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Review: Marquette defeats Colorado, advances in March Madness: NCAA game highlights

The Marquette men's basketball team played for a spot in the Sweet 16 of the the 2024 NCAA Tournament against Colorado on Sunday in Indianapolis.

They survived and advanced.

Shaka Smart's second-seeded Golden Eagles will play North Carolina State Friday night after holding off Colorado 81-77.

Review game and score updates below. You can also review Marquette beat reporter Ben Steele's observations during the game here.

Marquette vs. Colorado box score

Team

First Half

Second Half

Final

Marquette

45

36

81

Colorado

34

43

77

Tyler Kolek leads balanced offensive attack

Marquette took 11 fewer shots than Colorado, but shot a sizzling 61.8 percent from the floor to avoid being upset by 10th-seeded Colorado. Five of seven Marquette players scored in double figures. Tyler Kolek was 10 of 14 from the floor and led the Golden Eagles with 21 points. Kam Jones added 18 including 16 in the first half, David Joplin had 14 points, Oso Ighodaro 10 and Chase Ross had 12 huge points off the bench after not scoring Friday. Joplin and Stevie Mitchell were the only Marquette players that did not convert at least half of their field goal attempts.

Joplin's late free throws help Marquette advance in NCAA Tournament

Cody Williams makes 1 of 2 free throws to close the gap to 79-77, and da Silva stops the clock with a foul with 17 seconds left. However, they have three more fouls to give. Joplin is fouled with 13.1 seconds, Kolek is fouled with 11.7 seconds remaining and Joplin is fouled and will go to the line with 7.4 seconds left. Joplin makes both free throws and Marquette advances with a 81-77 victory.

Kolek gives MU three-point lead

A three out of the timeout by Chase Ross gives MU a 77-74 lead, Simpson answered with a layup. Cody Williams had a wide open 3 to give the Buffs the lead with 1:17 to play and Kolek kept the ball and got in the lane and made a one-handed jumper to give Marquette a 79-76 advantage with 50 seconds left.

Marquette-Colorado tied at 74 with 3 minutes left

Four straight points by Kolek gave Marquette a 74-69 lead, but hes missed his last two attempts and Colorado tied the game on a da Silva 3 with 4:03. Simpson had a cance to give the Buffs a lead but he missed a wide open shot from beyond the arc and its tied at 74 with 3:00 to play.

MU leads 69-64 with 7:46 left, Jones picks up fourth foul

A three by Cody Williams and a drive by da Silva tie the game again, but Ben Gold's 3-pointer and Ighodaro's basket gives Marquette a 69-64 lead with 7:46 to play. However Jones picked up his fourth foul before the TV timeout.

After losing lead, MU goes on 8-2 run to lead 62-57

Colorado hit just 3 of its first 13 3-pointers but they've hit five straight and Simpson's three with 14:45 to play gave the Buffs their first lead. However baskets by Kolek and Ross give Marquette the lead back and consecutive hoops by Joplin, including a dunk off of a Kolek assist that gives Marquette a five point lead after losing it, 62-57 with 11:17 left. Kolek has nine assists and is 6 of 8 from the floor.

Buffaloes close gap, trail 52-49

A three by Chase Ross gives him nine points off the bench and and gives Marquette a 52-46 lead, but an offensive rebound leads to an open three for Simpson and with 15:40 to play, the score is 52-49 MU (as close as it has been since it was 12-9).

Jones picks up third foul, Colorado cuts into lead

Kam Jones fouls KJ Simpson on a rebound and has to go to the bench with 19:13 to play. A Kolek layup gives Marquette a 47-38 lead, but consecutive three-pointers by da Silva and Simpson draw the Buffs to within three at 47-44 with 18:06 to play.

Plenty of numbers to highlight on Marquette's halftime stat sheet

Tyler Kolek has made all four of his shot-attempts and has six assists in the first half. David Joplin is the only Marquette player not shooting at least 50% (3 of 7). Twelve of Marquette's 13 three-point attempts are from Jones and Joplin and the two have combined to make six of those 13 looks. Marquette has 10 assists on 19 field goals made, 26 points in the paint and 12 fast break points. Colorado has only three points in transition.

