Marquette pulled off a stunning upset at Fiserv Forum, routing Creighton 86-62 in a game that will send shockwaves through the college basketball world. The Golden Eagles, with a record of 8-14, were expected to struggle against the 12-9 Bluejays, but instead, they dominated from start to finish. CHD Scout's pre-game prediction had Creighton winning by 4 points, but Marquette had other plans, winning by a whopping 24-point margin.
The Golden Eagles came out on fire, taking a 52-23 lead into halftime. Nigel James Jr. was unstoppable, scoring 21 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists to lead the charge. Royce Parham added 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Adrien Stevens chipped in with 14 points. Marquette's offense was clicking on all cylinders, and their defense was equally impressive, holding Creighton to just 23 points in the first half.
Creighton, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm. Austin Swartz was the lone bright spot, scoring 17 points and dishing out 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bluejays' sluggish start. Blake Harper added 15 points, but Creighton's offense was unable to keep pace with Marquette's high-powered attack.
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The second half was more of the same, with Marquette continuing to pull away. The Golden Eagles outscored Creighton 34-39 in the final 20 minutes, but the damage had already been done. Marquette's 24-point margin of victory was a reflection of their dominance, and it will undoubtedly be a significant blow to Creighton's tournament hopes.
This upset win is a massive boost to Marquette's resume, as it counts as a Quadrant 2 victory. On the other hand, it's a Quadrant 3 loss for Creighton, which will likely drop them in the NET rankings. With a current NET ranking of 61, Creighton can ill afford many more losses like this if they hope to make a push for the tournament. Marquette, meanwhile, improves to 8-14, but their NET ranking of 144 still has a long way to go. However, this win will certainly give them a much-needed shot of momentum as they look to build on this impressive performance.
The implications of this result are clear: Marquette has proven that they are capable of beating teams above their level, while Creighton has shown that they are vulnerable to upset losses. As the season wears on, both teams want to build on this result, but for now, Marquette is basking in the glory of a monumental upset win. This victory will undoubtedly be a highlight of their season, and it will be interesting to see how they build on this momentum in the coming weeks.