MSOE Marquette

MILWAUKEE - With a void created by the graduation of star guards Wes Matthews, Dominic James and Jerel McNeal, the Marquette Golden Eagles desperately needed to find some backcourt help.

David Cubillan may be the player to provide it.

Cubillan scored 12 points and had nine assists without a turnover Saturday, leading the new-look Golden Eagles to a 106-47 exhibition win over the Milwaukee School Of Engineering Raiders.

“I don't know what my role is going to be,” Cubillan said. “I'm just trying to play hard and be ready to play.”

With Marquette hit by injuries to two other guards, Cubillan and Maurice Acker started in the backcourt for Marquette and both played point guard. Cubillan is a 6-foot senior while Acker is a 5-foot-8 senior.

They found success against a small MSOE team.

“I don't think he is a point (guard), but I think he does exactly what I ask him to do,” Marquette coach Buzz Williams said of Cubillan. “Considering we don't have any other choices other than Mo (Acker), he's done an outstanding job.”

When Marquette opens its regular season Friday against Centenary, Acker and Cubillan may again be the starting guards. Can a team win in the Big East with a pair of small guards?

“You can do it,” Williams said. “Whether or not you'll have success with it, I don't know.”

Marquette freshman guard Junior Cadougan had ruptured his right Achilles' tendon in preseason workouts and will miss the season. Guard Darius Johnson-Odom injured his foot in workouts and played 12 minutes against MSOE but still was bothered by the injury.

“It's hard to have practice,” Williams said of a lack of available guards.

Lazar Hayward scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the second half and made 8 of 10 shots. Dwight Buycks scored 15 points while Jimmy Butler and Chris Otule had 14 points. Butler also had 10 rebounds.

MSOE, a Division III team, scored the first basket on a broken play. Marquette followed with 23 consecutive points to take a 23-2 lead on Otule's rebound basket with 13:40 left in the first half.

Rob Linzmeier scored 11 points to lead the Raiders.

Marquette scored 46 points on 25 MSOE turnovers and held the Raiders to 32 percent shooting.

“We want to play defense, that's our priority,” Buycks said. “We're quick and fast. That's our main thing.”

Despite the impressive defensive statistics, the Golden Eagles realized they were playing an inferior team.

“To be realistic we're not going to play teams like that so we still have to improve,” Cubillan said. “They shot 43 percent in the first half. That's not good at all. We have to improve.”

MSOE's tallest starter was only 6-foot-5, and the taller Marquette team outrebounded the Raiders 48-20.