Marquette Golden Eagles vs Providence Friars Box Score on Feb 23, 2019

Junior forward Sam Hauser recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds to help No. 11 Marquette register a 76-58 victory over host Providence in Big East play on Saturday.

Junior forward Sacar Anim also scored 18 points and freshman forward Joey Hauser added 15 points and seven rebounds as the Golden Eagles (23-4, 12-2) stretched their Big East lead to one game over idle Villanova.

Marquette star junior guard Markus Howard had just 14 points on 2-of-12 shooting while dealing with hip soreness. Howard scored a then-career-best 52 points in last season's visit to Providence -- a figure he topped with 53 against Creighton earlier this season.

Junior guard Alpha Diallo scored 19 points for the Friars (15-13, 5-10). Freshman guard A.J. Reeves added 13 points and sophomore center Nate Watson had 10 for Providence, which fell for the sixth time in the past eight games.

Providence shot 38.6 from the field, including 6 of 20 from long range.

Junior forward Ed Morrow also reached double digits with 11 points for the Golden Eagles, who shot 54.9 percent from the field and were 10 of 21 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles held a 41-26 rebounding edge.

Howard drained two free throws with 8:28 left in the first half for his first points of the game. It lifted him into third place on Marquette's all-time scoring list, passing George Thompson (1,773 from 1966-69). By the time the game had ended, Howard had 1,786 points.

The Golden Eagles led by 11 at halftime despite Howard's struggles. He finally converted a field goal with 16:33 remaining by knocking down a straightaway transition 3-pointer to make it 40-27.

The Friars responded with the next six points to pull within seven. But Anim scored back-to-back baskets and Sam Hauser added a putback as Marquette began an 18-4 surge to push the lead over 20.

Sam Hauser drained two 3-pointers and Howard capped the run with his second 3-pointer of the game to make it 58-37 with 10:57 remaining.

Joey Hauser added a 3-pointer to make it a 22-point lead at 61-39 with 10:21 left.

The Friars displayed life with nine straight points to trim their deficit to 13 but couldn't continue their run as Marquette closed it out.

Anim scored 12 first-half points to help the Golden Eagles hold a 31-20 edge.

Howard missed all four of his field-goal attempts in the half and left for 1:29 near the midway point to get the hip examined.

--Field Level Media