Seton Hall @ Marquette preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 6, 2019 ) Marquette 64, Seton Hall 73

Marquette overcame one nemesis Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. On Friday, the second-seeded and 22nd-ranked Golden Eagles will aim to knock off another pesky foe when they face third-seeded Seton Hall in the semifinals.

Marquette topped St. John's 86-54 on Thursday, exacting a measure of revenge for a pair of losses to the Red Storm earlier this season. One day later, the Golden Eagles must contend with the Pirates, who nearly won at Marquette in mid-January before winning by nine at home against the Golden Eagles earlier this month. Seton Hall closed that game on an 18-0 run and held Markus Howard, the Big East Player of the Year and sixth-leading scorer in the country, to six points on 2-of-11 shooting. Howard has rebounded in the last two games with 28 points in the regular-season finale with Georgetown and 30 against St. John's on Thursday, although Seton Hall star Myles Powell is enjoying an impressive stretch of his own.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT SETON HALL (19-12): The Pirates crushed Georgetown 73-57 on Thursday thanks to a massive 53-28 lead at halftime that overshadowed a disappointing 20-point second half. Powell had 31 points - his third 30-point effort in the last four games - and he has knocked down exactly four 3-pointers in all four of those games. Sophomore Sandro Mamukelashvili had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double in the last four games, while Myles Cale had his second straight effective game with three 3-pointers and 14 points.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (24-8): Howard shot 8-of-15 from the field on Thursday after struggling to the tune of 10-of-36 shooting in the last two games, although he did commit six turnovers in the quarterfinals. Sacar Anim added 13 versus St. John's and has not committed a turnover in 67 minutes over the last two games. Freshman Joey Hauser has been held to single figures in nine of their last 11 games, while his brother Sam, who averaged 14.8 points during the regular season, has exceeded 10 only once in the last four contests.

TIP-INS

1. Cale is 9-of-17 from 3-point range in the last two games.

2. Powell had 34 points in the Pirates' recent win over Marquette.

3. Howard was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line Thursday and is shooting nearly 91 percent on the season.

PREDICTION: Marquette 89, Seton Hall 71