He’s so pivotal to our team. He does pretty much everything. He’s a glue guy for us. … He was huge for us today, and he’s been huge for us since he’s been here.”
Howard had a relatively quiet start, only scoring three points in the first half. However, Howard finished with 21 points, five assists and three rebounds.
“This is one of the best floor games that Markus has had since he’s been at Marquette,” Wojciechowski said. “Markus has a lot of pressure on him to deliver, and he delivered in a huge way tonight.”
Howard was one of the few bright spots in the second half. All 38 of Marquette’s second-half points came from only four different players.
“We won a game where offense did not come easy for us,” Wojciechowski said. “It was a real growth opportunity for our team.”
The lack of scoring was offset with a better care for the ball. Marquette committed a season-low nine turnovers.
Louisville manhandled Marquette throughout much of the game in the post, outscoring the Golden Eagles in the paint 18-6 in the first half, but Marquette improved dramatically in the second half. Wojciechowski’s squad outscored the Cardinals down low 24-14 after intermission.
Marquette also had a 25-21 rebounding advantage in the second half and overtime. That included a well-timed rebound from redshirt junior Ed Morrow, who rebounded a Sam Hauser block with 29 seconds left in overtime. It set up Joey Hauser’s game-clinching free throws.
“Our team had much better balance today, and Ed was a big part of that,” Wojciechowski said. “He made some really physical plays.”
Wojciechowski is now 3-7 against Louisville’s head coach Chris Mack since taking over at Marquette in 2014.
“I have the ultimate respect for Chris Mack,” Wojciechowski said. “Any time you play a Chris Mack-coached team, you know it’s going to be a fist fight, and I mean that in the most respectful way. His kids play hard, and they play tough.”
The Golden Eagles (4-2) host Charleston Southern Tuesday before playing three Top 25 foes in a three-week span. Tuesday’s game will be the first part of a seven-game homestand.
