#MUBB Holds Off No. 23/23 Illinois, 71-64

The No. 4/4 Marquette University men's basketball team (3-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) opened the road portion of its 2023-24 campaign with a tough 71-64 win against No. 23/23 Illinois (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) on Tuesday night in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games.

Senior guard Tyler Kolek led the with way with 23 points and also chipped in six rebounds and four assists. Guard Kam Jones added 15 points.

The Golden Eagles led by as many as eight points, but saw the Illini start 6-of-9 from the floor in the second half and eventually take a 45-42 lead. Jones scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime, including critical baskets down the stretch.

Marquette led 36-31 at the intermission, courtesy of Kolek's 14-point first half. The Golden Eagles held Illinois to just 34.4 percent from the floor and offensively committed just one turnover.

Notables:

Guard Tyler Kolek finished with four assists, moving into sixth place all-time (472) at Marquette and passing former standout and current radio broadcast analyst Tony Smith (469)
Leading scorer Kam Jones, who entered the game averaging 21.5 points per game, had just three points in the first half and was limited with foul trouble
Forward Oso Ighodaro finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, with four of his boards coming on one possession

UP NEXT:
Marquette returns to action on Monday, Nov. 20 at 10:30 p.m. CT when the team opens play against UCLA at the Allstate Maui Invitational.

Keep up with the Marquette men's basketball program through social media by following on X (@MarquetteMBB) and Instagram (@marquette.basketball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMensBB). Fans interested in tickets can contact the Marquette Ticket Office online or at 414-288-GOMU (4668).