Marquette shuts down 'Birds    

[NOV. 16, 2004]  MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Marquette held Illinois State to 20 percent shooting from the field, including 1-for-16 on 3's, as the Golden Eagles handed the Redbirds a 60-32 non-conference loss in the semifinals of the 2004 Black Coaches Association Classic at the Bradley Center Monday night.

The Redbirds (1-1) fell behind early as Marquette opened with a 15-2 run to start the game, and ISU never recovered. The 'Birds closed the gap to nine, but the lead ballooned to a 38-15 Golden Eagle advantage at the half.

The 32 points marked the second-lowest game total for the Redbirds in the Division I era, topping only a 51-31 loss at Tulsa on Jan. 28, 1988. It was also the fewest points Marquette (2-0) had allowed since 1951.

Nedu Onyeuku led the Redbird scorers with eight points off the bench but was 3-for-13 from the field. Lorenzo Gordon tossed in seven, while Greg Dilligard and Trey Guidry each scored six.

All-America point guard Travis Diener paved the way for the Golden Eagles with 16 points and five assists. Steve Novak was the only other player from Marquette in double figures. He scored 13.

The Redbirds return to action Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m., when they face Mississippi in the third-place game. Ole Miss lost to Air Force 60-36 in the first semifinal contest Monday night.

[Todd Kober, assistant athletics director, media relations,
Illinois State University]

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