PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Jerel McNeal and Lazar Hayward each scored 25 points, and No. 14 Marquette rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat Providence 91-82 on Saturday night.
Marshon Brooks scored 21 and Geoff McDermott had 15 points and 17 rebounds for Providence, which played most of the second half without Jeff Xavier, who was knocked in the face and dropped to the floor covering his right eye with 17:13 left in the game.
No foul was called, but while the players were waiting at the free throw lane after McDermott was fouled moments later, a fan in a puffy, fur-lined jacket walked onto the court and went chest-to-chest with one of the referees.
Lawrence Lepore, the executive director of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, said Jonathan Xavier — Jeff’s brother — came down from the stands and jumped over the Providence bench to get onto the court. Security hustled him off, and he left without much of a fight, waiting peacefully under the stands with a guard while police were summoned.
Jonathan Xavier was taken to the Providence police station and will be charged with disorderly conduct, Lepore said.
Providence led most of the game, but Marquette (16-2, 5-0 Big East) took an 82-79 lead on McNeal’s 3, and Wesley Matthews followed with a three-point play.
Providence (11-6, 3-2) has lost consecutive games to ranked teams, falling to No. 13 Georgetown last Saturday.
McDermott’s first basket of the second half gave him 1,000 points for his career — the 40th player in school history and third on the team to reach the mark, with Xavier and Weyinmi Efejuku.
McDermott scored eight points with 11 rebounds in the first half, helping Providence open a 28-17 lead with 8:39 left in the first half. But the Golden Eagles scored the next three baskets and they trailed 45-40 at the break.
PC opened a 59-46 advantage and still led by 12 with 13:11 left when Dominic James hit a 3-pointer and then stole the ball to set up Hayward’s dunk that made it 63-56. Hayward hit another 3 to cut a five-point deficit to 74-72, then stole the ball to set up James’ dunk for the basket that tied it 76-all.
It was tied at 79 when McNeal hit a 3, Brooks missed from beyond the arc and Matthews, who scored 22, hit a layup on the fast break to start a three-point play. McNeal hit three more free throws to make it a nine-point game, and Matthews’ layup gave Marquette an 11-point lead.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
