Marquette Golden Eagles had one half left before they survived a dangerous sandwich game with Fresno State. They smothered Bulldogs in the first half taking a 19-point lead into halftime. Marquette lost the energy they brought at tip and nearly lost this game, yet they survived with a 84-81 victory.

Spin Zone Time
Some critics might bemoan Marquette’s second half performance, but I’m going to look at it from a positive angle. Marquette is still a young team, and they need to know how to handle adversity like losing a large a lead. This is the third time it’s happened in seven games in some capacity. We can consider this a slight trend, or a young team who doesn’t know how to blow an average team out. Marquette can put the pain on cupcakes, which is step one and step two is destroying teams like Fresno State or Georgia. The most important thing is they won the game and kept the lead.

Howard and Hauser show ice in their veins
One of the more exciting things about Marquette season thus far is how quickly Sam Hauser and Markus Howard are coming into their own skin. Hauser and Howard both hit big shots down the stretch and at the free throw line. Howard didn’t have the best game, but he still found a way to make an impact with 10 big points. Hauser had another big day with 19 points including four threes. He did miss a couple free throws, but the moment doesn’t scare him.

What’s up with Duane Wilson?
In the last two games, Duane Wilson played a total of 20 minutes. I’m trying hard to understand why Steve Wojciehowski is keeping him to the bench. Wilson should be a big contributor for this team, and he can barely get time on the court. Wilson provides leadership and experience this team needs on the court at certain times of the game. Wilson appears to be taking it in stride with no nondescript tweets or likes. My hope is Wojciehowski has a larger plan here.

Katin Reinhardt continues to be terrible
When does it end with Katin Reinhardt? He’s looking like the worst grad transfer that Marquette brought in. He’s a bench player getting starter minutes. Reinhardt played 25 minutes with 1-of-7 shooting with one assist. No rebounds, no blocks, no steals. I don’t give a shit if a player can’t score but at least try to fucking contribute in some other fashion. The game Wojciehowski decides to play Reinhardt less than 15 minutes is the game that will be Marquette’s opus of the season.

Players of the Game
Luke Fischer (Marquette)/Terrell Carter II (Fresno St) – Strong night for Luke Fischer who could have been better had he not gotten into foul trouble. He had 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with five rebounds. Fischer had some key buckets late in this game that helped keep Bulldogs at bay. Terrell Carter II dominated the paint more so than Fischer. The big man couldn’t be stopped with 21 points off the bench. The larger framer gave Marquette fits.

Next up
The big in-state rivalry with Wisconsin happens at Bradley Center on Saturday afternoon. Yours truly will be attendance and hoping for my second Marquette-Wisconsin victory. If Marquette wins, they help their resume out quite a bit.

Charlie.