NEW YORK – The Marquette men’s basketball team starts the postseason on Thursday when the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles take on Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.
MU is looking for its first victory over a NCAA tournament-caliber team since Jan. 3.
More: Marquette’s Stevie Mitchell is Big East scholar-athlete of year for balancing hoops, academics
Refresh your browser for live updates from the “World’s Most Famous Arena”:
Kam Jones has 12 points but Marquette is trailing at halftime
Kam Jones hit a bucket with 18 seconds left in the first half to draw MU within 46-36 at the break.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Jones led the Golden Eagles with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
MU’s defense allowed Xavier to shoot 16 for 29 (55%) in the opening 20 minutes.
Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell giving Marquette trouble
Zach Freemantle is a tough matchup for the Golden Eagles, and he proved that in the first half.
Freemantle had and Xavier teammate Ryan Conwell each had 11 points as the Musketeers took a 46-34 lead with two minutes left in first half.
Dwyane Wade in the house at Madison Square Garden
A few minutes before tipoff, there was a buzz behind Marquette’s bench as basketball hall of famer Dwyane Wade walked in to the court area.
As Wade took his seat in the first row near half court, he made sure to acknowledge the Golden Eagles’ pep band and feigned like he was conducting.
MU was trailing Xavier, 10-6, at the 16:00 mark of the first half.
Marquette’s probable starters
Guards: Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell, Chase Ross
Forwards: Ben Gold, David Joplin
Xavier’s probable starters
Guards: Dayvion McKnight, Marcus Foster, Ryan Conwell
Forwards: Dailyn Swain, Zach Freemantle
Marquette vs Xavier odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday
- ODDS: Marquette by 1.5
- O/U: 144.5
Marquette vs Xavier prediction
Xavier doesn’t want to mess around and have any more losses for the NCAA Tournament committee to examine.
But MU is desperate for a win, too. There won’t be any home-court advantage for either team, and made shots could be hard to come by for both teams in a new environment.
The guess here is that the Golden Eagles get the victory they are looking for.
Prediction: Marquette 76, Xavier 72
What channel is Marquette vs Xavier on today?
- Stream: You can stream the game on the Peacock app with a subscription.
- Announcers: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Donny Marshall (analyst) and John Fanta (reporter) will call the game.
Marquette vs Xavier start time today
- Date: Thursday, March 13
- Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
The Marquette vs. Xavier game starts at 1:30 p.m. Thursday from Madison Square Garden in New York.
Marquette’s last five games
- Feb. 21: Villanova 81, Marquette 66 | Box score | 20-7, 11-5
- Feb. 25: Marquette 82, Providence 52 | Box score | 21-7, 12-5
- March 1: Marquette 76, Georgetown 61 | Box score | 22-7, 13-5
- March 5: UConn 72, Marquette 66 | Box score | 22-8, 13-6
- March 8: St John’s 86, Marquette 84 | Box score | 22-9, 13-7
