INDIANAPOLIS – The Marquette males’s basketball crew flirted with catastrophe on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The second-seeded Golden Eagles bounced again from a disjointed first-half efficiency to beat Fifteenth-seeded Western Kentucky, 87-69, within the first spherical of the NCAA Match.
MU (26-9) will play Sunday in opposition to Colorado.
Kam Jones scored 28 factors and Tyler Kolek had 18 factors and 11 assists in his first sport since Feb. 28 for the Golden Eagles.
The primary half was not splendid for MU.
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After a sluggish begin, it regarded just like the Golden Eagles would possibly draw back once they took a 28-19 lead.
However Western Kentucky’s Dontaie Allen knocked down a three-pointer, and the Hilltoppers scrapped their manner again into the sport. Milwaukee native Don McHenry knocked down a midrange jumper to present Western Kentucky a 32-31 lead on the 4:29 mark.
Western Kentucky took a 43-33 lead after an 18-2 run.
BOX SCORE: Marquette 87, Western Kentucky 69
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MU received a runner by Ben Gold within the waning seconds to path, 43-36, on the break.
The excellent news for the Golden Eagles was that Kolek regarded good after lacking six video games with an indirect harm. He hit his first 2 three-point makes an attempt and scored 13 factors within the first half whereas solely sitting out for a minute.
However MU solely shot 5 for 19 (26.3%) on three-pointers within the opening 20 minutes, whereas permitting Western Kentucky to shoot 17 for 36 (47.2%) general.
Stevie Mitchell modified the tenor of the sport for MU at first of the second half. He made a layup on MU’s first possession.
Simply over two minutes later, he chased down McHenry and knocked the ball away for a steal. Mitchell then drove for a three-point play that received MU inside 48-46.
Mitchell blocked a shot on Western Kentucky’s subsequent possession, resulting in a layup by David Joplin that tied the sport.
Jones gave MU the lead on a spinning layup.
The Hilltoppers punched again and tied the sport at 55-55 on a three-pointer by McHenry.
However MU’s Ben Gold answered with a 3 of his personal. Kolek then transformed a three-point play to present the Golden Eagles a 61-55 benefit.
Jones received sizzling, sinking back-to-back triples for a 69-61 lead.
Then it was Mitchell once more, placing in an offensive rebound whereas getting fouled. He knocked down the free throw for a 72-63 lead with six minutes remaining.