No. 10 Marquette tied with St. John’s for the Big East lead following an impressive 87-74 victory over Villanova on Friday night, showcasing their strong performance throughout the season. Stevie Mitchell played a key role, matching his career high with 21 points, while Chase Ross and Kam Jones contributed 18 and 16 points, respectively.
This victory marked Marquette’s eighth consecutive win against Villanova, improving their record to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in the Big East. The Golden Eagles have maintained their dominance over the Wildcats since Shaka Smart took the helm as head coach in 2021.
On the other side, Jordan Longino had a standout performance for Villanova, scoring a career-high 27 points and dishing out seven assists. Eric Dixon, who entered the game as the leading scorer in Division I basketball, added 18 points, with 15 of those coming in the second half.
Takeaways
Villanova: A positive note for Villanova was Tyler Perkins finally sinking a 3-point shot, his first since December 17. Perkins had struggled significantly, missing 25 consecutive attempts from beyond the arc over the last eight games, but he managed to break the slump during this matchup.
Marquette: The Golden Eagles established control of the game early, pulling ahead within the first four minutes. This win marked their second consecutive double-digit victory following a narrow loss to Xavier.
Key moment
A pivotal moment occurred when Villanova was trailing 57-51. Longino intercepted the ball from Jones, but Marquette’s David Joplin made a crucial block on Longino’s layup attempt. Following that, Zaide Lowery secured an offensive rebound and hit a 3-pointer, extending Marquette’s lead to 60-51 with just over eight minutes left.
Key stats
Marquette exhibited efficient play, committing only six turnovers and outscoring Villanova 16-2 in points off turnovers.
Up next
Villanova will have a break before returning to action on February 1 for a home game against Creighton, while Marquette prepares to face Butler on Tuesday night.
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