Marquette is fired up after Tyler Kolek knocked down a three-pointer in opposition to Creighton on Tuesday.
OMAHA, Neb. – When the Marquette males’s basketball group was picked to complete ninth within the Big East by league coaches in October, level guard Tyler Kolek was overhead uttering a phrase on the league’s media day that has grow to be a mantra for the chip-on-their shoulder Golden Eagles and their followers.
The edited model for a household newspaper: “Forget ‘em.”
The fiery Kolek is the id of MU’s persona, so it made excellent sense that he hit the most important pictures that positioned MU on the cusp of clinching a regular-season convention championship.
In the most important Big East recreation of the common season, the Tenth-ranked Golden Eagles rallied from an eight-point deficit at halftime to say a dramatic 73-71 victory over No. 19 Creighton on the CHI Health Center on Tuesday.
BOX SCORE: Marquette 73, Creighton 71
With three video games remaining earlier than the league match, MU (22-6, 14-3 Big East) is within the driver’s seat for the convention title. The Bluejays (18-10, 12-5) fell two video games behind. Providence, which is alone in second place at 12-4, performs at Connecticut on Wednesday.
“Anyone of us can step up and make performs,” Kolek mentioned. “I’m the chief. I’m a veteran man.
“In these conditions, 18,000 folks screaming at you, you bought to have some massive balls to step up and make a play and that’s what I did.”
After MU took a 10-point lead, it went over seven minutes with out a subject aim, and Creighton rallied to tie the sport at 67-67. Kolek answered by swooping in for a layup together with his proper hand.
The Bluejays tied the sport once more, then Kolek put MU forward for good with a left-handed floater with 29 seconds left.
“He’s come a great distance,” MU head coach Shaka Smart mentioned. “Last yr he wasn’t even within the recreation at crunch time right here, one year in the past.
“Now he’s bought the ball in his arms, he’s making these selections.”
Oso Ighodaro and Kam Jones add massive performances
Kolek completed with 18 factors, six assists, 4 rebounds and three steals to bolster his case for Big East participant of the yr. But he had loads of assist.
Story continues
Kam Jones stored MU withing placing distance within the first half with 10 factors and he completed with a team-high 19.
Oso Ighodaro was an enormous catalyst of the second-half surge. In the primary half, with 7-foot-2 Creighton middle Ryan Kalkbrenner enjoying approach off of Ighodaro, the MU massive man performed passively.
But within the second half, Ighodaro made all six of his pictures and scored 14 of his 18 factors.
“I used to be simply attempting to be aggressive,” Ighodaro mentioned. “We knew they have been most likely going to protect me like that, and simply attempting to make use of that to our benefit and get to the subsequent motion. Get my teammates concerned. We simply tried to seek out methods to attain.”
Ighodaro even nailed down two free throws when Creighton fouled him deliberately with simply over three minutes remaining and MU clinging to a 63-60 lead.
Ighodaro is a 51.6% free-throw shooter this season, however has knocked down many clutch makes an attempt from the charity stripe.
“I believed Oso’s play was solely exceeded by his management,” Smart mentioned. “All the little issues he did to carry up his teammates, to assist his teammates simply to have a little bit bit extra perception in themselves and our plan and what we’re doing made all of the distinction.”
Marquette guard Stevie Mitchell and Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman battle for a free ball within the first half on Tuesday.
Shaka Smart happy with Marquette’s protection
MU’s protection additionally helped flip the tide, with 5 steals within the first 5 minutes of the second half.
Nine of Creighton’s 15 turnovers got here after halftime. MU guard Stevie Mitchell had 5 steals and has 11 over his final two video games.
“It was a gut-check for us,” Smart mentioned. “Because we we knew we needed to defend higher. We wanted to be higher with extra energetic arms.
“I consider we bought 11 deflections within the first 4 or 5 minutes of the second half. Guys have been doing an amazing job getting their arms everywhere in the ball.”
Still, MU wanted a little bit luck. After Kolek put MU forward with 29 seconds left, Creighton’s Trey Alexander missed a three-pointer.
“It’s simply a type of issues, you variety want issues to go your approach,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott mentioned. “But we had an excellent look to win the sport and sadly, it didn’t go in.”
Marquette eyes first Big East title since 2012-13 season
MU will play DePaul at Fiserv Forum on Saturday after which at Butler on Feb. 28 earlier than ending the common season in opposition to St. John’s on March 4.
“We had a quiet confidence about us in the summertime,” Smart mentioned. “And even within the preseason. In our room we felt like we have been higher than anyone thought.
“Because of the character of our gamers, they didn’t actually get caught up in what anybody was saying. We use that as motivation, however what’s way more an element that drives us is the assumption that our guys have in one another.”
Early within the season, MU had hassle closing out tight video games. The Golden Eagles have grabbed management of the Big East with back-to-back thrilling victories.
“We’re going to come back in right here, or anyplace we go, with an edge about us,” Smart mentioned. “To do all the things we will to consider in ourselves that we will go win.
“There’s no different approach. You cannot tiptoe in right here. But, yeah, the final two video games have been large for us when it comes to having that in our pocket and understanding we will come again.”
Kolek gained’t let his group lose its edge.
“This was an enormous recreation however I feel the subsequent three are equally or much more vital,” Kolek mentioned. “Just as a result of we all know what’s on the road and we all know what we’ve to play for.
“We bought to maintain our razor focus, similar to we have been for this recreation and keep locked in for the subsequent three.”
No expletives wanted for emphasis.
Kolek had the reply once more with a push shot.
Creighton’s Alexander missed an excellent take a look at a three-pointer and Kam Jones sealed the win with two free throws.
Our subscribers make this reporting attainable. Please contemplate supporting native journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the most recent information, sports activities and extra
This article initially appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette beat Creighton at CHI Health Center, 73-71
