University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Marquette
Marquette Edges No. 19 Connecticut, 70-68
1/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2010
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HARTFORD, Conn. - Jimmy Butler made a running jump shot with 2.8 seconds remaining to give Marquette a 70-68 men's BIG EAST basketball victory over Connecticut Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 14,338 at the XL Center.
The Huskies drop to 13-8 with the loss, 3-5 in conference action. The Golden Eagles improve to 13-8 with the win, 4-5 in league play.
Connecticut had taken a three-point lead with 54.8 seconds to play when senior guard Jerome Dyson (Potomac, Md.) made a three-pointer to break a 65-all tie. Sophomore point guard Kemba Walker had his short jumper blocked by Butler, but he got his own rebound and he found Dyson at the top of the key and Dyson drilled the three-pointer as the shot clock was expiring. On the next Marquette possession, Dyson was induced into a foul by Darius Johnson-Odom on a three-point attempt, and Johnson-Odom made all three free throws to knot the game.
On Connecticut's next possession, Walker's jumper in the lane was short and the stage was set for Butler's game-ending heroics. Connecticut's final possession resulted in a David Cubillan steal of a Gavin Edwards (Gilbert, Ariz.) pass as the clock expired and the game ended.
Dyson led the Huskies in scoring on the day, with 18 points on seven-of-10 shooting. Walker finished with 15 points on six-of-12 shooting, and he added a team-best six assists. Senior forward Stanley Robinson (Birmingham, Ala.) chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds. Robinson and Dyson have each scored in double figures in every Connecticut game this season.
Edwards grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the contest, and scored nine points and had a pair of blocked shots. Freshman forward Ater Majok (Sydney, Australia) had a solid 18 minutes of game action, by scoring seven points, grabbing seven rebounds and amassing four of the Huskies' 11 blocked shots.
The Golden Eagles had opened up a 10-point lead early in the second half before Connecticut rallied. The Huskies went on a 13-4 run to inch within one, and took their first lead since early in the contest with 7:25 to play on a lay-up by freshman center Alex Oriakhi (Lowell, Mass.). The teams battled, with the contest being tied a total of seven times before the Golden Eagles secured the win.
Butler led Marquette with 21 points, while Lazar Hayward added 20, and Johnson-Odom had 15.
Marquette, behind some solid three-point shooting and taking advantage of Connecticut turnovers, led 34-21 with 3:05 to play before intermission, but the Huskies scored the first half's last eight points behind Walker's five points to cut the gap to 34-29 at the break.
Connecticut finished with 16 turnovers, which Marquette converted into 19 points, which was enough to overcome a 44-25 rebounding edge for the Huskies.
Connecticut will return to action on Monday, February 1, when the Huskies travel to play at Louisville. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., and the contest will be nationally-televised by ESPN as part of Big Monday.
