The #10 Marquette Golden Eagles will face the Providence Friars in the Big East Conference Semifinals on Friday night with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Marquette is looking to get back to the final for the second consecutive season. The Golden Eagles escaped in overtime on Thursday night against the Villanova Wildcats by a final score of 71-65.
Head coach Shaka Smart hopes his best player point guard Tyler Kolek can play on Friday night against Providence because of an oblique injury. The Marquette Golden Eagles had four different players score in double figures on Thursday night against the Villanova Wildcats.
Kam Jones led the way with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists. When the game was tied at 58 with two seconds remaining against Villanova in regulation, it appeared as if he hit the game-winning shot as time expired, but the basket was waived off. Luckily, the Golden Eagles were able to win the game in overtime and live to fight another day.
Jones has been the most consistent scorer for this basketball team down the stretch. He will need to be big once again against the Providence Friars on Friday night. Stevie Mitchell stepped up big time for Marquette and scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded one assist.
David Joplin scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Chase Ross also added 11 points for the Golden Eagles. What was interesting in the win for Marquette was that not only was Kolek sidelined, but Oso Ighodaro struggled on the offensive end and only scored four points. It goes to show what kind of makeup this basketball team has had all season long and that’s why they are 24-8 on the year.
Players To Watch For on the Providence Friars Against the #10 Marquette Golden Eagles
Kim English is the head coach of the Providence Friars. His team had the toughness to upset the Creighton Blue Jays on Thursday in the Big East Conference Tournament and won that game by a final score of 78-73. They improved to 21-12 on the season and that win against Creighton may just be enough for Providence to get into the NCAA Tournament.
Devin Carter recorded a double-double for the Friars against the Blue Jays with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. He was the best player on the floor for Providence in that basketball game against Creighton. Josh Oduro scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and recorded three assists for the Providence Friars.
Jayden Pierre also scored 15 points and recorded seven assists for Providence. In the two meetings between the Golden Eagles and the Friars this season, the home teams won both meetings (season series split). Marquette won 91-69 on February 28 and Providence won 72-57 back on December 19, 2023.
This could be a very interesting matchup. The Marquette Golden Eagles may need to be at full strength in this one to take down the pesky Providence Friars. The winner of this game will face the St. John’s Red Storm and the UCONN Huskies winner in the Big East Championship Game on Saturday night.
