Marquette beats No. 12 Wisconsin 74-69 in OT; Howard has 27

MILWAUKEE -- Markus Howard scored 27 points, freshman Joey Hauser added 15 and hit big, late-game shots and Marquette grinded out a 74-69 win in overtime over No. 12 Wisconsin on Saturday.

Sam Hauser had 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Golden Eagles (8-2). But it was his little brother, Joey, who came up clutch playing in his first game in the heated in-state rivalry.

He scored four in the opening two minutes of overtime, including both free throws after Wisconsin's Brad Davison was called for a flagrant foul with 3:35 left.

Tighter defense and a decided edge at the foul line boosted Marquette at the end.

The Golden Eagles were 22 of 34 from the charity stripe, with Howard going 12 of 15. Howard and Sacar Anim each missed twice at the line in the final 30 seconds to give Wisconsin extra chances.

But Ethan Happ was called for an over-the-back foul at the other end with 9.2 seconds. Ed Morrow's two free throws gave Marquette a six-point lead to finally ice the game.

It made for a thrilling finish in the rivalry's first game at Fiserv Forum, Marquette's new downtown home.

Wisconsin, which was shooting 70 percent from the foul line this season, was 10 of 21 (48 percent) on Saturday. The Badgers were just 5 of 24 from 3-point range (21 percent).

Wisconsin wasted a terrific effort from Happ, who had 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting, along with 11 rebounds.

Marquette beat a team ranked 12th in the AP Top 25 for the second straight week, having defeated Kansas State the previous week.

BIG PICTURE

Wisconsin: The Badgers couldn't balance Happ's inside presence with outside shooting, which had been a strength this season. They missed 14 of their last 15 shots from beyond the arc. D'Mitrik Trice, who finished with 10 points, was just 1 of 6 from 3-point range. Davison went scoreless, missing all three of his 3s.

Marquette: The way the Golden Eagles won was another sign of the team's renewed focus on defense. The Badgers broke through Marquette's defensive wall early in the game, but had trouble getting off good shots late in the game. The presence of 6-foot-9 Theo John late, after he was mired by foul trouble, helped in the lane against Happ, a preseason All-American.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: Hosts Savannah State on Thursday.

Marquette: Hosts North Dakota on Dec. 18.