Top 25: No. 18 Marquette 79, No. 16 Pittsburgh 69

Milwaukee • Vander Blue scored 19 points to lead No. 18 Marquette to a 79-69 victory over No. 16 Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Blue was 7 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 on free throws to go with six rebounds for the Golden Eagles (18-6, 9-3), who moved into a first-place tie with Georgetown in the Big East.

The Golden Eagles, who lost to the Hoyas 63-55 on Monday, shot 57 percent (26 for 46) to win their 23rd straight home game — the fourth-longest active streak in the country.

Marquette also won the teams' previous meeting this season, 74-67 in overtime at Pittsburgh on Jan. 20.

Lamar Patterson scored 19 points to lead Pittsburgh (20-6, 8-5), which entered the game fifth in the nation in scoring defense (54.4 ppg). Tray Woodall added 10 points and eight assists for the Panthers, who lost for just the second time in their last nine games.

Davante Gardner finished with 14 points for Marquette and scored 10 of his team's 11 during a key stretch late in the game.

Gardner started his scoring spree when he tipped in his own miss to give the Golden Eagles a 63-50 lead with 6 minutes, 35 seconds to play.

Woodall missed a 3-pointer, but Pittsburgh got the offensive rebound. The Panthers also got the rebound on a miss by Talib Zanna, and then coach Jamie Dixon was called for a technical with 6:05 to play.

Gardner made both free throws, and after a 3-pointer by Patterson, he sank two more from the line to give Marquette a 67-53 lead with 5:45 remaining. —