Tyler Kolek’s absence may have raised the degree of difficulty for Marquette.
It, however, has not prevented the third-seeded Golden Eagles from returning to the Big East Tournament championship game.
Last year’s winner booked its spot in the final, opposite No. 1 Connecticut, by holding off No. 7 Providence, 79-68, Friday night at the Garden.
Providence. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
“We’ve gone through adversity and our guys haven’t blinked,” coach Shaka Smart said. “Obviously, tomorrow’s gonna be a hell of a challenge for us. I think the biggest thing is really doubling down on being the best version of us.”
Kam Jones, left off the league’s postseason teams, took center stage.
He scored a team-high 23 points, along with five rebounds, five assists and three steals, and the game’s biggest basket.
With a 15-point lead down to two, Jones scored inside.
His driving layup with 1:34 remaining pushed the difference to six.
Kolek missed the last three regular season games with an oblique injury and hasn’t been medically cleared to return. Marquette lost two of those games, but it has survived so far at MSG without Kolek.
“Firstly, the first thing said in the locker room was, he asked, ‘how about I play tomorrow?” Smart said, referring to Kolek, an All-Big East first team selection.
Without the nation’s leader in assists, Marquette knocked off No. 6 Villanova in overtime on Thursday and was in control until Devin Carter led Providence on a furious run.
It wasn’t enough. The Golden Eagles didn’t break.
Oso Ighodaro added 20 points for Marquette (25-8) and David Joplin had 12. Carter scored 27 for Providence (21-13), which most bracketologists felt had to win this game to make the NCAA Tournament. Marquette is projected as a second or third seed.
“This group, we played five games now without Tyler [Kolek],” Smart said. “Really proud of how our group was able to compete, and find ways to win games.”