No. 9 Marquette overcame foul trouble and a slow start to secure a gritty 78-69 victory against Butler on Tuesday night. Stevie Mitchell played a pivotal role, scoring 10 of his career-high 22 points in a decisive five-minute stretch during the second half.
Mitchell’s impressive shooting performance included a 9-of-14 effort from the field, complemented by five rebounds.
The Golden Eagles, now boasting an 18-3 record and a 9-1 mark in the Big East, have won three consecutive games. This victory keeps them locked in a tie with No. 15 St. John’s at the top of the conference standings, even after losing their star player, Kam Jones, for nearly 10 minutes due to foul trouble. Jones still managed to contribute 17 points.
For Butler, Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring with 24 points, while Patrick McCaffery added 12. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this loss marked their 10th defeat in 12 games, leaving them at 9-12 overall and 2-8 in the conference.
Butler initially controlled the game, leading 42-35 at halftime. However, Marquette made a strong comeback in the second half. After Jones picked up his fourth foul, Mitchell ignited a 12-3 run, scoring seven points and pushing Marquette to a 61-52 lead with 9:37 remaining. He capped off his performance with a crucial 3-pointer that extended the lead to 64-54.
Takeaways
Marquette demonstrated resilience under pressure, particularly after losing Jones to foul trouble. This performance may suggest that the Golden Eagles possess the tenacity needed for a strong postseason run.
On the other hand, Butler seemed poised to improve their record in recent games but faltered in the second half, indicating a need for better consistency moving forward.
Key moment
With Jones sidelined, Marquette ramped up their defensive intensity, not allowing Butler to score for almost five minutes, which proved crucial in shifting the momentum of the game.
Key stat
While Butler had a solid start from beyond the arc, shooting 5-of-10 on 3-pointers in the first half, they struggled significantly in the second half, making just 1-of-12 attempts.
Up next
Marquette is set to host No. 25 Connecticut, the two-time defending national champions, in Milwaukee on Saturday. Meanwhile, Butler will look to bounce back on Friday against Georgetown.
