MILWAUKEE -- In the grand scheme of things, the regular-season finale between DePaul and Marquette was meaningless.
Regardless of Saturday's outcome, a miracle run through the Big East tournament is the only way either school is going to make the postseason.
But even in the toughest of seasons, senior day holds special meaning. Marquette's three seniors -- Derrick Wilson, Juan Anderson and Matt Carlino -- were able to end what has been a tumultuous final campaign with a 58-48 victory over DePaul in front of 15,923 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
With the victory and Creighton's loss to Xavier, the Golden Eagles will be the No. 9 seed in the Big East tournament. Marquette will face No. 8 Seton Hall at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
"I was so happy for them," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said of his seniors. "Less than 12 months ago they didn't know who their coach was going to be. They didn't know all the unpredictable circumstances that we've gone through together. Those three kids have been terrific.
"It hasn't always shown through in wins, but Derrick and Matt and Juan have been really good. For them to be able to walk off their home court as winners makes me really happy for them."
With Marquette (12-18, 4-14 Big East) up 12 with 35.1 seconds to play, Wojciechowski allowed the three seniors to leave the court to one last ovation from the home crowd.
"Just very happy," Carlino said of his emotions at the time. "It's been a rollercoaster of a year and to end at the Bradley Center like that was great."
Anderson and Wilson have experienced success and struggle during their four years. As role players, they helped Marquette to the Sweet 16 as freshmen and then played a part in the Golden Eagles winning a Big East championship and reaching the Elite Eight as sophomores.
But the two have gone a combined 29-33 as upperclassmen, which included sticking through a coaching change prior to their senior year.
"The feeling is hard to describe," Wilson said. "I've been through a lot here over four years, on and off the court. I'm just thankful and blessed to have had an opportunity to go to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and win a Big East regular-season title â maybe two now, I don't know the (Syracuse) situation.
"As a team and as a program during my time here, we've accomplished a lot. I'm proud of everybody that was a part of that, and I'm thankful and blessed to have met those people. It has been a great experience."
Carlino has only seen Marquette at its lowest point. The graduate transfer from BYU couldn't have seen this coming when he made the decision to spend his final season of collegiate basketball in Milwaukee.
But without him, the Golden Eagles would have struggled to win at all. Despite missing four Big East games with a concussion, Carlino finishes the regular season as Marquette's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game.
Carlino scored a game-high 20 points against DePaul (12-19, 6-12), hitting five shots from beyond the arc to finish with 74 made 3-point attempts, the most by a Marquette player in a season since Darius Johnson-Odom's 77 in 2011-12.
"I don't think anyone can map out a season before the year and it goes that way," Carlino said. "So no, it's not what I expected but it's been a good season. We have basketball left to play, so it's not over yet."
The Golden Eagles have at least one game left to play. Marquette split the season series with Seton Hall, falling 80-70 in Milwaukee and winning 57-54 in Newark, N.J.
Since the two teams last met, the Pirates have suffered internal issues, which included starting guard Jaren Sina leaving the team. Seton Hall has lost eight of its last nine and is reeling entering the conference tournament.
"Why not us? Seeds don't matter," Wojciechowski said. "I've been in a situation where I have been coaching on teams who have been the No. 1 seed and we got our butts kicked. Seeds don't matter. (For) everybody it's a fresh start. If we play our best game we'll have a chance to win.
"That's the beauty of postseason college basketball -- you don't have to be better than somebody for 30 games, you have to be better than somebody for one night."
A win over Seton Hall would mean a matchup with conference champion Villanova in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon.
"One day at a time," Wilson said. "I think the biggest thing for us was getting this win today to have some momentum going into the next game."
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