Jones helps Golden Eagles scrap their way to Big East title game
NEW YORK – The Marquette men’s basketball team has stated repeatedly that the biggest goal this season is making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
But the Golden Eagles still have pride in defending their Big East Tournament championship.
Playing without floor general Tyler Kolek due to an oblique injury, thirdseeded MU has fought through two physical games and was still standing for the final game at Madison Square Garden.
Thanks to a 79-68 victory over Providence on Friday night in the semifinals, the Golden Eagles earned the right to face Connecticut in the championship game Saturday night.
Third-seeded MU (25-8) looked like it would cruise into the title match when it went up by 17 points in the first half. But the seventh-seeded Friars (21-13) scrapped their way back into the game and got within 68-66 with 3:39 remaining.
Kam Jones showed he wasn’t afraid of the moment, hitting a tough layup. He added another one that sealed the win two minutes later. Jones finished with 23 points to lead MU.
“I think the biggest thing is like every game we come in expecting it to be a war,” MU guard Stevie Mitchell said. “Like we’re not expecting to blow whoever we play out.
“I think it helps us when we’re in those positions, like, OK, we knew it was going to be this. Let’s stick with what we do, stick with each other and go finish the game.”
As Mitchell was talking, he was rubbing his left shoulder.
The guard took a hard hit when drawing an offensive foul in the second half. Mitchell has absorbed a lot of physical contact over MU’s two games in New York. His right wrist was also taped up.
The NCAA Tournament looms next week, too, though Kolek is expected to return for those games.
“We always got more,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, we’re going to get Tyler back. That takes a load off everybody. He’s fresh now. So I think it’s going to be good.”
MU big man Oso Ighodaro also took some bodily punishment going against Providence’s burly Josh Oduro. Ighodaro finished with 20 points. He took 17 shots after only attempting five in the quarterfinals against Villanova on Thursday.
MU sophomore guard Chase Ross has been banged up all season.
He aggravated a left leg injury just two minutes in the game. He came back after getting some attention from the MU training staff, and ended up playing 26 minutes.
Ross played his usual harassing defense, but he also hit big shots. He had a four-point play, then an acrobatic layup in the final minute that was an exclamation point.
“He’s just been a warrior on the defensive end,” MU head coach Shaka Smart said. “We depend on him and Stevie to guard the other team’s best offensive perimeter players.
“Jayden Pierre is a good player, and he’s been really, really aggressive in this tournament. He was really aggressive today. He led them in shot attempts. So we can’t put Stevie on (Big East player of the year Devin) Carter and Pierre. So Chase Ross is huge because he can go out there and guard those type of guys.”
MU also got a big lift from freshman guard Zaide Lowery, who played 16 minutes after seeing the court for five in the quarterfinals. He knocked down a three-pointer and contributed two steals and three rebounds.
“Zaide and (fellow freshman) Tre (Norman) have been huge all season for us,” Ighodaro said. They’re ready to play every time they get in there. They’re tough. They make winning plays.”
Tenth-ranked Marquette and No. 2 Connecticut played two top-10 matchups during the regular season, with the Huskies winning both.