Behind a huge performance from Kam Jones , the Marquette men's basketball team topped Western Kentucky, 87-69, in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament to advance in the March Madness bracket.
The Golden Eagles will play Colorado in the second round in the South Region on Sunday. Shaka Smart's team was tested and trailed by seven at halftime, but outscored the Hilltoppers by 25 points in the second half to run away with the victory over the Conference USA tournament champions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis .
Here's how the game unfolded in reverse chronological order with score updates and highlights.
Kam Jones shines in the first round of the NCAA Tournament if anyone needed to be reminded.
Last year in this round, Jones had 18 second-half points to propel the Golden Eagles to a victory over Vermont . This year, he did it again. He scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the second half to rally Marquette past Western Kentucky in the 2024 opener of March Madness. He was magnificent, hitting 10 of 16 shots, including five big three-pointers.
Tyler Kolek , playing in his first game since he injured his oblique Feb. 28 , had 18 points and was an efficient 7 of 13 from the field to go with 11 assists.
Stevie Mitchell and David Joplin came to life in the second half and each finished in double figures.
Mitchell had 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting and was especially aggressive on defense with three steals and provided plenty of energy to spark the Golden Eagles.
Joplin finished with 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting and had a couple timely second-half three-pointers. Joplin also had 11 rebounds.
Oso Ighodaro struggled with just four points on 2 of 7 shooting but did have eight rebounds and five blocks.
Ben Gold was also important for the Golden Eagles off the bench. He had eight points.
Marquette shot 47.8% from the field, 36.1% from three-point range but just 53.3% from the free-throw line. The Golden Eagles missed seven of its 15 free-throw attempts.
Led by Kolek, the Golden Eagles had 23 assists on their 33 made shots.
Asked to grade the team's performance in an on-court post-game interview, Kolek said: "We got the win so that's a 10 in my eyes."
Marquette's defense was critical in the tide turning in its favor in the second half.
Western Kentucky senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. had a career-high 21 points but he scored just four points after halftime.
The Golden Eagles also upped their defensive intensity in the second half, making life more difficult for the Hilltoppers, who finished with 18 turnovers in the game.
Western Kentucky's three-point shooting also fell off in the second half. The Hilltoppers finished 8 of 24 (33.3%) after making 50% of their attempts in the first half.
Marquette All-American guard Tyler Kolek credited junior guard Stevie Mitchell's aggressiveness as a huge reason the Golden Eagles roared back.
"Our defense starts with him," Kolek said.
| Team |
First Half |
Second Half |
Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette |
36 |
51 |
87 |
| Western Kentucky |
43 |
26 |
69 |
No. 2 seed Marquette defeats No. 15 Western Kentucky, 87-69, to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament behind 28 points from Kam Jones and an impressive all-around team performance in the second half.
Stevie Mitchell just hit a circus three-point shot to put Marquette up, 87-67, with 1:17 left.
Marquette was tested but a dominant second half will propel the Golden Eagles to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
Marquette outscored Western Kentucky, 32-14, over the game's final 11:53 after the Hilltoppers had tied it at 55. And it still was a five-point game with 7:47 left but MU can put up points fast when its offense is rolling like it was as the game progressed.
Marquette has erupted late in the second half of its first-round game against Western Kentucky to build a 17-point advantage.
The Golden Eagles are now up 84-67 with 2:08 left after David Joplin's layup.
After a slow start and three first-half points, Joplin now has 13.
In a possession that saw Western Kentucky play tight defense, Oso Ighodaro found David Joplin in the corner and the junior forward drilled the three-pointer.
Then Kam Jones hit another three-pointer on Marquette's next possession. Jones has 28 points on 10 of 16 shooting and 5 of 10 on three-pointers.
Joplin and Stevie Mitchell have been critical to the Golden Eagles' second-half surge.
Marquette now has its biggest lead of the game, 78-65, with 4:20 remaining in this first-round March Madness game. About three minutes earlier Marquette was still clinging to a five-point lead.
The Golden Eagles, who trailed by seven at halftime, have outscored Western Kentucky by 20 points in the second half.
It's a game of runs, though, so don't expect Western Kentucky to lay down with its season on the line.
Marquette built a 66-59 lead after Kam Jones drilled a three-pointer assisted by Tyler Kolek with 8:30 left.
But Western Kentucky isn't going away.
Tyrone Marshall Jr. came back with another basket and is up to a career-high 21 points.
Jones then hit another huge three-pointer for Marquette and the guard now has 25 points, a performance that is reminiscent of his spectacular game against Vermont in last year's NCAA Tournament first round when he scored 18 straight points for Marquette in the team's 78-61 victory.
Stevie Mitchell then followed up a missed three-pointer by Kam Jones and made his put back while getting fouled. Marquette leads 71-63 at the under-8 timeout (6:03).
Just after Western Kentucky tied the game on a three-pointer, Ben Gold came back and drilled his second three-pointer of the game on a dish from Tyler Kolek.
Western Kentucky then missed several long shots. It also has 15 turnovers.
Kolek drove to the hoop for a driving layup and was fouled at the under 12-minute timeout (9:55) with Marquette up 60-55. He'll get a free throw when the action resumes.
