Sophomore guard Mike Marra has scored a game-best 22 points off the bench to help the No. 3-seed Louisville Cardinals blow out No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles, 81-56, in a 2011 Big East Tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden. The Cardinals (ranked No. 14 in both college basketball polls) advances to play Friday against No. 2 Notre Dame (ranked No. 4 in both polls) in the semifinals (9 p.m. on ESPN).
Marquette (20-14), which trailed 36-31 at halftime, shot just 17-of-57 (29.8 percent) from the floor, while Louisville 30-of-64 (46.9) on field goals and 13-of-31 (41.9) on 3-pointers. Louisville senior guard Preston Knowles scored 15 points and junior forward Kyle Kuric added 11.
Senior guard Jimmy Butler netted a team-best 14 points for Marquette, while teammate junior forward Jae Crowder finished with 10 points off the bench. The Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals by earning a first-round victory over No. 14 Providence, 87-66, and then a second-round triumph over defending tournament championships, No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers, 67-61.
Sophomore guard Mike Marra has scored a game-best 22 points off the bench to help the No. 3-seed Louisville Cardinals blow out No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles, 81-56, in a 2011 Big East Tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden. The Cardinals (ranked No. 14 in both college basketball polls) advances to play Friday against No. 2 Notre Dame (ranked No. 4 in both polls) in the semifinals (9 p.m. on ESPN).
Marquette (20-14), which trailed 36-31 at halftime, shot just 17-of-57 (29.8 percent) from the floor, while Louisville 30-of-64 (46.9) on field goals and 13-of-31 (41.9) on 3-pointers. Louisville senior guard Preston Knowles scored 15 points and junior forward Kyle Kuric added 11.
Senior guard Jimmy Butler netted a team-best 14 points for Marquette, while teammate junior forward Jae Crowder finished with 10 points off the bench. The Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals by earning a first-round victory over No. 14 Providence, 87-66, and then a second-round triumph over defending tournament championships, No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers, 67-61.
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