The Marquette Golden Eagles battled against the Xavier Musketeers Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Both teams produced one of the most entertaining games of the season that saw 17 lead changes. The Golden Eagles walked away with a 69-68 win after being down to start the second half. Another win gives Marquette a game and a half lead for the Big East.
Marquette Golden Eagles Steal Game From Xavier Musketeers
In the initial match up between the two teams, the result went in the Musketeers favor. It was a physical game that sent Xavier to the line 17 times and saw 30 personal fouls. Jack Nunge and Souley Boum each had 16 points as Marquette struggled in the second half, where they were outscored 36-28.
No. 11 Marquette defeats No. 16 Xavier 69-68.
Recap:⤵️https://t.co/4xdtOsKcay#MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/nya7yBpj29
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) February 16, 2023
In the second game, Marquette flipped the script and controlled the fouls. The Golden Eagles made it to the line for 17 shots and forced 17 turnovers as well. The number 17 was generous to the team, as Stevie Mitchell also dropped 17 points and six steals. Tyler Kolek added 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists to the team in the narrow victory over Xavier.
The Xavier Musketeers led 28-24 after a tough half from the field for Marquette. The Golden Eagles made 11 of 32 shots from the field and 2 out of 10 from three point land. More importantly, Marquette only had one trip to the foul line in the first half and missed both shots. The team struggled to score on the inside and get the necessary calls which resulted in more opportunities for the Musketeers.
The second half of the game was a different story for the Marquette Golden Eagles. The team came alive from the floor, shooting 41.67% and nailing 12 of 15 shots at the foul line. The Golden Eagles pushed the pace in the second half and forced the ball inside more. Working the ball inside resulted in more fouls and helped Marquette, who was struggling at shooting outside going 5 of 22 from three.
Marquette Closing in on Big East Title Ahead of Tournament
There were plenty of keys to victory for the Golden Eagles ahead of their match up against the Musketeers. Marquette needed to rebound, shut down shooters, and limit Jack Nunge specifically in the paint. The team did an excellent job at securing possession and keeping the rebound difference down. Marquette was out-rebounded by 13 in the first game, but secured four more than Xavier in the second game. Xavier was also kept to seven second chance points this time around.
Souley Boum and Adam Kunkel were two players in particular the Golden Eagles needed to watch out for. The Xavier Musketeers push the pace and try to find their shooters in space. Stevie Mitchell and Kam Jones did an excellent job terrorizing Xavier and preventing them from effectively moving the ball around. Boum went off for 24 points on an excellent shooting night, but also turned the ball over seven times. Kunkel also had four turnovers and shot 3 of 11 from the floor.
The Marquette Golden Eagles played a great team game to hold onto the top spot in the Big East Conference. Despite a very tough opponent, the Golden Eagles were able to pull off the win and solidify a larger lead for the conference over Xavier. The biggest takeaway from the game is the ability out of the Golden Eagles to adapt and develop a cohesive game plan against a team that had their number.
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