Kolek is up to 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting and has six assists.
Kam Jones leads Marquette with 17 points.
Marquette took a 55-50 lead after a Kam Jones basket with 13:55 left.
But the Golden Eagles have now hit another rut with three straight missed shots and a turnover on an inbounds pass.
Western Kentucky ties it again after a three-pointer.
The Hilltoppers are on a 7-0 run.
Marquette is back in the lead 50-48 after Kam Jones scored on a layup assisted by Tyler Kolek with 15:42 left (first media timeout).
The Golden Eagles are on a 12-2 run in just over 3 minutes, 30 seconds.
Momentum has shifted back in Marquette's favor.
After Stevie Mitchell had a steal near Western Kentucky's baseline, he pushed it up to Tyler Kolek who then found David Joplin. The Brookfield Central graduate took it all the way for a fastbreak layup.
Marquette is on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 48.
Marquette's run has forced Western Kentucky into a timeout.
Marquette is playing with more aggression on defense and they're attacking the basket on offense with purpose.
Western Kentucky continued its hot three-point shooting in the second half. Khristian Lander made a 3 to push the Hilltoppers' lead to 46-38 with 18:59 left.
Last year, Kam Jones took over the second half to spark Marquette to a first round NCAA Tournament win over No. 15 Vermont.
Will anyone step up for Marquette on Friday?
The Golden Eagles trail, 43-36, at halftime and are on upset alert in their 2024 March Madness game.
To start, Marquette needs to start hitting their free throws and get back in some type of offensive rhythm. And the Golden Eagles also have to limit Tyrone Marshall Jr., who has scored 17 points, which is already nine more than his season average in the first 20 mniutes.
This game has sure taken a turn.
No. 15 seed Western Kentucky leads No. 2 Marquette, 43-36, thanks to a 24-8 run over the final 7 minutes, 52 seconds in the half.
Western Kentucky senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. has a game-high 17 points on 6 of 9 from the field and is a blistering 4 of 6 from three-point range. He entered the game averaging 8.4 points per game and 34.7% from three-point range.
As a team, Western Kentucky is 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Marquette is a team that looks flustered, rushed and discombobulated. The Golden Eagles are turning the ball over too often (eight), are shooting just 5 for 19 from three-point range (26.3%) and have missed seven free throws (5 of 12).
They've completely gotten out of sync on defense as well.
Tyler Kolek started fast for Marquette, scoring 10 early points, and finished with 13 in the first half. Kam Jones has 10.
Marquette's other starters have these stat lines: David Joplin is just 1 of 6 from the field (3 points), Oso Ighodaro 1 for 3 (2 points) and Stevie Mitchell 1 for 4 (3 points).
Momentum is completely in Western Kentucky's favor and Marquette is all out of sorts.
Marquette has three straight turnovers and Western Kentucky leads 41-33.
Western Kentucky is on a 21-5 run.
Marquette has gone completely cold and Western Kentucky has stopped turning the ball over like it was earlier in the game and is hot from distance.
The result? A huge run from the Hilltoppers.
After Don McHenry's basket with 4:29, Western Kentucky has the lead, 32-31.
Western Kentucky is on a 13-3 run and has scored on six of their last eight attempts.
Marquette has missed its last four shots from the field as well as another free throw.
It's raining three pointers for Western Kentucky.
The Hilltoppers have scored on three straight possessions after going down by nine, 28-19.
Marquette's Ben Gold also had a three-pointer during this stretch but Marquette's lead is down to just three at 31-28 with 6:36 left in the first half.
The Golden Eagles lead Western Kentucky, 26-19, with 7:52 left in the first half (third media timeout).
Marquette is shooting 47.6% (10 of 21) and 33.3% (4 of 12) from 3-point range but just 28.6% (2 of 7) from the free-throw line.
Western Kentucky is shooting 40% from the field but its nine turnovers have been costly.
Tyler Kolek leads Marquette with 10 points. Kam Jones has eight points.
Marquette has an eight-point lead again, 25-17, with 9:04 left. That's the largest of the day after Kam Jones hit a three-pointer in front of the Golden Eagles bench.
Stevie Mitchell found the wide-open Jones after a steal in transition.
Jones is up to seven points and Marquette is shooting better after its slow start.
Western Kentucky had scored five straight to cut the deficit to 20-17 but Marquette answered with five straight of its own. The Hilltoppers have nine turnovers in less than 11 minutes of play. Marquette is No. 6 in the NCAA in forcing turnovers.
Western Kentucky has called a timeout, trying to stop the momentum.
Marquette is off and running now and playing with more aggression.
David Joplin hit a step-back three and then Tyler Kolek went the distance on a steal for a breakaway layup. Then Kam Jones hit a point-blank shot off the glass.
Suddenly, Marquette leads 20-12.
But then Western Kentucky came back and drilled a three-pointer to cut the lead to 20-15.
Outside of Tyler Kolek, Marquette is struggling with its shot.
Through eight minutes, Marquette is 5 of 14 (35.7%) from the field and 2 of 8 (25%) from three-point range. The Golden Eagles are also just 1 of 5 (20%) from the free-throw line.
