MILWAUKEE (AP)—Chris Otule’s putback slam dunk gave Marquette a 1-point lead with 1:23 left, and the Golden Eagles held on for a 79-74 victory over struggling West Virginia on Saturday morning.
Jae Crowder had a season-high 29 points for Marquette (10-4, 1-0 Big East), which was coming off a tough 1-point loss at Vanderbilt. Darius Johnson-Odom added 21 for the Golden Eagles, hitting several key shots in a second-half surge.
Darryl Bryant scored 25 to lead West Virginia (8-4, 0-2), who began conference play with a surprising home loss to St. John’s. Kevin Jones had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Mountaineers.
Updated Saturday, Jan 1, 2011
