Preview

MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — The Marquette Golden Eagles look to get back to .500 when they host the surging Valparaiso Beacons in a non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday at the Bradley Center. Valparaiso (5-2) enters on a high note after an 84-55 rout of Western Michigan on Saturday. The Beacons’ offense was fueled by a balanced attack, with Owen Dease scoring 18 points off the bench and starters Mark Brown and Brody Whitaker adding 15 and 14 points, respectively. The win showcased the form that has seen Valparaiso win five of its last six games, with the lone blemish in that stretch a 64-56 home loss to Southern Indiana. Marquette (4-4) is seeking to rebound from a narrow 75-74 defeat to Oklahoma last Friday. Despite the loss, the Golden Eagles received strong performances from Chase Ross, who scored 21 points, and Nigel James, who added 20. The schedule has been challenging for Marquette, with three of its four losses coming against power-conference opponents Indiana, Maryland and Dayton, the latter in overtime. The game represents a final tune-up for both teams before significant in-state rivalry games on Saturday. Marquette will travel to face Wisconsin, while Valparaiso will host Calumet College. Tipoff is set for Tuesday night in Milwaukee.