NASSAU, Bahamas — In an impressive performance, David Joplin achieved a career-best 29 points, including six three-pointers, leading No. 15 Marquette to a solid 80-69 victory over Georgia on Saturday.

Chase Ross contributed 14 points and recorded five steals, while Marquette established a commanding lead after Joplin scored five consecutive points early on, initiating a 12-3 run. Stevie Mitchell capped off this surge with a critical shot that put Marquette ahead 78-66, and he further secured the win by making a steal shortly after.

For Marquette (6-0), Ben Gold also had a standout game, registering a career-high of 14 points. Kam Jones added 10 points and facilitated seven assists. Remarkably, Jones had just come off a notable performance against No. 6 Purdue, where he achieved the program’s third triple-double in over a century with a tally of 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Previously, Gold’s highest scoring game had been 12 points against UConn earlier this year, while Joplin’s former best was 28 points against DePaul.

Georgia (5-1) saw contributions from Blue Cain, who scored 17 points, and Tyrin Lawrence, who added 15 points to the scoreboard. Dakota Leffew and Silas Demary Jr. also chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. However, 18 turnovers by the Bulldogs proved costly, providing Marquette with 27 points off those mistakes.

Key insights reveal that Marquette has achieved a 6-0 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season, when the Golden Eagles won their first ten matches.

A critical moment in the game occurred early in the second half when Marquette strung together 11 consecutive points and restricted Georgia to just five points over a stretch of seven minutes, which allowed them to extend their lead to 55-40. Georgia struggled to find their rhythm, missing six of their first eight shots of the half.

One notable statistic from the matchup was Georgia’s shooting performance. The Bulldogs struggled in the first half, hitting only 2 of 12 from beyond the arc but improved momentarily in the second half, sinking 5 of 10 initially. Despite an impressive three consecutive three-pointers that sparked an 11-0 run, they ultimately finished the game with a disappointing 8 of 25 from three-point range, while Joplin’s effective shooting helped Marquette reach 11 successful three-pointers overall.

Looking ahead, Georgia will remain in the Bahamas to take on No. 22 St. John’s on Sunday, while Marquette will return to their home court to face Stonehill on Wednesday.