Donovan Dent scores 21 points to lead New Mexico over Marquette 75-66 in March Madness
AP
Mar 22, 2025
CLEVELAND (AP) Donovan Dent scored 21 points and No. 10 seed New Mexico Lobos took control late in the second half to defeat seventh-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles 75-66 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Richard Pitino joined his father in the second round after New Mexico (27-7) snapped a four-game NCAA Tournament losing streak and won its first game since 2012. Rick Pitino has No. 2 seed St. John's playing its next game Saturday against Arkansas.
It is the second time the Pitinos have had teams in the 68-team field in the same year, but the first time both have won their first-round games.
Dent, the Mountain West Player of the Year, had six points in the first half but found his rhythm in the second half. He had four points during a 10-0 Lobos run that broke open the game.
“I just thought at the end of the game, we buckled down and got stops. We stopped turning the ball over,” Pitino said. "I thought the other guys, their spacing allowed Donovan to get going a little bit more. We slipped some stuff, got him downhill, and he was terrific.”
Nelly Junior Joseph added 19 points for New Mexico, which will play second-seeded Michigan State on Sunday in the second round of the South Region.
Joseph made a layup with 6:17 remaining that put the Lobos up 59-58. The second half went back-and-forth with three ties and eight lead changes before New Mexico took control.
“I thought they won the battle of poise. They were the more poised team over the majority of the game,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “When we took the lead in the second half, we could really feel a level of momentum that we had going. But we just weren’t able to win that next swing minute, which matters so much, and just some mistakes that cost us on both ends of the floor.”
David Joplin led Marquette (23-11) with 28 points, including six 3-pointers. Kam Jones added 15 points.
Joplin bounced back after going 1 for 7 from beyond the arc in the Big East Tournament semifinal game against St. John’s. In the three games previous to that, he was 9 of 17 on 3-pointers.
Jones, an AP All-America second-team selection for the Golden Eagles after being third in the Big East in scoring at 18.9 points per game, missed five of his first six shots and had only four points in the first half.
The senior guard fought back tears during the postgame interview in what was his final game in a Marquette uniform.
“No other group I’d rather play with. I love these guys to death, and I hate it ended this way,” he said as Joplin put an arm on his shoulder to console him.
New Mexico: It is the first time since 1999 that the Lobos have won a first-round game as the lower seed.
Marquette: The Golden Eagles made the Sweet 16 last year but went one-and-done this time. They are 1-3 in the tournament as the seventh seed.
New Mexico had a 38-26 advantage in points in the paint. Smart pointed to the 12-point difference as the biggest factor in the game.
“They scored way more around the basket than we did and, in the paint, made better decisions in there. Because of that, got to the foul line more,” he said. “Not enough of an ability to say, ‘You know what, you guys are really good getting in the paint. We’re not going to let you in there.’ It’s easier said than done, but you’ve got to give New Mexico a lot of credit.”
The Lobos will be looking to reach a regional semifinal for the first time since 1974 on Sunday.
