By JB Ellis
In the last game of the night pitted the defending Big East Champions ranked 10th nationally Marquette Golden Eagles vs The Providence Friars in a sold out Madison Square Garden. The Eagles jumped out to a quick lead 12-7 before Providence started to storm back with Big East player of the Year Devin Carter. Providence cut the lead to 18-16 before Marquette went on a 17-2 run to lead 35-18. The Friars of Providence were trying to crawl back into the game and cut the lead to 9 with 1.5 seconds to go in the 1st half at 40-31 and fouled David Jopline behind the 3 point line. Marquette went to the half with a 42-31 advantage.
The second half would go back and forth to start with Marquette going up 60-46 before Providence would come storming back behind Carter and Josh Oduro and Jayden Pierre giving the Friar fans life cutting the lead all the way down to 3 at 68-55 when Oduro set a massive screen to get a Carter layup. The Garden was the loudest we have seen throughout the tournament and the game got very chippy. Oduro picked up his 4th foul with 4:07 to go with a hard moving screen and the complexion of the game changed. With Oduro removed and 68-65. Oduro wqs put back in with 3:50 left and Marquette with Marquette went right after him and drove the lane and at 2:27 Oduro fouled out. After that it was all Marquette as they closed out the game winning 79-68 and will face defending National Champs UConn tonight at the Garden.
For Providence Carter had 27 points 8 boards Pierre had 16 points, Oduro pitched in 9 pts and 10 boards. For Marquette Jones had 23 points and Ighadaro pitched in 20 pts.
