Dec. 21, 2007

MU-CSU Box Score (PDF)

AP Action Photos 

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Dominic James and Jerel McNeal scored 18 points each and No. 10/13 Marquette beat Coppin State 89-42 on Friday night.

Marquette (9-1) held Coppin State scoreless for more than seven minutes during a dominant 22-0 run that put the game out of reach midway through the second half, playing suffocating defense against a team that had been held under 40 points in its previous two games.

James and the Marquette backcourt shut down Tywain McKee, Coppin State's leading scorer at 17.1 points per game. McKee didn't take a shot from the field in 13 first-half minutes and finished the game with two points, both on free throws.

Lazar Hayward added 17 for the Golden Eagles, who have won five straight since losing to Duke in the Maui Invitational.

It was the seventh straight loss for Coppin State (3-9), which faced a brutal turnaround after Friday night's game. The Eagles headed to Bloomington, Ind. for a noon game against the No. 13-ranked Hoosiers on Saturday.

Brian Chesnut scored 13 to lead Coppin State, which remained winless on the road.

Marquette held a comfortable 43-24 lead at halftime, then put the game out of reach with the 22-0 run that began with a pair of free throws by Wesley Matthews with 15:31 left in the half. The run was capped by a soaring alley-oop from Maurice Acker to Matthews and 3-pointer by James -- who also nailed a pair of 3s after putting up an airball from 3-point range midway through the decisive run.

Coppin State's Mike Miller finally scored at the 8:24 mark, making the score 71-35.

It was the first time Marquette held an opponent under 50 points since a 65-48 victory over Delaware State in December 2006.

The Golden Eagles played Friday's game without two of their best shooters because of injuries. Forward Dan Fitzgerald missed his fifth straight game because of a wrist injury, and guard David Cubillan sat out with an ankle injury.

In their absence, McNeal was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and James was 3-for-6.

Marquette began the game with Matthews tossing the opening tip to James for an easy running layup to begin a 10-0 run. Marquette went on to build a 19-point first-half lead on Matthews' 3-pointer with 8:34 left.

Coppin State later closed to 35-22 with a 6-0 run that included an inside basket by Ceslovas Kucinskas and an alley-oop slam dunk by A'Daeron Duncan. But Marquette outscored Coppin State 8-2 the rest of the half.