Milwaukee ? Just before taking the court for the conference opener against No. 15 Villanova, Marquette coach Buzz Williams gave his players a reminder: Their seniors have never started 2-0 in the Big East.

One down, one to go.

Jerel McNeal scored 24 points, including a critical three-pointer down the stretch that helped power the Golden Eagles to a 79-72 victory over the Wildcats on Thursday. Marquette (12-2, 1-0 Big East) has another home game Sunday against Cincinnati, giving the Golden Eagles a shot at their first fast start to conference play.

“It’s huge,” Wesley Matthews said. “We’ve never started out 2-0. Buzz had told us that — the last thing he said to us in the locker room. This is a tough conference. Wins are tough to get by.”

Especially against a ranked opponent known for its defense.

“I think they’re one of the better defenses in the country, actually,” McNeal said.

Coming into Thursday’s game, Villanova (12-2, 0-1) was allowing 57.6 points and holding opponents to 37.9 percent shooting from the field. Marquette shot 46 percent on Thursday, including 41.7 percent from three-point range.

Matthews scored 19 and Dominic James added 17.

“We just played a very good team with great veteran guards,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “Those guys are fun to watch, and they just controlled the game. Veteran guards win in college basketball, and those guys were big-time.”

Lazar Hayward added 15, giving the Golden Eagles four double-digit scorers against one of the Big East’s best defensive teams. Hayward has scored 14 points or more in Marquette’s last six games.