David Joplin sure loves his tiny arenas.
Heck, after his career-high 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting, it doesn’t even need to be an actual arena. A hotel ballroom with a temporary court and bleachers will suffice for the senior forward.
Joplin, who has made a habit of scoring in smaller arenas like Wintrust in Chicago and the Al McGuire Center on campus, kept that streak going in No. 15 Marquette men’s basketball’s (6-0) Saturday morning 80-69 win over Georgia in The Bahamas.
The Brookfield, Wisconsin native got started off the rip, scoring the Golden Eagles’ first three points just over a minute after tip-off. He then went on to score a trey in the dying embers of the first half to put Marquette ahead by one, 36-35.
Jop beats the buzzer!!! #MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/UfZ2q0uHy5
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) November 23, 2024
Joplin then drained a turnaround jumper early in the second half to kick off an 11-0 run before scoring multiple clutch baskets down the stretch.
He needed to have the day he did. Georgia’s constant fighting back made sure of it.
After the Golden Eagles scored 11-straight, the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run of their own, dwindling the blue & gold’s 15-point lead to just one-possession, 60-57.
Marquette was able to get it done, though, and start 6-0 for the first time since 2011-12.
The Golden Eagles went on a 9-0 run to mark a 78-66 advantage with 1:33 remaining before icing it at the line to secure the 80-69 win.
The man who scored the final points? You guessed it, Joplin.
All aboard.
This article was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @JackAlbrightMU.
