Russ Smith scored 18 points, Seattle’s Peyton Siva added 14 and the host Cardinals shot 52 percent to hold off the Golden Eagles.
The lopsided outcome was somewhat surprising considering the Big East stakes for both teams.
Marquette had an opportunity to take a one-game lead over Syracuse, but the Golden Eagles (15-5, 6-2) had to settle for a first-place tie with the Orange. Louisville (18-4, 6-3), meanwhile, moved a half-game closer to both schools with their second consecutive win, remaining in a four-way tie for third.
After an 0-for-8 start, the Cardinals finished with 27-for-52 accuracy from the field while holding Marquette to 36 percent shooting (19 of 53). Louisville outrebounded the Golden Eagles 38-26.
Gorgui Dieng added eight points and eight rebounds for Louisville.
Vander Blue had 17 points and Trent Lockett 16 for Marquette.
The Cardinals’ lead reached 23 in the second half.


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