The #10 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3) took on the visiting DePaul Blue Demons (9-20, 3-15) for Marquette’s Gold Out game. The Golden Eagles got out to a big lead early and held on after the Blue Demons turned up their production in the second half. Marquette travels to take on Butler on Tuesday before ending the regular season at home against St. Johns.
DePaul Nearly Too Much for Marquette Golden Eagles
In the first half of the second meeting between these two teams, it looked to be more of the same. The Golden Eagles out scored DePaul 49-28 in the first half of the game. Marquette came out red hot from three point range, nailing 11 of 21 attempts in the first half. Kam Jones dropped 22 points and seven three point shots. His stellar shooting from long range was a major threat in the first half, and he got to do so in front of Bucks forward Pat Connaughton.
.@Bucks forward @pconnaughton showing off his new @KolekTyler jersey 🤩#MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/Fo0hFF3N5j
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) February 26, 2023
The second half of the game was a different story for the DePaul Blue Demons. DePaul out-scored the Golden Eagles 56-41 in the second half, nearly securing the first lead change of the game. Both teams slowed the pace of the game and hit the foul line significantly. Marquette shot one free throw in the first half, and came back to take 22. The Golden Eagles made 18 of the 22 shots which kept them in the game against a ferocious offense.
The Blue Demons shot 56.41% from the field, 57.14% from three, and made 66.67% of their free throws in the second half. Their amazing accuracy brought them right back into a game it seemed like they were out of. Umoja Gibson nailed four of five shots from three point land and scored 20. Gibson also added eight assists and two steals. Nick Ongenda controlled the boards for the Blue Demons, dropping a 16 point, 12 rebound double-double against the Golden Eagles.
Keys to Victory: Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball
While free throws kept the Golden Eagles lead in tact, their points off turnovers and duo of scorers won the game for them. Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones each dropped 22 points for Marquette, with Oso Ighodaro adding 12 points. Ighodaro spent much of the game in foul trouble which allowed him to only play 18 minutes. Tyler Kolek recorded a double-double with 14 assists and a nearly perfect night from the foul line, missing one shot.
Marquette utilized their strong defense to force 17 turnovers and record 10 steals on the night. Despite being out-rebounded 37-27, the Marquette Golden Eagles fought back and pushed the ball in transition. DePaul struggled to keep up with the pace of play as Marquette distributed the ball and scored efficiently off rebounds and turnovers. The team recorded 18 points off turnovers as the Blue Demons saw the game fall out of reach.
The Marquette Golden Eagles will travel to take on Butler in their next game. Butler is also coming off their own 59-58 win over DePaul after losing to Villanova and Georgetown. After the game in Indianapolis, the Golden Eagles must defend their home court one last time in the regular season against St. John’s. The Red Storm just lost their last game against UConn, 95-86, and now wait to play the Golden Eagles on March 4th.
For more:
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Check out 97.3 The Game on iHeart Radio!
