PROVIDENCE, R.I.
Kam Jones shined with 18 points and 10 assists, guiding a well-rounded Marquette attack in their dominant 78-50 victory over Providence on Tuesday evening.
Stevie Mitchell contributed 14 points on an efficient 5-for-8 shooting, while the team as a whole showcased their three-point prowess, sinking 11 shots from beyond the arc. Additionally, both David Joplin and Zaide Lowry added 11 points each to the Golden Eagles’ tally. Marquette surged ahead with a commanding 47-20 lead by halftime and extended their advantage to as much as 32 points in the latter stages of the game.
For Providence, Wesley Cardet came off the bench to score 11 points, but the Friars struggled overall, finishing the night with a shooting percentage of just 34%.
Observations:
Marquette’s recent form has been impressive, closing December with three consecutive victories against Big East rivals after initially starting the month with two losses in three games. The game featured special guest Tyler Kolek, a former Marquette standout and current guard for the New York Knicks, who watched from a seat along the baseline.
As for Providence, they were without star forward Bryce Hopkins for a third straight outing. However, he did participate in pregame warmups, a sign of progress after missing prior games. After making his return to the lineup against BYU on December 3, he played three subsequent games before experiencing a setback.
A pivotal moment in the game was when Marquette launched a 21-0 run that effectively erased an early 8-2 lead by Providence. This surge was facilitated by a series of nine turnovers from the Friars, which the Golden Eagles converted into 16 points.
In terms of key statistics, this game marked Marquette’s first victory in Providence since 2019. They were particularly effective defensively, forcing 14 turnovers in the first half and a total of 22 for the game, which resulted in 27 points for Marquette off those mistakes.
Looking forward, Marquette will return to their home court to face Creighton on Friday, while Providence is set to visit the No. 11 ranked UConn on Sunday.