Golden Eagles Pull Big Comeback as Blue Comes Through

With one second remaining on the game clock, Vander Blue made a driving layup for the second time in less than two weeks to give Marquette another program-defining victory as Marquette held off Davidson 59-58.

“Obviously the shot meant a little more because it was in the NCAA Tournament, but I’m just grateful,” Blue said. “I’m just grateful that coach has unbelievable trust in me to take the last shot and all my teammates wanted me to shoot the ball.”

People around the country were picking Davidson to pull off a major upset. Buzz Williams and company have played with low expectations by observers and media most of the season, but as they have done all season, they did not panic.

The Wildcats surged out to a 12-2 lead in the opening six minutes to set the tone against a Marquette team that struggled offensively most of the day. The Golden Eagles shot just 35 percent from the floor in the game well below their season average of 47 percent.

Marquette trailed 25-23 after the opening stanza. Buzz’s group was just 2-6 this season when trailing at the half against a Davidson team that was 23-3 when leading at the break.

Vander Blue scored seven of Marquette’s first eleven points of the second half, but Davidson held steady through the Golden Eagles run. The Wildcats led by as much as ten points midway through the second half and led by nine with just over six to play, but Marquette made big shots down the stretch.

Down by seven with 1:03 left in the game, Marquette made three consecutive 3-pointers after going just 1-11 from distance in the first 39 minutes. Jamil Wilson had six of his 14 points including the final one to pull the Golden Eagles to within a point with 11 seconds remaining.

“After my first three, you know, I felt like things were going good,” Wilson said. “You know, Van put the ball in the basket. So it just opened up to going to back what we know best.”

Marquette pressed and on the third pass, Davidson sailed a ball out of bounds at midcourt that allowed Marquette to regain possession with a chance to win the game. The officials needed to look at the clock which gave the Golden Eagles a chance to talk things over even though they did not have a timeout left.

“One thing that I would say to that point is, I think all three of those needed to be 3s, right?” Williams said. “So it was like we didn’t have a choice.”

Marquette will get an opportunity Saturday to avenge an early season loss to Butler when Rotnei Clarke made a miraculous three as time expired in the first round of the Maui Invitational. The Golden Eagles seek their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.

“I would say it’s fresh in their minds because they’ve seen the commercial countless times on ESPN,” Williams said. “You know the other thing that I would say is Butler hasn’t been to two Final Fours because they’re the same team they were in November.”

Buzz Williams & MU Postgame Audio