The #5 Marquette Golden Eagles wanted to avoid losing for the second time this season against the Providence Friars. Marquette was energized and dominated from the opening tip and they won in convincing fashion over Providence by a final score of 91-69.
The Golden Eagles scored 50 points in the first half and had a 24-point halftime lead. The Friars were on the NCAA Tournament bubble entering this game and Providence’s bubble may have bursted with this loss.
With the win, Marquette improved to 22-6 overall on the season and has a 13-4 BIG East Conference record. With the loss, Providence dropped to 18-10 on the season and now has a 9-8 conference record.
In this contest, the Golden Eagles had five different players score in double figures for head coach Shaka Smart. Kam Jones led the way once again for Marquette with 17 points. David Joplin scored 13 points for the Golden Eagles.
Stevie Mitchell, Chase Ross, and Tyler Kolek each scored 12 points for the Marquette Golden Eagles. Kolek also recorded six assists in this basketball game. He also left the game with an oblique injury. Head coach Shaka Smart mentioned how he was getting it checked out by the trainers after the game was over.
Shaka Smart told Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the game by saying:
“Don’t know exactly the extent of his injury. But he went out there, you guys saw, he wasn’t able to stay in the game.”
It would be a huge loss for this basketball team if he is out for any extended period of time. Marquette still has to face the #12 Creighton Blue Jays and the #3 UCONN Huskies before the end of the regular season in Big East Conference play.
Providence Friars Have Four Players Score in Double Figures Against the Marquette Golden Eagles Despite Suffocating Defense
Providence had four players score in double figures for head coach Kim English. The Friars faced a suffocating defense from the Golden Eagles all night long. Devin Carter led the way for the Providence Friars with 18 points. Davonte Gaines scored 15 points, Corey Floyd Jr. scored 13 points, and Josh Oduro scored 12 points for Providence.
Chase Ross of Marquette is one of the defensive specialists on their roster. He told Steele after the game:
“We’ve just been locking in on the smaller details in practice now. We actually do this one drill, where it’s imaginary. We play defense on imaginary players. So I feel like that’s translating to the game, helping us move when the ball moves and just helping out each other and just guard as five.”
The Golden Eagles play with so much energy on defense. Their game is going to translate well in the month of March.
