Kam Jones scores 30, No. 8 Marquette snaps skid with 86-80 win over Xavier
CINCINNATI (AP) Kam Jones had 30 points and Oso Ighodaro scored 24 to help No. 8 Marquette snap a two-game losing streak with an 86-80 victory over Xavier on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles (23-8, 14-6 Big East), who were without injured guard Tyler Kolek for the third straight game, secured the No. 3 seed in the Big East Tournament.
“When you have the reigning Big East player of the year on the bench in street clothes, I thought our guys did a really good job to help each other and continuing to believe," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “I didn’t want to put undue pressure on them, but it was an incredibly big win for us.”
Quincy Olivari, a graduate transfer from Rice who was playing his final home game at Xavier, had 32 points and Dayvion McKnight scored 16.
Xavier (15-16, 9-11) is trying to avoid its first losing season in 28 years.
“In every game that happens, we’re in the game and there are big momentum swings," Olivari said. "I definitely wanted to win this game. I didn’t want to lose again on senior night.”
Marquette led by as many as nine points in the first half. Olivari's 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer cut the Musketeers' deficit to 37-33.
Jones, who scored 18 of his points in the first half, was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and 12 of 17 overall.
“Every road game is huge, with or without (Kolek)," Jones said. "We would much rather have him out there. But it’s tough to win on the road. The ref’s against you, the crowd’s against you. So, it’s a huge win.”
Olivari made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Musketeers a 46-41 lead early in the second half.
"One of the tests we faced tonight, when the ball wasn’t going in, you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself,” Smart said.
A 3-pointer by Ben Gold started a 10-0 run to help the Golden Eagles regain control.
The Musketeers committed eight turnovers in the first half, but had only four the rest of the way.
Stevie Mitchell's 3-pointer gave the Golden Eagles a 78-74 lead with 2:57 remaining.
“If he didn’t make that shot, maybe we’re talking about a different result,” Smart said.
There were 14 ties and 11 lead changes as the conference rivals battled down to the final minutes.
“A lot of people thought we would come in here and get blown out," Olivari said. "That’s just the Big East. On any given night, anybody can get anybody.”
It was the 86th meeting in the series, which began in 1958. Marquette leads 58-27, including a 15-14 mark since the schools joined the Big East.
BIG PICTURE:
Marquette: Kolek missed his third straight game with an oblique injury. Kolek, who averages 15 points and shoots 40% from 3-point range, participated in warmups Saturday and could return for the Big East Tournament.
Xavier: The Musketeers' streak of 27 consecutive winning seasons is tied for the nation's fourth longest. They haven't finished below .500 since 1996, which was their first season in the Atlantic 10 conference. Xavier finished the season 11-7 at Cintas Center, where they'd never lost more than five games since it opened in 2000.
UP NEXT
Xavier: Plays Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Marquette: Begins its tournament play Thursday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Oso Ighodaro vs. Kachi Nzeh (Golden Eagles gains possession) | |||
19:35 | David Joplin misses three point jump shot | |||
19:33 | Abou Ousmane defensive rebound | |||
19:18 | Abou Ousmane turnover (lost ball) (Stevie Mitchell steals) | |||
19:18 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point jump shot (Kam Jones assists) | 2-0 | |
18:49 | Abou Ousmane misses two point hook shot | |||
18:47 | Oso Ighodaro defensive rebound | |||
18:39 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point alley-oop dunk (Kam Jones assists) | 4-0 | |
18:25 | +3 | Quincy Olivari makes three point pullup jump shot | 4-3 | |
