Marquette wanted to win its first two Big East Conference games this season -- and Jerel McNeal made certain it happened yesterday.

McNeal, a senior guard, scored 26 points, including a career-high seven 3-pointers, to lead Marquette to an easy 84-50 win against Cincinnati (10-4, 0-1) at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. He scored 19 points in the first half to help the Golden Eagles grab a 14 point halftime lead.

Wesley Matthews scored 17 points and Lazar Hayward added 16 points for the Golden Eagles.

Marquette (13-2, 2-0) won its first two Big East Conference games for the first time since the Golden Eagles joined the conference in 2005. Marquette upset Villanova, 79-72, Thursday in its Big East opener.

Marquette hit 54 percent of its shots, including 15 of 25 3-pointers. The 15 3-pointers tied a team record, set in 1994 and '95.

Marquette coach Buzz Williams said his three senior guards, McNeal, Matthews and Dominic James, really wanted to start 2-0 in the Big East.

"It was really important to them," he said. "When you shoot like we did today, it makes everything seem better."

• Louisville 74, Kentucky 71: Edgar Sosa is finally out of Rick Pitino's doghouse. The much-maligned Louisville point guard hit a 30-footer with 2.8 seconds remaining to give the 18th-ranked Cardinals a victory against archrival Kentucky. Terrence Williams had 19 points and eight rebounds and Jerry Smith scored 11 points for host Louisville (9-3). Jodie Meeks led Kentucky (11-4) with 28 points and Patrick Patterson had 22 points.