NEW YORK — Marquette men’s basketball just can’t get enough of playing close games at Madison Square Garden.
After a thrilling 71-65 overtime win Thursday night over Villanova, the Golden Eagles took care of business on Friday night to book their ticket to the Big East championship, beating the seventh seeded Friars 79-68.
Ighodaro bounces back
On Thursday, Oso Ighodaro needed 44 minutes to see a field goal drop. Friday, he only needed 22 seconds.
The Chandler, Arizona native finished the game with 20 points, while going 7-for-17 overall and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
Ighodaro was strong on defense as well, holding opposing center Josh Oduro to a very limited offensive night. The all-conference honorable mention selection had just nine points and was limited to only four shot attempts.
Big time buckets
The Garden was electrified a couple of times by a Providence offense that just would not quit. The Friars got the game to within two points with 3:39 to play, but then the Golden Eagles stole the spotlight.
Clinging to a four point lead late, Marquette extended its advantage to six off of a tough finish from Jones, but that wasn’t enough for the Golden Eagles.
The next possession, Chase Ross drove to the rim hard as the shot clock was winding down and finished an acrobatic layup to seal the deal for the Golden Eagles.
WIN ANYWAY #MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/HP0e7W06Nb
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) March 16, 2024
Carter shines
The stars often shine their brightest under the lights of Madison Square Garden. On Friday night, that statement could not have been any closer to the truth.
Devin Carter, the newly appointed Big East player of the Year, was unstoppable.
After a quiet seven points in the first 20 minutes, Carter exploded for 20 points in the second half. Although the Friars lost, Carter played a pivotal role in keeping the game close and making the Golden Eagles sweat down the stretch.
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
