Coming off of a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to St. John’s on Senior Night this past Saturday to close out the regular season, Marquette would have to pick themselves up and get ready for the Big East Tournament. Like they’ve had to do so many times this season, the Golden Eagles would need to move past the adversity and get ready for the next game. Their first draw at Madison Square Garden? Xavier. Winners of eight straight and sitting squarely on the bubble, Xavier had nothing to lose and everything to gain to try to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament in Thursday’s matinee against Marquette.
The intensity is always high at MSG for the Big East Tournament, the world’s most famous arena that has hosted the tournament since 1983. Thursday would be no different, as things got off to a hot start between Marquette and Xavier. After splitting the regular season matchups with wins by just two points on each side, the two teams seemed shot out of a cannon to begin the game, knowing that they’d be in for another close one. Marquette hit their first three 3-pointers, while Xavier hit four of their first five from the field, and before 2 minutes had fallen off the clock, the game was already paced for a high-scoring affair.
Not at all foreshadowing what would happen later, Marquette star Kam Jones was held in check early, not scoring until the 11-minute mark in the first half. Instead, a collaborative effort fueled the Golden Eagles, as fellow seniors Stevie Mitchell and David Joplin towed the line. Head coach Shaka Smart unleashed a flurry of substitutions throughout, keeping the likes of Jones and Mitchell fresh for the remainder. Contributions from Chase Ross and freshman Royce Parham kept the game close until…
Foul trouble. The two Marquette big-men, Ben Gold and David Joplin, both picked up two fouls midway through the first half and had to take a seat on the bench and watch as Xavier, and most notably, big-man Zach Freemantle, had their way inside. Freemantle would rack up 11 points and 5 rebounds in the first half as Xavier opened up a 12-point lead on Marquette. Kam Jones would begin to pick up the slack, however, scoring 12 points in the remainder of the half, keeping Marquette to within 10 points at the break.
After shooting just 37% in the first half, Marquette would start to find the basket in the second session, especially from behind the arc. Deep shots from Kam Jones, Chase Ross, Stevie Mitchell, and Royce Parham closed the gap quickly. What was once a firm double-digit lead for Xavier turned into a one-possession game just minutes into the second half.
While Xavier’s inside game began to deteriorate with the return of Gold and Joplin to the floor, junior guard Ryan Conwell’s production certainly did not. Conwell would carry the Musketeers in the second half behind an incredible career-high 38 points on 13-18 shooting and 7 three-pointers. Keeping Marquette from taking the lead until just over 9 minutes left, Conwell tried to will his team into the NCAA Tournament with big shot after big shot.
Not to be outdone, Kam Jones answered with 16 points of his own in the second half. Each make seeming to come at a time when the team really needed it, a true sign of senior leadership on one of college basketball’s biggest stages.
After Marquette took their first lead, a see-saw battle would follow for much of the remainder of the game as Jones and Conwell continued to exchange blows. Marquette would finally open up a two-possession lead behind forced turnovers, including 5 total steals from Stevie Mitchell. Forced turnovers and some key stops down the stretch put Marquette at the free throw line to salt it away with just seconds left. An area that has needed improvement for the Golden Eagles ended up winning them the game late, as Marquette ended Xavier’s regular season and perhaps their tournament hopes, 89-87.
Marquette once again proved that they can come back from a heartbreaking loss to play their best basketball, a tribute to how well Shaka Smart keeps his team focused and motivated. Thursday’s matinee at The Garden was a prime example of a team rallying around senior leadership to take out a tough conference opponent that desperately needed a win. And revenge comes quickly. Marquette looks to avenge the heartbreak of this past weekend with a tough Big East Tournament semifinal matchup with St. John’s on Friday night.
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