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Sports

No. 21 Golden Eagles set to fend off Friars

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Providence, RI – The 21st-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles look to make it four in a row as they head to the Dunkin' Donuts Center for a Big East battle with the Providence Friars.

This will be the 15th meeting in the all-time series. Marquette holds a 10-4 advantage in the rivalry and has won 8-of-9 since entering the Big East in 2005-2006. The Golden Eagles won both of last year's encounters by an average of 25.5 points per contest.

Head coach Buzz Williams has led his team to a 15-4 overall record, as it improved to 4-2 in Big East action after a 74-63 victory over Louisville on Monday. The Golden Eagles overcame a 16-point deficit in the final seven minutes to defeat the Cardinals to make it three wins in a row. Marquette has yet to win a conference game on the road this year. The Golden Eagles have one of the best offenses in the Big East, as they are ranked second in scoring offense with an average of 76.6 ppg on 46 percent shooting from the field.

Marquette's senior forward Jae Crowder collected his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Louisville. Crowder is second on the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) and is pulling down a team-best 7.4 rpg. Darius Johnson-Odom is leading the squad with 18.2 ppg. Odom has scored 18 or more points in his last six outings and has knocked down 18 three- pointers during that span.

Providence comes in with a 12-7 record after losing 78-55 to the top ranked Syracuse Orange on Saturday. The loss was the fifth in six games for the Friars who are now 1-5 in Big East play. The Friars did not play very well on the offensive end against Syracuse as they shot just 35.1 percent from the field and committed 22 turnovers. Providence is ranked 12th in the conference in both scoring offense (69.3 ppg) and scoring defense (65.7 ppg). Providence is not a very threatening squad from beyond the arc, as they are hitting only 4.3 three-pointers per outing.

Providence is led by its star point guard Vincent Council. The 6-2 junior is leading the team with 16.4 ppg and is leading the Big East in assists in league play with 7.4 apg. Council is returning to the lineup tonight after being suspended for the Syracuse game for disciplinary issues. There is certainly plenty of depth as Gerard Coleman, Bryce Cotton, LaDontae Henton, and Kadeem Batts all have double-digit scoring averages. Henton is leading the team with 8.9 rpg.