Jones scores 22 as No. 20 Marquette beats Seton Hall 74-53

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Marquette's Chase Ross posterizes Seton Hall

Chase Ross explodes for a ferocious dunk above the rim against the Pirates.

Jan 22, 2023, 12:33 am

NEWARK, N.J. -- — It was a very familiar feeling for Marquette coach Shaka Smart.

Kam Jones scored 22 points, Oso Ighodaro had 18 on 7-for-7 shooting and No. 20 Marquette beat Seton Hall 74-53 on Saturday.

“It reminds me of last year’s game here in that that I felt like Seton Hall was ready to play, and they were ready to go out and beat us,” Smart said. “But our guys responded and gave a good pushback that allowed us to do what we needed."

Marquette (16-5, 8-2 Big East) shot 54% (29 for 54) from the field in its second straight win since an 80-76 loss to Xavier last weekend.

The Golden Eagles used a 10-2 run to take a 37-29 halftime lead. Jones had 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the first half.

“The first half was a very good half for us ... and then offensively, we just had to figure out their switching," Smart said. "They have good aggressiveness and good versatility.”

Ighodaro’s jumper sparked a 13-3 spurt, giving Marquette a 53-36 lead with 15:15 remaining. Jones capped the run with a 3-pointer.

The Golden Eagles led by as many as 22 at 74-52 with 1:48 remaining.

Kadary Richmond led Seton Hall with 10 points and five assists. The Pirates committed a season-high 26 turnovers.

"You don’t prepare well, you’re not playing well. It’s not rocket science,” Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Following up on a win against No. 22 Providence, Marquette could move up in the AP poll. It is second in the Big East at the midpoint in conference play.

BIG PICTURE

Marquette: Winners of seven of their last eight, the Golden Eagles look like a team prepared to compete for a Big East title in its second year under Smart. They scored 34 points off Seton Hall’s turnovers.

Seton Hall: After starting 0-3 in the Big East, the Pirates won four straight — including a win over No. 15 UConn — and five of the last six coming in. Despite the loss, the Pirates have been playing better under first-year coach Shaheen Holloway.

UP NEXT

Marquette: At DePaul next Saturday.

Seton Hall: Host Butler next Saturday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP--Top25