MENS BASKETBALL

Marquette 71, Villanova 65

RALPH D. RUSSO
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK - Kam Jones scored 17 points, Oso Ighodaro’s only basket of the game was a huge one with 18 seconds left in overtime and No. 10 Marquette rebounded from having a potential game-winning buzzer-beater waved off in regulation to beat sixth-seeded Villanova 71-65 in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

The third-seeded and defending champion Golden Eagles (24-8) will face seventh-seeded Providence in the nightcap of Friday night’s semifinal doubleheader at Madison Square Garden.

Eric Dixon led Villanova (18-15) with 19 points, TJ Bamba made three free throws with 1:50 left in the second half to tie it at 58 and neither team scored in regulation again.

Though Marquette came awfully close.

Marquette perfectly executed a set play with 2.3 seconds left in regulation that set up Jones for a flip in from the baseline at the buzzer. It appeared Marquette had won. After a lengthy review, officials said the ball was still on Jones’ finger tips when time expired. It was about as close as it could get to being game over for ‘Nova.

The Wildcats celebrated, granted a stay, but David Joplin had six of his 14 points in overtime and Ighodaro’s jump hook with the shot clock winding down made it 69-65 with 18 seconds left. Marquette’s big man finished with four points on 1-for-5 shooting.

Marquette athletics press release

March 14, 2024