17:55 | David Joplin misses three point jump shot | |||
17:53 | Kachi Nzeh defensive rebound | |||
17:47 | Dayvion McKnight turnover (bad pass) | |||
17:25 | David Joplin misses three point jump shot | |||
17:23 | Kachi Nzeh defensive rebound | |||
17:04 | Kachi Nzeh offensive foul (Chase Ross draws the foul) | |||
16:56 | Chase Ross misses three point jump shot | |||
16:54 | Stevie Mitchell offensive rebound | |||
16:52 | Quincy Olivari personal foul (Stevie Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
16:47 | Chase Ross misses three point jump shot | |||
16:45 | Dayvion McKnight defensive rebound | |||
16:30 | +2 | Dayvion McKnight makes two point floating jump shot (Kachi Nzeh assists) | 4-5 | |
16:16 | Kam Jones misses two point driving layup | |||
16:14 | Dayvion McKnight defensive rebound | |||
16:09 | Dayvion McKnight turnover (bad pass) (Chase Ross steals) | |||
16:08 | Abou Ousmane personal foul (Chase Ross draws the foul) | |||
15:55 | Oso Ighodaro misses two point hook shot | |||
15:53 | Quincy Olivari defensive rebound | |||
15:42 | David Joplin personal foul (Desmond Claude draws the foul) | |||
15:42 | TV timeout | |||
15:32 | Tre Norman personal foul (Desmond Claude draws the foul) | |||
15:17 | Quincy Olivari misses three point jump shot | |||
15:15 | Stevie Mitchell defensive rebound | |||
15:08 | Stevie Mitchell turnover (bad pass) (Desmond Claude steals) | |||
15:03 | Oso Ighodaro blocks Desmond Claude's two point layup | |||
15:01 | Kam Jones defensive rebound | |||
14:52 | Kam Jones turnover (bad pass) (Quincy Olivari steals) | |||
14:45 | +2 | Desmond Claude makes two point layup (Dayvion McKnight assists) | 4-7 | |
14:26 | Stevie Mitchell misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
14:24 | Gytis Nemeiksa defensive rebound | |||
14:18 | Quincy Olivari misses two point layup | |||
14:16 | Kam Jones defensive rebound | |||
14:11 | +3 | Tre Norman makes three point jump shot (Kam Jones assists) | 7-7 | |
13:39 | Desmond Claude misses two point turnaround jump shot | |||
13:36 | Musketeers offensive rebound | |||
13:20 | Trey Green misses three point jump shot | |||
13:18 | Lazar Djokovic offensive rebound | |||
13:06 | Gytis Nemeiksa turnover (lost ball) | |||
12:50 | Ben Gold turnover (lost ball) (Dayvion McKnight steals) | |||
12:26 | +2 | Trey Green makes two point driving layup | 7-9 | |
12:11 | +2 | Kam Jones makes two point cutting layup (Tre Norman assists) | 9-9 | |
12:05 | Ben Gold shooting foul (Desmond Claude draws the foul) | |||
12:05 | +1 | Desmond Claude makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 9-10 | |
12:05 | +1 | Desmond Claude makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-11 | |
11:53 | Kachi Nzeh blocks Tre Norman's two point driving layup | |||
11:51 | Tre Norman offensive rebound | |||
11:39 | +3 | Kam Jones makes three point stepback jump shot | 12-11 | |
11:23 | Oso Ighodaro shooting foul (Kachi Nzeh draws the foul) | |||
11:23 | TV timeout | |||
11:23 | Kachi Nzeh misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
11:23 | +1 | Kachi Nzeh makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-12 | |
11:12 | Kachi Nzeh shooting foul (Oso Ighodaro draws the foul) | |||
11:12 | Oso Ighodaro misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
11:12 | +1 | Oso Ighodaro makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-12 | |
11:02 | +2 | Abou Ousmane makes two point dunk (Quincy Olivari assists) | 13-14 | |
10:45 | David Joplin misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | |||
10:43 | Abou Ousmane defensive rebound | |||
10:36 | +2 | Lazar Djokovic makes two point driving layup (Dayvion McKnight assists) | 13-16 | |
10:09 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point floating jump shot (Stevie Mitchell assists) | 15-16 | |
9:41 | Trey Green turnover (bad pass) (Chase Ross steals) | |||
9:35 | +2 | Stevie Mitchell makes two point layup (Chase Ross assists) | 17-16 | |
