No. 14 Marquette blown out by Vanderbilt

MILWAUKEE (AP) - When nothing works the way it's supposed to, Marquette coach Buzz Williams doesn't see many solutions beyond simply getting up the next day and going back to work.

After watching his 14th-ranked Golden Eagles get steamrolled 74-57 at home by Vanderbilt on Thursday night, Williams was ready to move on right away to Big East play.

"I don't know what to do when the bottom falls out of it, other than to wake up and go right back to work," Williams said. "The bottom fell out. We tried multiple things, multiple people, multiple everything — and nothing seemed to work."

Jae Crowder scored 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting for the Golden Eagles (11-2), who shot a season-low 32.2 percent from the field.

"We were too reliant on making shots, in hopes that that would increase our energy and emotion, and it doesn't work that way," Williams said. "Not within how we're built. So we got exactly what we deserved."

Marquette has lost two of its past three after starting the season 10-0. The Golden Eagles dropped their first game this season at LSU on Dec. 19 and shot 36.2 percent in that game, its previous season low. The Golden Eagles rebounded with a victory over in-city rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee a week ago.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings couldn't believe his team was making things so difficult for the Golden Eagles during a dominant first half.

"I was sure that I was like in a mirage or something, just seeing things," Stallings said. "I tried to stop looking."

Jeffery Taylor scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half for the Commodores (9-4). John Jenkins added 14 points, and Lance Goulbourne had 13 points and 16 rebounds as Vanderbilt beat a ranked team for the first time this season.

Stallings said Marquette seemed to miss center Chris Otule, who is out indefinitely after injuring his left anterior cruciate ligament earlier this month.

Marquette big man Davante Gardner got in foul trouble early and Vanderbilt made the most of it.

"With Otule being out, they've been able to have success," Stallings said. "But then all of a sudden we get a couple of quick fouls on Gardner, the complexion of the game just changes completely."

But with no timetable for Otule's return, Williams said the Golden Eagles have to learn how to win without him.

"If Chris comes back, it's a long time from now," Williams said. "And so we need to continue to do all of the things that we've done since Chris has been hurt. Otherwise, we won't have success."

Williams didn't think his team was rusty coming off a one-week break. But the Golden Eagles seemed a step slow on both ends of the floor, particularly on one defensive play early in the second half.

With Vanderbilt inbounding the ball from the baseline, Marquette somehow left Jenkins — Vanderbilt's leading scorer and best 3-point shooter — wide open from long range. He nailed the 3 to give the Commodores a commanding 55-32 lead with an agonizing 14:49 left in the game.

Things went poorly from the start for the Golden Eagles, who shot 1 for 16 from the field to start the game.

Marquette tried to get the ball to Crowder down low early on, but it wasn't working with several Vanderbilt defenders collapsing on him every time he touched the ball. Crowder started the game 0 for 7.

"We played a tremendous, tremendous defense," Taylor said. "I think that's the best defense we've played consistently all year. We made it tough on them. We did a lot to take away from their offense. We kind of messed them up a little bit, got them out of their rhythm."