by MILWAUKEE – Led by a career-best 10 assists from freshman point guard Traci Carter, Marquette posted 30 assists on 34 field goals in a 95-49 victory over Grambling on Wednesday evening.
The Golden Eagles (5-2) received balanced scoring from their entire roster as every eligible scholarship player scored at least four points on the night. Junior Jajuan Johnson led the way with a season-best 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a perfect 4-of-4 performance from deep.
Sandy Cohen III (Oneida Tribe) scored 10 points in 28 minutes of play and added 5 assists for the Golden Eagles.
Freshman Henry Ellenson put up 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while fellow freshman Haanif Cheatham notched six assists.
Nigel Ribeiro scored 16 points to lead Grambling (2-6).
Marquette returns to action on Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center against Maine at 1:30 p.m., in a game broadcast on FS Wisconsin.
Postgame Notes:
• This was the fifth match-up all-time between both programs with all five meetings going to Marquette. The Golden Eagles pushed their record to 20-0 all-time against teams from the SWAC.
• Marquette opened the game on a 14-0 run, holding Grambling scoreless until a Ugur Hortum bucket at the 13:08 mark in the first half. It snapped an 0-for-10 drought from the field during a span that also featured six turnovers.
• Just over the halfway point in the first half, MU put together a 13-2 run in which they converted six straight field goal attempts, including three three-point baskets, to take a 41-10 advantage with 5:11 left before halftime.
• Marquette recorded its highest first-half output of the season with 47 points on a season-best 16-for-28 (57.1 percent) from the field, including 5-of-11 from distance.
• Seven Golden Eagles reached the scoring column in the first half with Jajuan Johnson leading all scorers with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three-point range in 11 minutes of action. Luke Fischer added nine points, five rebounds and a block in 15 first-half minutes.
• Ugur Hortum and Michael Bethea Jr. tied for the team-lead with seven points at halftime. The Tigers shot just 25.8 percent (8-for-31) in the first half and committed 12 first-half miscues.
• Haanif Cheatham registered a career-high six assists, dishing out four in the first half alone.
• For the third time this season, MU put five players in double figures scoring, and the sixth time in seven games this season that at least four have reached double-digits. Duane Wilson has scored 10-plus points in all seven of MU’s contests, while Luke Fischer and Henry Ellenson have done so in six.
• Sophomore Jajuan Johnson registered a career-high four three-pointers, sinking all of his attempts, and fell just two points shy of matching his career-high of 22 points set in a win over Arizona State (12/16/14) last season.
• The Golden Eagles shot 58.6 percent (34-for-58) from the field, which was a season-high.
• Marquette also set a season-high with 13 made three-pointers on a season-best 61.9 percent clip (13-21). MU went 8-for-10 from distance in the second half.
• MU’s 30 assists on 34 made field goals was a season-high and most since registering 33 helpers in a win over Grambling State two seasons ago on 11/12/13.
• The Golden Eagles forced their opponent into a season-high 19 turnovers in which they converted 23 points off those miscues.
• The margin of victory (+46) was Marquette’s largest since its last meeting against Grambling State (11/12/13) when it prevailed by 43 points, 114-71.
• Marquette surpassed 90 points for the first time since a double-overtime loss to St. John’s at home back on 3/8/14. Conversely, the Golden Eagles held an opponent under 60 points for the first time this season.
