Picking up their sixth ranked win of the season, the No. 24 Marquette men’s basketball team defeated No. 12 Villanova 83-73 Wednesday night to complete the season sweep over the Wildcats.
A balanced scoring attack from Justin Lewis, Tyler Kolek and Darryl Morsell led the Golden Eagles to their eighth win out of their last nine games.
Here is a breakdown of Marquette’s win:
Game MVP: Tyler Kolek
After failing to reach double figures in his previous five games, the redshirt first-year guard has now scored 13 and 18 points in his last two games respectively.
Kolek’s 18 points tonight against Villanova ties a season-high in scoring from when he poured in 18 against West Virginia Nov. 19.
“When you have players who have a genuine love and appreciation for one another and understand that as a coaching staff we feel that way about them, then you can confront them at the highest level with accountability,” head coach Shaka Smart said when referring to his confrontation with Kolek during the game.
Kolek went 3-for-8 from the 3-point line throughout the game.
“I think he should shoot every time he’s open,” Smart said.
Key Stats:
- Marquette shot 53.8% from the field as a team including 41.7% from the 3-point line.
- The Golden Eagles never trailed throughout the game, holding the lead for 39:26 (98.6%) of play.
- Marquette won the rebounding battle 35-27.
- The Golden Eagles turned things around in terms of second chance points winning 12-11 after losing the advantage 22-1 last time out against Providence.
Notes:
- Lewis, Kolek and Morsell combined for 52 of Marquette’s 83 points (62.7%).
- Marquette is the only team in the country to beat six ranked opponents on the season.
- This is the first time Villanova has been swept in a season-series since 2016-17 against Butler.
- The Golden Eagles last swept the Wildcats in the 2011-12 season.
- Lewis has now scored in double figures nine-straight times for the Golden Eagles with his 19 points (7-for-12 shooting) tonight.
Quote of the Day:
As he walked out from his presser, Smart had one thing to say on his way back to the locker room:
“No more nine o’clock games,” Smart said.
Wednesday night’s contest was the first and last game currently scheduled for a 9:00 p.m. tip-off this season for Marquette.
Next Game:
Marquette (16-7, 8-4 BIG EAST) will now travel Hartford, Connecticut to take on No. 17 UConn Feb. 8 at 5:30 p.m. CST. Tuesday night’s contest will begin a two-game road trip for the Golden Eagles.
This story was written by Sam Arco. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @SamArcoMU.
