Markus Howard didn’t have it on Saturday afternoon. Howard struggled from the field going 2-for-12 for the game. FOX college basketball analyst Jim Jackson said ‘Sometimes, the Pips have to be the stars of the night.’ Jackson is referring to Gladys Knight, the lead singer of the iconic group “Gladys Knight and the Pips.” Jackson’s point is that sometimes even the best players need their teammates to step up, and that’s exactly what Marquette did on Saturday afternoon. Golden Eagles won 76-58 and sweep the season series from the Friars.

Player of the Game: Sam Hauser – There’s nothing like getting hot at the right time. Sam Hauser did exactly that on Saturday. He found his rhythm in the second half and provided a bulk of the scoring. Marquette couldn’t miss from three, and part of the reason was Hauser drilling threes from everywhere. He finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds. The older Hauser collects his fifth double-double of the year, and his four made threes is his best mark since late January at Xavier.

Silver Star: Sacar Anim – In the first half when Howard showed that he had trouble scoring, Anim came to the rescue. He had 12 first-half points and didn’t miss a single shot in the half. Anim slashed to the hole and made some mid-range jumpers. He can fill it up, but there’s usually someone else playing that role. Anim showed how lethal Marquette can be in the tournament. It doesn’t always have to be Howard.

Thing I liked: Second half run for the ages – Marquette-Providence had some closeness tin the second half, but the Golden Eagle made sure that this wouldn’t be a nailbiter. They started to hit everything from deep. In the second half, Marquette made seven of eleven threes. They could not miss and good luck to anyone when that’s happening with this squad.

Thing I didn’t like: Turnovers were an issue – Even though Marquette won the game by 18 points, they still had way too many empty possessions. Marquette turned the ball over 14 times, but it felt like more. Marquette cannot waste possession, even when their defense is good enough to compete with anyone. Turnovers are the type of thing that gets you run out of the gym if you’re not careful.

Next up: Marquette heads to Philadelphia to take on Villanova. The Wildcats have lost three straight and four of their last five. To say they’re a mess is a bit offensive to the word mess. Marquette could be walking into a deadly trap that leads to Nova giving Marquette its best game. If the Golden Eagles win, they have a share of the Big East regular season crown. The last time MU won at Philadelphia was 2012 which is the last time they swept the Wildcats.

Charlie.