#MUB hosts Central Michigan on Monday to complete the Marquette Challenge

The No. 18/17 Marquette University men’s basketball team (2-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) closes its season opener with three games at home on Monday night when the Golden Eagles host Central Michigan (1-1, 0-0). received MAC) at 8 p.m. CT at the Fiserv Forum. FS1 will air nationally televised coverage of the final game of the Marquette Challenge with Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Terrence Oglesby (analyst) and former Marquette guard Wesley Matthews (analyst) driving the action. Following Monday’s trip, MU will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Maryland on Friday, November 15th at 7pm CT.

Marquette will face Chippewas for the third time


The Golden Eagles and Chippewas will meet for the third time on Monday night, having last crossed paths on Nov. 7, 2022 at the Al McGuire Center in the final student-only game on campus before Friday night’s game against George Mason.


The Golden Eagles won each of their first two games and were led by a forward David Joplin 23 points (8 of 12 shooting) off the bench in just 21 minutes in Marquette’s 97-73 win.

Joplin and the offense find rhythm in the second half


Marquette opened the game with a 16-2 run against George Mason, but it wasn’t until the team closed the game with another 16-2 run at the Al McGuire Center that the Golden Eagles were able to pull away with an 82-63 victory.


Marquette led 66-61 at the final media timeout with 3:59 left, but George Mason missed two free throws during the break and didn’t score again until the final seconds.


Senior striker David Joplin completed his second career double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds (19 points and 10 boards in the second half) and averaged 25.0 points per contest while scoring 16 in all-time appearances at the Al McGuire Center He scored 30 goals overall and 11 of 21 from behind the 3-point line.


Joplin’s first career double-double came in last season’s NCAA Tournament opener against Western Kentucky, when he had 13 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes of play.


Marquette’s only student game sold out for the second time (3,750).

Ross Stuffs Rim, Friday night stat sheet


Junior guard Chase Ross had two highlight-reel dunks against George Mason in the second half, the second at 12:25 giving the Golden Eagles a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the night.


In nearly 35 minutes of play, Ross finished the night with a career-best 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. In two games this season, he is contributing 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per appearance while shooting 56.5 percent (13 of 23) from the field.

Starters are looking for help on the offensive bench


In the first two games of the season, Marquette’s starting lineup (Came JonesRoss, Mitchell, Gold and Joplin) were responsible for 85.0 percent (78.0/92.0 points per game) of the team.


Marquette doesn’t have a double-digit reserve yet. Second semester Zaide Lowery scored a bench corps-best seven points in the win over Stony Brook. With junior guard Sean Jones and freshmen Damarius Owens Since the Golden Eagles are currently sidelined due to injury, the rotation after the starting lineup consists entirely of freshmen and sophomore players, including first-years Caedin Hamilton And Royce Parham.