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1st Half
UNM
Lobos
35
MARQ
Golden Eagles
32
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Nelly Junior Joseph vs. Ben Gold (Mustapha Amzil gains possession)
19:39
Filip Borovicanin misses three point jump shot
19:37
Golden Eagles defensive rebound
19:06
Jump ball. (Golden Eagles gains possession)
19:05
Golden Eagles turnover (shot clock violation)
18:53
Tru Washington misses two point jump shot
18:51
Mustapha Amzil offensive rebound
18:48
Stevie Mitchell personal foul (Mustapha Amzil draws the foul)
18:43
+2
Tru Washington makes two point layup
2-0
18:24
+3
Ben Gold makes three point jump shot (Kam Jones assists)
2-3
18:11
Nelly Junior Joseph offensive foul (Stevie Mitchell draws the foul)
18:11
Nelly Junior Joseph turnover (offensive foul)
17:53
Kam Jones turnover (bad pass)
17:36
+3
Filip Borovicanin makes three point jump shot (Mustapha Amzil assists)
5-3
17:16
Ben Gold misses two point layup
17:14
Mustapha Amzil defensive rebound
17:00
Tru Washington misses two point jump shot
16:58
Ben Gold defensive rebound
16:49
Kam Jones misses two point jump shot
16:47
Filip Borovicanin defensive rebound
16:32
+2
Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point jump shot
7-3
16:12
Stevie Mitchell misses three point jump shot
16:10
Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound
15:57
Mustapha Amzil turnover (lost ball)
15:57
TV timeout
15:43
CJ Noland shooting foul (David Joplin draws the foul)
15:43
David Joplin misses regular free throw 1 of 2
15:43
+1
David Joplin makes regular free throw 2 of 2
7-4
15:24
+2
Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point layup
9-4
15:07
David Joplin turnover (lost ball) (CJ Noland steals)
15:01
+2
Donovan Dent makes two point layup
11-4
14:43
+2
Kam Jones makes two point layup
11-6
14:27
+3
CJ Noland makes three point jump shot (Donovan Dent assists)
14-6
14:02
+3
David Joplin makes three point jump shot (Kam Jones assists)
14-9
13:42
+2
Donovan Dent makes two point jump shot
16-9
13:31
+3
Ben Gold makes three point jump shot (Kam Jones assists)
16-12
13:06
Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point jump shot
13:04
Ben Gold defensive rebound
12:43
Kam Jones misses three point jump shot
12:41
Lobos defensive rebound
12:28
+3
CJ Noland makes three point jump shot (Tru Washington assists)
19-12
12:15
Kam Jones misses three point jump shot
12:13
Tru Washington defensive rebound
11:59
David Joplin personal foul (Donovan Dent draws the foul)
11:59
TV timeout
11:49
Donovan Dent misses two point jump shot
11:47
David Joplin defensive rebound
11:39
David Joplin turnover (lost ball) (Tru Washington steals)
11:27
CJ Noland misses three point jump shot
11:25
Atiki Ally Atiki offensive rebound
11:18
Atiki Ally Atiki misses two point layup
11:16
Zaide Lowery defensive rebound
11:03
Zaide Lowery misses three point jump shot
11:01
Atiki Ally Atiki defensive rebound
10:47
CJ Noland misses two point jump shot
10:45
Zaide Lowery defensive rebound
10:29
+3
Ben Gold makes three point jump shot (Kam Jones assists)
19-15
10:10
Royce Parham personal foul (Donovan Dent draws the foul)
10:09
Zaide Lowery personal foul (Mustapha Amzil draws the foul)
9:53
Donovan Dent misses two point jump shot
9:51
Ben Gold defensive rebound
9:42
+3
Chase Ross makes three point jump shot (Ben Gold assists)
19-18
9:31
Donovan Dent turnover (lost ball)
9:20
Kam Jones misses two point layup
9:18
Kam Jones offensive rebound
9:12
Ben Gold misses three point jump shot
9:10
Tru Washington defensive rebound
8:49
+2
Tru Washington makes two point layup
21-18
8:25
Chase Ross misses two point layup
8:23
Filip Borovicanin defensive rebound
8:11
Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point jump shot
8:09
Ben Gold defensive rebound
8:02
Mustapha Amzil personal foul (Kam Jones draws the foul)
8:02
Stevie Mitchell turnover (bad pass)
7:44
Donovan Dent misses two point layup
7:42
Donovan Dent offensive rebound
7:36
Mustapha Amzil misses three point jump shot
7:34
Nelly Junior Joseph offensive rebound
7:33
David Joplin shooting foul (Nelly Junior Joseph draws the foul)
7:33
TV timeout
7:33
+1
Nelly Junior Joseph makes regular free throw 1 of 2
22-18
7:33
+1
Nelly Junior Joseph makes regular free throw 2 of 2
23-18
7:23
Mustapha Amzil shooting foul (Damarius Owens draws the foul)