Shooting 68%, Marquette leads 45-34 at halftime

Chase Ross blows by Tristan de Silva for a dunk and then blocks a drive by Cody Williams at the opposite end before Jones sticks another three to give the Golden Eagles a 45-34 lead at halftime. Ross has six points in the first half after going scoreless in 14 minutes on Friday. The Golden Eagles shot 68% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. Jones leads Marquette with 16 points.

Colorado's offense is picking up

Despite struggling to defend, Colorado is keeping the deficit manageable getting easy baskets inside and hitting a couple timely threes. The Buffaloes are shooting 50% from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range. Considering MU is shooting 73% and getting anything it wants offensively, CU is still hanging around, down 37-30.

Golden Eagles continue to shoot lights out

A paint drive and score by Ross makes MU 10-for-10 from two-point range and then Kolek banks in a driving layup to make the Eagles 11-for-11 from inside the arc. However, a three by Simpson cuts the lead to 34-27 before Joplin makes another three. Marquette has made 10 of its last 11 shots and leads 37-30 with 4:25 left

Hot shooting for Jones, Golden Eagles continues

Jones beats the shot clock with another three and now has 10 points which matches his point total from the first half Friday vs. Western Kentucky. Jones hits another three a couple possessions later to stretch the lead to 30-18 before KJ Simpson knocks down a jumper to make it 30-20 with 7:52 left. Jones has 13 of Marquette's 30 points. Marquette has hit 72% of its shots (13-18).

Colorado finding a hole in Marquette's interior defense

Shaka Smart Would like to see a better job defensively inside. Despite a 22-15 lead, Colorado has 12 of its 15 points in the paint and the other three points are from being fouled near the basket.

Easy baskets off turnovers help Marquette open up lead

Out of the timeout, the Buffaloes sliced the lead to 12-9, but a give and go from Tyler Kolek to Ighodaro and a two transition baskets by Joplin and Chase Ross off turnovers have sparked the Golden Eagles to a 22-11 advantage with 11:36 to play in the half. Marquette has six transition points off of four Colorado turnovers.

Turnover helps Marquette grab 12-5 lead

Both teams have turnovers, but only Marquette has scored off of any mistakes. Oso Ighodaro picked off Eddie Lampkin's lazy pass out of a double-team and a Stevie Mitchell layup has the Golden Eagles up 12-5 with 15:25 to play. MU has made 5 of its first 8 shots, including a pair of threes.

Kam Jones helps get Marquette off to fast start

A 3-pointer by David Joplin and a driving layup by Kam Jones Marquette off to a 5-0 start. Another three by Jones off his own offensive rebound gives Marquette out to an 8-2 lead with 18:11 to play.

Winner plays N.C. State in NCAA Sweet 16

The MU-CU winner plays No. 11 North Carolina State in the Sweet 16. The Wolfpack are out of the ACC but they're one of the Cinderella stories of the tournament. NC State needed to win its conference tournament just to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack first won five games in five days in the ACC tournament last week and now have won their first two March Madness games.

ESPN: Marquette's probability to advance to Sweet 16 is high

ESPN gives Marquette a 77% chance of defeating Colorado today in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Tyler Kolek behind-the-scenes March Madness video is a must-watch

This is Marquette senior guard Tyler Kolek's last go-around in the NCAA Tournament. Any game could be the two-time All-American's last.

The March Madness Men's Basketball TV X account featured Kolek in a short video as he and Smart discussed his return from his oblique injury, his desire to be great and the finality of his college career.

"The guy’s work ethic is probably similar to other maniacal athletes like this," Smart said. "Insane. It defies a need for sleep.

Kolek said basketball is his "quick hit."

"It’s kind of like an addiction," Kolek said. "If I’m not working out I feel like I’m getting worse. I feel like somebody else is getting better than me."

The injury he suffered Feb. 28 wasn't going to be the final chapter of his Marquette story, Kolek said.

"I knew that there was light at the end of the day; that I was coming back," said Kolek, who has been journaling more throughout the season to document his thoughts. "My story wasn’t over at Marquette yet."

