Dec. 1, 2008

Milwaukee -

MU-CMU Game Notes (PDF)

The No. 25/rv Marquette University men's basketball team returns home to wrap up a four-game, eight-day stretch with non-conference action against Central Michigan Tuesday night at the Bradley Center. The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Network (including Time Warner Cable Sports 32 in the greater Milwaukee area). Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Dave Kaplan (analyst) will call the action.

Offensive Pace Continues To Lead BIG EAST
Six games into the 2008-09 campaign, Marquette continues to lead the conference with a scoring average of 89.0 points per game.

That mark, which includes a pair of 100-point efforts in back-to-back games (vs. Chicago State, vs. Milwaukee), currently ranks sixth in the nation through games of Nov. 30. MU's roster feature four players averaging double figures in points.

Marquette and North Dakota State (4th, 90.5 ppg.) were the only two programs in the nation to feature a trio of 1,000-point scorers when the season began.

Trio Of Golden Eagles Among League's Top Scorers
MU's quick offensive start has been a team effort, with at least three players reaching double figures in every game. As many as five Golden Eagles have reached the 10-point plateau in a single contest this year.

As a result of the offensive balance, MU is currently the only BIG EAST program to feature three players in the top-15 in scoring (through games of Nov. 30). Senior Wesley Matthews currently tops the conference with 22.7 points per game, while classmate Jerel McNeal (8.0 ppg.) and junior Lazar Hayward (17.2 ppg.) own the eighth and 11th positions, respectively.

Matthews Continues To Lead MU At Both Ends
Senior guard Wesley Matthews currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and 14th in the nation (through games of Nov. 30) with a scoring average of 22.7 points per game.

He is shooting 52.1 percent (37-of-71) from the field and 56-of-65 (86.2 percent) from the free throw line. The Madison, Wis., native is also chipping in 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game in an average of 31.2 minutes per night.

Matthews netted a career-best 28 points in the squad's last outing against Dayton and has surpassed the 20-point mark in four games this season.