Marquette coach Shaka Smart says his team’s defense was the deciding factor in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 75-64 win over Xavier.
The Golden Eagles beat another ranked opponent while running their winning streak to six games in a row.
Justin Lewis scored 20 points and had 13 rebounds and Darryl Morsell added 19 as Marquette improved its record to 13-and-6 overall, 6-and-3 in the Big East.
The Golden Eagles are expecting to appear in the Top-25 poll this week after a long streak of good basketball.
They play at Seton Hall Wednesday, then face three ranked teams in a row after that – Providence, Villanova, and UConn.
