Final Score: No. 10 Marquette 87, Villanova 74
 
Overview
 
No. 10 Marquette clamped down defensively to establish a first half lead over Villanova and then held off a series of comeback bids from Villanova to post an 87-74 victory on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.
 
Senior guard Jordan Longino posted a new career high for the Wildcats, delivering 27 points and five assists with just one turnover. Marquette had four players in double figures, with Stevie Mitchell making a major impact with 21 points and three steals while Kam Jones contributed 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.
 
Eric Dixon added 18 points and nine rebounds, though he was dogged by a collection of Golden Eagles defenders for much of the evening.
 
"A lot of credit goes to Marquette," said Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "They played extremely hard, forced us into some turnovers and got out into transition. I thought they did everything they wanted to do."
 
Defense Dominates Early
 
A steal and 3-pointer by Stevie Mitchell erased an early Villanova lead and put the Golden Eagles on top 10-8 after the first 5:34 of this one. The Wildcats limited Marquette to 4-of-10 shooting in that span but were hindered by a 3-of-9 effort at the other end of the floor. A Royce Parham triple pushed the lead to 13-8 and it was a 15-10 edge for MU at the second official timeout of the half.
 
Nine of Nova's first 12 attempts from the field were from beyond the arc (two converted).
 
The Wildcats' defense was solid, but they were unable to get untracked at the offensive end. They sank 5-of-20 attempts over the first 12:08 and trailed 20-12.
 
Dixon Draws Foul No. 2
 
In a short span the nation's leading scorer, Dixon, picked up two fouls, the second at the offensive end. The Golden Eagles held a 25-17 advantage at that point and 5:27 remained in the period.
 
"I didn't want him to pick up that third foul," Neptune said when asked if he considered bringing Dixon back. "I thought we were still within range."
 
Thanks in large part to the work of Jordan Longino – 13 first half points – the Wildcats hung tough without their top scorer. A corner 3-pointer just before halftime gave the Golden Eagles a 36-26 lead at the break.
 
Kam Jones and Mitchell led a balanced Marquette attack with seven points each.
 
In one respect, the difference in the first 20 minutes came down to one column on the stat sheet. Thanks to eight forced turnovers, Marquette held a 10-0 edge in points off of turnovers.
 
Second Stanza
 
A pair of Wooga Poplar free throws helped Nova shave its deficit to 41-35 nearly four minutes into the period before a Royce Parham put-back basket pushed the margin to 43-35 after 4:44 of the second half.
 
Jones scored five points in the first 5:13 of the period, helping Marquette kick its offense into gear. The Wildcats answered with a 3-pointer from Brickus and a two-pointer from Longino but Marquette was just as proficient at notching points. The Golden Eagles held a 49-41 lead with 12:16 left in the game.
 
When Tyler Perkins dropped in a 3-pointer, the Wildcats were within 56-49. But Chase Ross was fouled on a drive on the next possession, sank one of two at the line, and the lead was 57-49 at the 9:28 mark of the second half. When Longino sank two from the stripe, the lead was down to 57-51. But Zaide Lowery sank a 3-pointer after Marquette grabbed an offensive rebound and the lead was back to 60-51.
 
Closing Moments
 
The Golden Eagles expanded their lead to 70-57, forcing a Wildcats timeout with 5:37 remaining in the game. A 10-4 spurt over just over two minutes stretched the margin past the 10 point advantage Marquette held at halftime. A Dixon triple off a set play, brought Nova back to within 70-60. But after a defensive stop, Marquette forced Nova's 12^th turnover of the night.
 
A Jones basket made it 72-60 and the Golden Eagles went on to close out the victory, their 17^th of 2024-25.
 
What They Said
 
Neptune on Marquette's ability to slow Dixon over the game's first 35 minutes: "They did a good job of doing what they do. They attacked him, were physical with him in the post, took away space and were aggressive. I thought they set the tone that way."
 
Up Next
 
The Wildcats have a bye next week and won't return to action until Saturday, Feb. 1, when they host Creighton at the Wells Fargo Center at 1 p.m. (Fox and the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart).