The disappointing 2025-26 college hoops season for Marquette basketball continues to get worse.
On Tuesday, Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles suffered a heartbreaking 77-74 loss at the hands of the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The way the game ended added to the pain of the loss for the Golden Eagles.
With Marquette behind by three points and with the final seconds of the second half ticking, the Golden Eagles tried to look for a 3-point shot to force overtime.
Villanova certainly knew that was the plan, so the Wildcats had their defense stretched. Golden Eagles freshman guard Adrien Stevens then tried to save the day for his team, but his 3-point attempt was perfectly telegraphed by Villanova junior guard Tyler Perkins, who blocked the shot as time on the game clock expired, thus preserving the lead and the win for the Wildcats.
You can watch how the final play unfolded here:
TYLER PERKINS BLOCK FOR THE @NovaMBB WIN 🚫 pic.twitter.com/93AHyu2bV1
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) February 11, 2026
Marquette basketball suffers another close loss to Villanova
Tuesday’s loss to the Wildcats was the Golden Eagles’ second this season to Kevin Willard’s squad.
What’s more, the final score was nearly identical, as Marquette’s first defeat to Villanova had a final score of 76-73, which took place on Jan. 10 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Royce Parham led the Golden Eagles in Wednesday’s game with 26 points on 8/9 shooting from the field, while Stevens had 18 points on 5/11 shooting. Perkins, on the other hand, did more than just make the game-sealing block, as he also led the Wildcats with 22 points to go along with five 3-pointers.
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