The Quick and Dirty: Marquette 95, Grambling State 49

It was a romp of the first order tonight for YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles, who used an absurd effort from behind the arc to roll to a 95-49 victory over the woeful Tigers of Grambling State at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Things were all but decided in this one by the first media timeout, as Grambling State missed its first 10 attempts from the floor, turned the ball over 5 times, and committed six fouls on the way to an early 14-0 deficit. Marquette wasn't exactly lighting things up either, missing its first four 3-point attempts before Duane Wilson connected from distance (because of course he did), but when you're facing the team that's DFL in Ken Pomeroy's rankings, you don't exactly have to bring your A game to skate home with a comfortable victory.

Marquette's lead would swell to 23-2 following Traci Carter's triple and Jajuan Johnson's layup, and we can stop pretending that any of us kept paying close attention after that. (I mean, there was an Arrow/Flash crossover episode tonight, people.) Anyway, JJJ managed 12 points in the half (including two 3s, because of course he did too), Luke Fischer bulled his way to 9, and Henry Ellenson added 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks, though his artistic merit scores took a knock when he honked a dunk in transition.

The only drama in the second half came when Haanif Cheatham limped to the locker room two minutes into the action. But Cheatham was back on the floor after the under-16 timeout and didn't seem any worse for wear, so Rule #1 of cupcake games -- make sure nobody gets hurt -- was honored. And it seems like somebody snuck something into the Gatorade at halftime, because after a pleasantly-surprising 5-11 showing from 3-point range in the first half, Marquette was unconscious from deep in the second, making eight of its first 9 attempts, and I'm not sure if you heard me, so I'll repeat in bigger letters

EIGHT OF ITS FIRST NINE ATTEMPTS

en route to a preposterous 13-21 showing for the game. I'll let Brewtown Andy handle the fancy math in the four factors breakdown, but I think that's going to translate to a pretty, pretty good eFG%.

Johnson was the man of the match with 20 points (8-9 from the floor, 4-4 from 3), and Wilson was no slouch with a 3-4 effort from distance; Duane ended with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Fischer (14), Henry (16), and Sandy Cohen III (10) finished in double digits as well, and every Marquette player save for Cam Marotta notched a point tonight.

With the win, Marquette improves to 5-2 on the year, while Grambling falls to 2-6 -- though, on the bright side, it's physically impossible for them to fall any further in KenPom.

Maine is next. Until then.