No. 4 Marquette knocks off No. 1 Kansas in heated showdown
- Marquette coach Shaka Smart reacts angrily to Kansas trash talk
- Marquette’s calm and collected players dominate the game
- Oso Ighodaro leads Marquette with 21 points and nine rebounds
- Marquette to face No. 2 Purdue in the tournament championship
No. 4 Marquette Knocks off No. 1 Kansas in Heated Showdown
Steaming mad about some Kansas trash talk, Marquette coach Shaka Smart stormed up the sideline looking ready for a fight. His calm and collected players, however, were in complete control all night against the No. 1 team in the country. Oso Ighodaro had 21 points and nine rebounds as No. 4 Marquette routed the top-ranked Jayhawks 73-59 on Tuesday in the Maui Invitational semifinals.
Temper Flare and Resilience
Tempers flared in the first half after Kansas swingman Kevin McCullar Jr. drained a 3-pointer in front of Marquette’s bench, leading to a heated dustup. Both teams were given technical fouls, but Marquette’s players showed maturity and poise, continuing to play without letting the incident affect their performance.
Player Performance
Ighodaro shot 9-of-15 from the field and scored 14 points in the second half. Chase Ross added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench, and Kam Jones scored 10. The team felt they had advantages in the game and pressed them by being connected, helping each other, and showing resolve throughout the game.