It was a game that No. 15 Marquette men’s basketball had circled on its non-conference schedule — its first true test on the road.
It knew that star point guard Kam Jones would do his thing, and he did, finishing with 28 points on 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. But the Golden Eagles needed everyone to step up, contribute and ‘win ugly,’ to use Marquette head coach Shaka Smart’s words.
So that’s what they did.
Stevie Mitchell (18 points) was a spark plug per usual, earning the team’s last eight points with clutch layups and free throws when his team blew an eight-point lead. Chase Ross quietly put together a complete game, earning seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ben Gold hit a timely trey. David Joplin grabbed eight rebounds. And every time Royce Parham checked into the game, he made a positive impact, finishing up a career-high 10 points.
By the end of it all, it was Marquette (4-0) who came out on top and passed the test, defeating Maryland (3-1) 78-74 Friday night at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.
“Overall, a really, really good team effort together,” Smart told ESPN Milwaukee broadcasters Steve “The Homer” True and Tony Smith in a post-game radio interview. “Getting stops, getting some loose balls that were critical when we needed them. I just appreciate our guys’ grit.”
Jones masterclass
The Memphis, Tennessee native just doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
First, Jones put up 32 points against Stony Brook. Then 24 against George Mason. And tonight, he netted 18 of his 28 points in the second half alone.
When Marquette was neck-and-neck with Maryland, it was him who fired off a 3-pointer to tie the game at 59 at the 8:21 mark. That trey marked the start of a 12-2 run — where all 12 points were scored by Jones – that put the Golden Eagles ahead 68-61.
🪣FamKam#MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/6JG8Su7Ton
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) November 16, 2024
“Kam Jones was terrific, but he’s even better than that,” Smart said. “He’s — in my opinion – as good as any guard, any player in this league when he’s playing with great poise. And he did that for most of tonight.
Although Jones put together a strong performance, Shaka also pointed out some areas where he can improve.
“Kam has to settle down and make his free throws,” Smart said. “We’ve got to keep him out of foul trouble. He got a couple of ticky, tacky fouls early. We were having to sub him in and out. We don’t want to play that way.”
Jones is now averaging 24 points per game on 64.9% shooting.
MU haunted by offensive issues in first half
The Golden Eagles’ shooting woes that plagued them in the second half against George Mason followed them out to College Park.
When Jones picked up two fouls in the first 10 minutes and was forced to take a seat, Marquette struggled to generate offense. During the two minutes he was out, it scored no field goals and earned just two points on free throws.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins thrived on the offensive end, led by to junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. During their 7-0 run that gave them a four-point lead, the Belmont transfer hit a key 3-pointer, forcing Smart to call a timeout. He finished the first half with 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting.
While their offense struggled to find a rhythm, it was the Golden Eagles’ defense that kept them in the game, earning nine points off the Terrapin’s nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Marquette finished the half shooting 37.7% from the floor while Maryland shot 54.4%.
Up next
Marquette will return home to face No. 13 Purdue (4-0) Tuesday at 8 p.m. CST.
This article was written by Kaylynn Wright. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @KaylynnWrightMU.