9:21 | +3 | Quincy Olivari makes three point stepback jump shot (Dayvion McKnight assists) | 17-19 | |
9:07 | David Joplin misses three point jump shot | |||
9:05 | Oso Ighodaro offensive rebound | |||
8:58 | Chase Ross misses three point jump shot | |||
8:56 | Stevie Mitchell offensive rebound | |||
8:46 | Stevie Mitchell misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
8:44 | Abou Ousmane defensive rebound | |||
8:23 | Abou Ousmane misses two point layup | |||
8:21 | Golden Eagles defensive rebound | |||
8:05 | Oso Ighodaro misses two point floating jump shot | |||
8:03 | Dayvion McKnight defensive rebound | |||
8:01 | Chase Ross personal foul (Dayvion McKnight draws the foul) | |||
7:54 | TV timeout | |||
7:54 | Musketeers turnover (5-second violation) | |||
7:38 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point floating jump shot (Kam Jones assists) | 19-19 | |
7:14 | +2 | Dayvion McKnight makes two point floating jump shot | 19-21 | |
7:01 | +2 | Kam Jones makes two point floating jump shot | 21-21 | |
6:42 | +2 | Desmond Claude makes two point turnaround jump shot | 21-23 | |
6:26 | Kam Jones misses three point jump shot | |||
6:24 | Abou Ousmane defensive rebound | |||
6:17 | Quincy Olivari misses three point jump shot | |||
6:15 | Lazar Djokovic offensive rebound | |||
6:07 | Quincy Olivari turnover (traveling) | |||
5:55 | +2 | Kam Jones makes two point driving reverse layup | 23-23 | |
5:50 | Musketeers 30 second timeout | |||
5:35 | Dayvion McKnight turnover (lost ball) (Tre Norman steals) | |||
5:21 | Quincy Olivari shooting foul (Kam Jones draws the foul) | |||
5:21 | +1 | Kam Jones makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-23 | |
5:21 | +1 | Kam Jones makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-23 | |
5:04 | +2 | Desmond Claude makes two point driving layup | 25-25 | |
4:51 | Tre Norman misses three point jump shot | |||
4:49 | Oso Ighodaro offensive rebound | |||
4:36 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point driving layup | 27-25 | |
4:09 | Oso Ighodaro blocks Desmond Claude's two point driving layup | |||
4:07 | Kam Jones defensive rebound | |||
3:46 | Chase Ross turnover (bad pass) | |||
3:46 | TV timeout | |||
3:18 | Desmond Claude misses three point jump shot | |||
3:16 | Stevie Mitchell defensive rebound | |||
3:03 | +3 | Kam Jones makes three point jump shot (David Joplin assists) | 30-25 | |
2:49 | Desmond Claude misses two point layup | |||
2:47 | Musketeers offensive rebound | |||
2:38 | Trey Green misses three point jump shot | |||
2:36 | Kam Jones defensive rebound | |||
2:29 | Abou Ousmane shooting foul (Chase Ross draws the foul) | |||
2:29 | +1 | Chase Ross makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 31-25 | |
2:29 | Chase Ross misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
2:29 | Desmond Claude defensive rebound | |||
2:02 | Dayvion McKnight misses two point floating jump shot | |||
2:01 | Chase Ross personal foul | |||
1:48 | +3 | Gytis Nemeiksa makes three point jump shot (Dayvion McKnight assists) | 31-28 | |
1:34 | +2 | Oso Ighodaro makes two point driving layup (Kam Jones assists) | 33-28 | |
1:25 | David Joplin blocks Dayvion McKnight's two point layup | |||
1:23 | Oso Ighodaro defensive rebound | |||
1:12 | +2 | Kam Jones makes two point cutting layup (Oso Ighodaro assists) | 35-28 | |
1:10 | Golden Eagles 30 second timeout | |||
0:52 | Quincy Olivari misses three point jump shot | |||
0:50 | Kam Jones defensive rebound | |||
0:39 | +2 | Kam Jones makes two point driving layup | 37-28 | |
0:34 | David Joplin shooting foul (Dayvion McKnight draws the foul) | |||
0:34 | +1 | Dayvion McKnight makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 37-29 | |
0:34 | +1 | Dayvion McKnight makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 37-30 | |
0:26 | Oso Ighodaro turnover (traveling) | |||
0:02 | +3 | Quincy Olivari makes three point pullup jump shot (Desmond Claude assists) | 37-33 | |
0:00 | End of period |