Marquette improved to 3-0 on the men’s hoops season as the Golden Eagles get ready for a showdown against defending national champion and No. 1 Duke Monday in Kansas City, Mo.

Freshman Davante Gardner (King’s Fork) totaled 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in only 11 minutes as Marquette beat visiting Green Bay 89-69 on Wednesday.

Gardner is averaging more than a point per minute on the season, scoring 13.0 points per game in 12.0 minutes per game off the bench. He’s shooting 73.7 percent from the field and 73.3 percent at the line.

The Golden Eagles host South Dakota (1-1) Saturday at 2 p.m. in their last tune-up before facing the Blue Devils in the semifinals of the CBE Classic.

After an injury sidelined his first season at Maryland-Baltimore Co., guard Jamar Wertz (King’s Fork) is back in action. Wertz played 21 minutes and scored six points in UMBC’s 83-72 loss to Loyola (Md.) Wednesday in Baltimore.

The Retrievers (0-2) host Central Connecticut St. (2-0) tonight at 7 p.m.

Freshman power forward Jay Copeland (King’s Fork) saw his first playing time as a Ball State Cardinal on Wednesday night in the Cardinals’ 75-60 win at home over Indiana St.

Ball State (2-0) faces in-state rival, NCAA Tournament finalist and No. 18-ranked Butler (1-1) in Indianapolis today at 2 p.m.

Sophomore guard Jaquon Parker (King’s Fork) played 14 minutes as a reserve for Cincinnati as the Bearcats opened their season with a 69-59 win over visiting Mount St. Mary’s Monday.

Cincinnati hosts Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (1-1) today at 1 p.m.

Other former Suffolk standouts in action around college basketball this weekend are –

Women’s – Lafayette (1-1) at Liberty (1-2) Saturday at 12 p.m. Terika Lunsford (Lakeland) plays for Liberty. The Lady Flames beat Virginia Union 71-19 on Tuesday.

Women’s – Savannah St. (1-1) at South Carolina St. (0-1) Sunday at 6 p.m. Trinese Fox (Nansemond River) is a sophomore guard for SCSU. SCSU lost 95-36 to Wake Forest Thursday.

Men’s – Norfolk St. (1-1) at St. Joseph’s (0-2) Saturday at 4 p.m. Kris Brown (Lakeland) plays for the Spartans. Brown played three minutes in NSU’s 70-53 win vs. Jacksonville St. Tuesday.

Men’s – Old Dominion (2-1) is in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands Sunday and Monday. ODU beat St. Peter’s 59-52 in the first round Friday. Nick Wright (Nansemond River) plays for ODU.