Bodog Beat

Dan Fitzgerald of Marquette denies Pitt’s DeJuan Blair of possession during the matchup of Big East teams. (AP Images)

Marquette started the season ranked in the top 10 in college basketball. It entered Friday night’s Big East matchup just looking to get back in the top 25. The Golden Eagles’ opponent, Pittsburgh, had climbed as high as No. 6 in the polls before falling to No. 22.

The Panthers may now be the ones on the outside after getting thumped 72-54 in Milwaukee. Led by Jerel McNeal’s 17 points, Marquette dominated from start to finish as they improved 18-6. The Golden Eagles, who were highly touted because of their veteran backcourt, also got contributions from their frontcourt as forward Ousmane Barrow put up a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds).

In the only game on the night featuring a top 25 team, Marquette covered the point spread, which was 4.5, while the betting total fell under 137.

Pitt (19-6) has struggled because of injuries to its top players, but the Panthers were at close to full strength for this one. With the result, the Panthers are likely to drop out of the top 25 and the Eagles should re-join the ranks when the polls are announced Sunday night.

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