Marquette basketball vs Colorado will open NCAA Tournament schedule on Sunday

Rise and shine, Marquette basketball fans.

Have your Sunday brunch and then watch the Golden Eagles as they look to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. The Marquette-Colorado game is the first of eight games on the NCAA Tournament schedule.

NCAA Tournament schedule (Sunday's second-round games)

What channel is Marquette vs. Colorado on today? How to watch, stream live

Marquette will tip off vs. Colorado on CBS. Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app, Paramount+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Announcers are Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy (analysts) and Andy Katz (sideline reporter).

Marquette vs. Colorado start time, TV info, location

  • Start time: 11:10 a.m. CT

  • TV info: CBS

  • Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

More: March Madness Q&A: Marquette walk-on Jonah Lucas talks skunk signs and 'special' experiences

Marquette vs Colorado basketball preview

Marquette: Kam Jones led four double-figure scorers with 28 points as the Golden Eagles had to rally from a seven-point halftime deficit against Western Kentucky. Tyler Kolek had 18 points, Stevie Mitchell 16 and David Joplin 13. Marquette will be looking to bring back its second-half intensity for the whole game against Colorado.

Colorado: The Golden Eagles will be tasked with stopping a talented Colorado team led by point guard K.J. Simpson, who averages 19.6 points and shoots 44.6% on three-pointers. Up front, the Buffaloes are led by 6-foot-9 forward Tristan da Silva (15.9 points per game) and 6-8 forward Cody Williams (12 points per game).

More: Despite tape and bandages, Stevie Mitchell is still Marquette's "bowling ball" in NCAA Tournament

More: Want to be a smarter Marquette fan during March Madness? Learn these basketball terms

Marquette vs Colorado odds, betting line, spread

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday

  • Spread: Marquette (-3.5)

  • Over/under: 147.5 points

  • Moneyline: Marquette -185, Colorado +150

Marquette vs Colorado prediction, game picks

Marquette is a slight betting favorite but, after a nail-biter Friday against Florida and playing its third game in five days, it's reasonable to ask how Colorado will rally again.

Journal Sentinel Marquette beat reporter Ben Steele writes, "The Golden Eagles have been on a mission all season to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Getting Tyler Kolek back from an oblique injury, it took some time for MU to find its groove in the first round against Western Kentucky. That should carry over into this one."

Prediction: Who has edge between Marquette and Colorado in 2024 NCAA Tournament second round?

Marquette vs Colorado injury updates

Kolek looked and sounded like he was back at full strength in Friday's game, with 18 points and 11 assists in 38 minutes.

More: 'How did that get through?' Marquette teammates dish about Tyler Kolek's practice passes

Marquette vs Colorado stats

Marquette

  • PPG: 78.5

  • PPG allowed: 69.7

  • FG%: 47.8%

  • 3PT%: 35.8%

  • KenPom ranking: 12

Colorado

  • PPG: 69.9

  • PPG allowed: 67.1

  • FG% 43.4%

  • 3PT%: 32.2%

  • KenPom ranking: 21

Marquette vs Colorado championship odds

Odds according to BetMGM:

Marquette: +2500 (ninth-best odds)

Marquette basketball schedule 2023-24

Below are the last five games of Marquette's 2023-24 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here

March 9

W, 86-80 at Xavier

March 14

W, 71-65 Villanova (Big East Tournament quarterfinals)

March 15

W, 79-58 Providence (Big East Tournament semifinals)

March 16

L, 73-57 Connecticut (Big East Tournament championship game)

March 22

W, 87-69 Western Kentucky (NCAA Tournament first round)

March 23

Colorado (NCAA Tournament second round)

Colorado basketball schedule 2023-24

Below are the last five games of Colorado's 2023-24 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here

March 14

W, 72-58 Utah (Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals)

March 15

W, 58-52 Washington State (Pac-12 Tournament semifinals)

March 16

L, 75-68 Oregon (Pac-12 Tournament championship game)

March 20

W, 60-53 Boise State (NCAA Tournament first four)

March 22

W, 102-100 Florida (NCAA Tournament first round)

March 24

Marquette (NCAA Tournament second round)

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Marquette vs Colorado, March Madness review: 2024 NCAA Tournament