Markus Howard canned five 3-pointers, scoring 25 of his game-high 40 points in the second half as Marquette pulled out a 73-63 win over Davidson in the Orlando Invitational on Thursday at the HP Field House in Kissimmee, Florida.
Howard finished 11-of-26 from the field and shot 13-of-15 from the free throw line to lead the Golden Eagles to a victory in a game that featured numerous scoring runs.
Sacar Anim added 12 points and Brendan Bailey finished with eight points for the Golden Eagles (4-1).
The Wildcats (2-4) missed all 15 3-pointers to snap their streak at 809 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer dating back to Jan. 15, 1994. Kellan Grady had 28 points to lead the Wildcats, who turned the ball over 17 times.
Anim scored three straight points to fuel a 7-0 run that gave the Golden Eagles a 32-28 lead early in the second half. The Wildcats responded with their own run, scoring five consecutive points for a 33-32 lead following a layup by Mike Jones.
Marquette missed six shots in a row during a three-plus minute scoring drought but seized a 34-33 lead after Howard made two free throws with 14:47 left. Davidson countered with seven consecutive points to take a 42-39 lead, but on cue the Golden Eagles spurted ahead with a 6-0 run thanks to five points from Brendan Bailey for a 47-44 edge.
A few minutes later, Jon Axel Gudmundsson capped a 4-0 run for the Wildcats to give them a 51-49 advantage. The Golden Eagles pulled away with seven points in a row, when Howard buried a wide-open 3-pointer and added a layup in traffic, then Amin hit a corner jumper for a 60-56 lead with 2:47 left. Howard beat three defenders for a layup and added a free throw to give the Golden Eagles some breathing room with 63-59 lead with 2:16 remaining.
Howard made a 3-pointer and Koby McEwen added two free throws for a 68-60 lead.
--Field Level Media
Davidson | Marquette | |
Kellan Grady 28 | Scoring | Markus Howard 40 |
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom 2 | Assists | Markus Howard 2 |
Kellan Grady 10 | Rebounds | Jamal Cain 7 |
Kellan Grady 6 | Free Throws Made | Markus Howard 13 |
Kellan Grady 3 | Steals | Koby McEwen 2 |
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom 1 | Blocks | Theo John 1 |