MILWAUKEE (AP) Dameon Mason hit career highs with 22 points and 13 rebounds, leading Marquette past Sam Houston State 84-71 in the first round of the Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic Friday night.
The Golden Eagles (4-0) advance to the tournament final Saturday night against Kent State (1-0), which beat Binghamton 77-52.
Mason, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, had 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half. He capped his night by taking a Travis Diener pass and dunking over 6-foot-11 Eddy Fobbs with 2:56 left.
Diener scored 19 points and is averaging 24 points a game in the early season.
Marquette led 40-34 at halftime and opened the second half with an 8-1 run. The Bearkats got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Marquette's biggest lead was 67-47 after two Steve Novak free throws with 9:08 remaining. Novak had 14 points and Joe Chapman had 15 for Marquette.
Joe Thompson led Sam Houston State (1-2) with 19 points. He had 17 of those in the first half, including five 3-pointers.
Fobbs had 17 points, and Chris Jordan added 13.
Marquette dominated inside despite the presence of Fobbs, outrebounding the Bearkats 45-31.
Marquette has won 30 straight non-conference games, including 29 straight at the Bradley Center.
Saturday's tournament final pits Marquette coach Tom Crean against Kent State coach and good friend Jim Christian. The two coached together at Western Kentucky in the early 1990s.