Kam Jones had a nice drive to the basket and while getting fouled he his shot. But he missed his free throw.
During this recent stretch, Western Kentucky had three straight turnovers for five total. But Marquette also has three early on, the last one coming right before the second media timeout.
Marquette holds the small 8-7 lead with 15:56 left.
Western Kentucky will be on the free-throw line coming out of the timeout.
After making his first two 3-pointers Kolek missed his next shot. But the All-American point guard doesn't appear to be limited from the oblique injury that kept him out since Feb. 28.
Tyler Kolek is back after missing the last six games with an injury and he is off to a great start against Western Kentucky.
He opened with a made three-pointer early on to make it 5-5 about two minutes into the game. Oso Ighodaro got an offensive rebound and threw it out to Kolek at the top of the key.
Then, two possessions later, Kolek hit another one on a pass from Ighodaro as Marquette was pushing the pace after a rebound. It's 8-5 Marquette with 17:08 left.
Welcome back, Tyler Kolek. Kolek shoots 40% from deep on the season.
Kam Jones
Stevie Mitchell
Tyler Kolek
David Joplin
Oso Ighodaro
Marquette University is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After very little snow this winter, Milwaukee was hit with a spring snowstorm today.
Doesn't it look beautiful?
Western Kentucky is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Marquette (2) vs. Western Kentucky (15) in the South Region.
The winner plays the winner of Florida (7) vs. Colorado (10) in the second round on Sunday.
TV channel: TBS
Stream: NCAA March Madness Live app | Sling TV
Marquette will tip off vs. Western Kentucky on TBS . Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app and Sling TV (or Fubo , which offers a free trial). Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy (analysts) will call the game. Andy Katz is the sideline reporter.
Start time: 1 p.m.
TV info: TBS
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhose, Indianapolis, Indiana
Marquette: Marquette is in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament with a 25-9 overall record. They finished second in the Big East with a 14-6 mark. After defeating Vermont in the opening round last year of the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles fell to Michigan State in the second round.
Western Kentucky: Western Kentucky will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Hilltoppers finished the regular season 22-11 and 8-8 in Conference USA play. They earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after winning three games in three days in their conference tourney.
Odds according to BetMGM
Spread:Marquette -14 ½
Over/under:157
Moneyline:Marquette -1070; Western Kentucky +735
Marquette is a heavy favorite as a No. 2 seed and you probably won't find many March Madness brackets picking the upset. Marquette, though banged up with injuries, is experienced and motivated after bowing out in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Western Kentucky needed to win its conference tournament to qualify for March Madness.
Journal Sentinel's Marquette beat reporter Ben Steele writes that "this game is about the Golden Eagles getting back into a flow with Kolek on the court. It might be tougher than expected for MU, but there's enough edge in talent to push MU into the second round."
How far will Marquette go in the NCAA Tournament? Here's why Marquette can advance to the Elite 8 .
SCOUTING REPORT: Who has the edge between Marquette vs. Western Kentucky in the 2024 NCAA Tournament first round?
Tyler Kolek is the player everyone wants to know about. Marquette's two-time All-American point guard hasn't played since suffering an oblique injury Feb. 28 against Providence. The senior missed the team's final three regular season games and then the Golden Eagles' three Big East tournament games.
Head coach Shaka Smart said Kolek will play on Friday .
Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro is also one to watch. The 6-foot-11 senior banged knees in Marquette's loss to UConn in the Big East tournament title game last Saturday . He departed with about seven minutes left in the game and didn't return, but he should be a full-go for the NCAA Tournament.
Marquette
PPG: 78.3
PPG allowed: 69.7
FG%: 47.8%
3PT%: 35.8%
KenPom ranking: 13
Western Kentucky
PPG: 80.6
PPG allowed: 74.1
FG% 46.8%
3PT%: 34.0%
KenPom ranking: 135
Odds according to BetMGM :
Marquette: +2500 (ninth best odds)
The past five games of Marquette basketball's 2023-24 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here .
| Date |
Score |
| 3/9 |
Marquette 86, Xavier 80 (W) |
| 3/14 |
Marquette 71, Villanova 65 (W) Big East tournament quarterfinals |
| 3/15 |
Marquette 79, Providence 68 (W) Big East tournament semifinals |
| 3/16 |
Marquette 57, UConn 73 (L) Big East tournament championship |
| 3/22 |
Marquette vs. Western Kentucky in NCAA Tournament first round |
The past five games of Western Kentucky's 2023-24 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here .
| Date |
Score |
| 3/9 |
Western Kentucky 79, Liberty 82 (L) |
| 3/14 |
Western Kentucky 89, New Mexico State 69 (W) Conference USA tournament quarterfinals |
| 3/15 |
Western Kentucky 85, Middle Tennessee 54 (W) Conference USA tournament semifinals |
| 3/16 |
Western Kentucky 78, UTEP 71 (W) Conference USA tournament championship |
| 3/22 |
Western Kentucky vs. Marquette in NCAA Tournament first round |
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette basketball vs Western Kentucky score, updates, highlights
