Tyler Kolek Makes Sharp Comeback as No. 2 Marquette Defeats Western Kentucky

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky - First Round NCAA tournament

Marquette vs. Western Kentucky - First Round NCAA tournament | Image: March Madness/YouTube

After being absent for three weeks, Tyler Kolek returned and narrowly missed achieving a triple-double, assisting South Region’s No. 2 seeded Marquette in pulling away in the latter half to secure an 87-69 victory against No. 15 Western Kentucky.

Kolek, who scored 18 points, provided 11 assists, and grabbed six rebounds, displayed no signs of his oblique injury suffered during Marquette’s triumph over Providence on February 28.

Kolek sank two impressive three-pointers in his first two shots of the match and accumulated 10 points within the initial seven minutes of the game, aiding Marquette (26-9) in establishing a 26-17 lead early on.

Marquette advances to the next round on Sunday in Indianapolis. The Golden Eagles will compete against either Florida, the 7th seed, or Colorado, ranked 10th.

Kam Jones netted five 3-point shots and achieved a total of 28 points for Marquette. Stevie Mitchell contributed 16 points, while David Joplin contributed 13 points and secured 11 rebounds.

Within the initial 11 minutes, a sum of 14 turnovers occurred, with Western Kentucky (22-12) accounting for nine. The Hilltoppers concluded the game with a total of 18 turnovers.

Tyrone Marshall Jr. accumulated 17 of his leading 21 points in the first half, with Don McHenry being the sole additional Hilltopper to reach double-figure scoring with 11 points.

McHenry’s skillful cross-over dribble resulted in an open jump shot that he successfully executed, granting the Hilltoppers a 32-31 advantage. This shot was part of a 9-0 streak that pushed Western Kentucky to a 34-31 lead.

Another consecutive 9-0 surge concluded WKU’s 24-5 run, propelling them to a 43-33 lead with merely 1:40 left until halftime, delighting the fans who made the 225-mile journey north from Bowling Green, Kentucky, to support the Hilltoppers.

Ben Gold’s successful driving layup with only two seconds remaining in the first half diminished WKU’s lead to 43-36 at halftime.

Within the initial minute of the second half, Khristian Lander‘s three-pointer elevated WKU’s lead to eight, 46-38.

The second half witnessed a resurgence in Marquette’s fan base as the Golden Eagles outperformed the Hilltoppers, outscoring them 15-2 over the next four minutes.

Marshall’s fortunes seemed to shift slightly in the latter half as he mishandled a dunk attempt following a seamless alley-oop pass from McHenry, which could have tied the game. Nonetheless, David Joplin finalized the ensuing possession on a swift break by sinking a three-pointer from the corner, pushing Marquette ahead at 53-48.

WKU initiated one final surge to level the game at 55 with McHenry’s three-pointer at the 11:55 mark. However, back-to-back successful three-pointers from Joplin and Jones highlighted a 23-10 streak, elevating Marquette to a 78-65 advantage with 4:22 remaining.

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