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Matthews leads Marquette over Chicago State

Nov 18, 2008 - 5:16 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Chicago State kept it close after a slow start, but a veteran Marquette squad made sure to avoid the upset.

Senior guard Wesley Matthews scored 26 points as the 17th-ranked Golden Eagles won an offensive shootout, 106-87, over Chicago State on Monday.

Lazar Hayward collected 21 points and nine rebounds and another senior, Jerel McNeal, scored 17 for the Golden Eagles (2-0) in the opener of the Chicago Invitational for both teams.

Marquette led by 16 at halftime, 52-36, but allowed 51 second-half points as Chicago State fought to stay in the game.

"I'm not trying to be a prophet or foresee the future, but we can't allow teams to score 51 points in our building, to be honest, you can't allow a team to score 51 points if your playing in a park or any gym," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said.

David Holston led the Cougars (1-1) with 33 points, knocking down 7-of-13 3-pointers. John Cantrell added 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Matthews knocked down all 10 of his free-throw attempts and the Golden Eagles converted 30-of-43 from the charity stripe as a team.

The two-man show of Holston and Cantrell kept it close for Chicago State, which got just 33 points on 12-of-32 shooting from the rest of its roster.

"We have to play team defense a little better," Hayward said. "We have to remember that the ball is what scores, we lose track of that sometimes and that is where some of those baskets come from."

The squads combined for 56 total fouls and 68 free throws.

The Cougars ended up reaching the free-throw line 25 times, converting 16.

"We can not stop the clock and give them free points. We can't foul 27 times," Williams said. "No matter who the opponent is, no matter where the game is, we have to defend without fouling."