No. 18 Marquette will be out to snap a season-high losing streak when the Golden Eagles host DePaul in a Big East matchup on Tuesday in Milwaukee.
Marquette (18-6, 9-4 Big East) suffered its third consecutive loss, falling 77-67 at Creighton on Saturday despite a 27-point effort from Kam Jones. Combined with a 70-64 loss at conference-leading St. John’s earlier in the week, the Golden Eagles dropped seven spots in this week’s AP Top 25 poll.
DePaul (11-13, 2-11) lost at home to Villanova 59-49 on Wednesday, the Blue Demons’ ninth loss in 11 games.
At Creighton, Marquette trailed 43-36 at the half, got within 67-65 and then 70-67 with just less than two minutes left but couldn’t get a stop on the final three possessions.
“Second game in a row on the road where we put ourself in position in the last media timeout,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said afterward. “One-possession game … didn’t play well enough down the stretch.”
Jones, David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell combined for 59 of Marquette’s 67 points. The Golden Eagles shot just 36.1 percent (26 of 72) and hit just 11 of 36 beyond the arc.
Jones averages a team-high 19.2 points, while Joplin scores 14.4 points and has hit a team-high 52 3-pointers. Mitchell adds 11.4 points.
The Golden Eagles average 77.6 points, allowing 67.9. Marquette is first in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.2 and sixth in steals with 10 per game.
Marquette has dropped three straight Big East games for the first time since the start of the 2021-22 season.
“When that happens, you really have to come together and help each other overcome the challenges associated with losing,” Smart said. “But at the same time, own all the details associated with losing.”
DePaul shot just 30.8 percent from the floor in the loss to Villanova, including 7 of 36 from deep. The Blue Demons scored just two points over the final 5:15.
DePaul averages 73.6 points and gives up 72.9 and has just two players scoring in double figures — C.J. Gunn (12.1) and Jacob Meyer (11.5).
David Thomas had a season-high 16 points off the bench vs. Villanova.
The Blue Demons have been hit hard by injuries. Conor Enright, who averaged 7.5 points and 30 minutes in 23 starts, last week was ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
David Skogman, who averages 5.1 rebounds, has missed the last three games with a foot injury and his status for Marquette has not been determined.
“The way we play and the way we practice has been very consistent,” JJ Traynor said after the Villanova game. “We’ve just got to keep that going no matter who’s down and just have the next man ready.”
In the first meeting this season in mid-January, Marquette rallied for an 85-83 overtime victory at DePaul behind Joplin’s 30 points.
The Golden Eagles have won the last five meetings and seven of the last 10.
–Field Level Media
