Marquette men’s basketball defeated the Charleston Southern University Buccaneers Tuesday night 76-55. This win begins seven-game home stretch for the Golden Eagles. Here are three takeaways from the victory:
Turnover struggles continue
Once again, Marquette had trouble with taking care of the ball, committing 19 turnovers.
It led to 17 points on the other end for the Buccaneers.
“Our turnovers were a result of not being strong with the ball,” Wojciechowski said. “We got the ball knocked out of our hands a ton tonight, especially by the basket. … We tried to hit home runs when we should’ve been trying to hit singles.”
Chartouny and Howard combined for eight of those turnovers. Marquette lost control of the ball 26 percent of possessions.
Chartouny finally settles in
Graduate guard Joseph Chartouny played a season-high 32 minutes in Tuesday’s game and had seven steals off the bench.
His seven steals tied his career high for steals in a single game at Fordham. It also was the most steals in a single game for Marquette since Feb. 17, 2009 when Dominic James had seven against Seton Hall.
“It was great,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “That really gave us a spark. It allowed us to get out in transition and get some fastbreak points.”
Chartouny shot 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown. Two of those three 3-pointers came from about two feet behind than the arc. Junior guard Markus Howard was the only player to score more.
Bench totals 35 points
The Golden Eagles’ bench combined for over half of Marquette’s total points, outscoring the Buccaneers’ bench 35-19.
“Our team got better when we brought Ed Morrow in, when we brought Joseph Chartouny in, when we brought Brendan Bailey in,” Wojciechowski said. “Those guys raise the level of our play. … They made us a better team when they were in the game.”
The trio combined for 33 total points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Meanwhile Howard and Sam Hauser amassed only 29 points.
“Sam and Markus are terrific players, … but we can’t put that weight of the world on their shoulders each and every game because other teams are going to put the weight of the world on their shoulders,” Wojciechowski said. “The more we get contributions from everybody, the better we’ll be.”
Stat of the night: Redshirt junior Ed Morrow only played 16 minutes, but he had 10 points and seven rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 from the field.
Quote of the night: “As you look at other teams’ records that are going deep in the (NCAA) Tournament, … their home records are always solid,” Bailey said regarding the team’s seven-game homestand. “It’s a new arena. … We have to set the tone for history.”
Up next: The Golden Eagles (5-2) host No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats Saturday afternoon at Fiserv Forum. The game is set for 1:30 p.m. Central time.
