Marquette faces Villanova in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament to decide the season series

Max Mullin, Sports Reporter • March 7, 2025 • 246 Views

Photo by Marquette Athletics

For the second straight season, Marquette faces Villanova in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament with a chance to play itself into the NCAA Tournament.

Marquette (21-9, 12-6 Big East) squares off with Villanova (17-14, 11-7 Big East) in the rubber match of the season series at the Big East Tournament.

In the first matchup at the Al McGuire Center, the Golden Eagles downed the Wildcats 64-59 behind Halle Vice’s career high 20 points (Vice also scored 20 against Villanova in the second matchup) and 12 rebounds. Marquette shot worse than Villanova (36.9 percent to the Wildcats’ 43.9 percent) but that did not matter because the Golden Eagles grabbed 16 offensive boards and outrebounded the Wildcats 44-33. Marquette also won the turnover battle, forcing 16 Villanova turnovers while coughing the ball up 15 times.

The matchup in Finneran Pavilion was a different story. Marquette lost the turnover battle 18-13 and the Wildcats scored 19 points off Golden Eagle turnovers. Villanova also competed at a higher level on the glass, holding Marquette to 10 offensive rebounds. The Wildcats grabbed 31 rebounds to Marquette’s 33. Marquette had an off-shooting night from downtown, going 0-for-9 while Villanova lit the nylon up, shooting 8-of-17 from deep. The Wildcats prevailed 65-53.

Keys to the game

For the Golden Eagles, rebounding and tough defense have been their identity throughout the year. Those trends will need to continue on Saturday. Marquette is plus five per game on the glass, and Villanova is negative, at 4.9. Both teams have a slight positive edge in turnover margin as well.

Marquette will look to create extra shot attempts by winning the glass. The Golden Eagles will also try to limit turnovers and cause havoc on the defensive end.

The 3-point line will also be a factor in Saturday’s matchup. The Wildcats are 14-for-34 (41 percent) from downtown against Marquette while giving up five three-pointers on 25 attempts (20 percent). The Golden Eagles will try to force Villanova to score over them on contested two-point shots, while running the Wildcats off the three-point line.

Halle Vice is an X-factor in the Big East Quarterfinals. She is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds (season average of 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds) against the Wildcats. Look for her to play confidently and assert her presence in the paint.

Larger Implications

Marquette is currently ranked fourth among teams outside the NCAA tournament, according to ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme. A victory against Villanova would significantly boost the Golden Eagles’ tournament aspirations. It remains uncertain whether a quarterfinal win would secure Marquette a spot on the right side of the bubble. At the very least, it gives the Golden Eagles the opportunity to face the winner of St. John’s and UConn in the semifinal. A strong performance in the Big East tournament could send Marquette dancing.