No. 8 Marquette will strive to finish the calendar year with another Big East win when it visits Providence in a Tuesday matchup of two teams coming off extended holiday breaks.
The Golden Eagles (11-2, 2-0) have not started the conference season with three straight victories since 2012-13, but that opportunity remains on the table after edging out Xavier 72-70 on Dec. 21.
The Big East’s second-leading scorer with 20.3 points per game, Kam Jones scored exactly 20, but on 8-of-20 shooting, in that game.
Though he hit crucial free throws down the stretch and added eight assists and four rebounds, coach Shaka Smart knows Jones has more in his tank, calling that effort a “B-minus.”
“I’m hard on him,” Smart said. “I wouldn’t trade anyone for Kam Jones. But he can be better. He can be more efficient. He has to understand that if he doesn’t have an angle, he’s got to get to two feet and be strong with the ball.”
The Golden Eagles shot 60 percent in the second half against Xavier, thanks in large part to David Joplin scoring 15 of his 19 points and reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career. The senior forward also chipped in five rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
“Any time you have someone that’s scored over 1,000 points at the same school, you’re just grateful that he’s been around that long,” Smart said. “And we got two-thirds of our season left with him.”
Marquette reaching a 3-0 conference mark, though, will require snapping a five-game losing streak in Rhode Island, where the Friars were 72-57 upset winners on Dec. 19, 2023. The teams met three total times last season, with Marquette bouncing back in Milwaukee and then New York in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.
The Friars (7-6, 1-1) will aim to turn around their downfalls from a 72-70, buzzer-beating loss to St. John’s on Dec. 20, as they allowed the Red Storm to grab 18 offensive rebounds and finish with a glaring 23-4 edge in second-chance points.
Providence led 42-29 at halftime but wound up suffering its first home loss of the season (6-1) and losing its Big East home opener for the first time since 2018-19.
“Disappointing outcome, disappointing result,” Friar coach Kim English said. “But no surprise as you watched the way the game went.”
English’s rotation was without Bryce Hopkins (knee) for a second straight game and 10th time this season, leading to Rich Barron and freshman Anton Bonke starting in a new-look lineup.
“Getting (Hopkins) back feeling better and better,” English said. “There was pain — we didn’t want him to go with any pain.”
Miami transfer Bensley Joseph (11.9 points, 3.2 assists per game) had a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds, including a game-tying 3-pointer a possession before St. John’s game-winner with 18.8 seconds left.
“We went with the guys who have been practicing well,” English said. “The guys who have been, for the most part, doing what we ask.”
–Field Level Media
