No. 4 Marquette secured a narrow 71-69 win over UCLA in the Maui Invitational, earning a spot in the semifinals. This victory adds a fourth top-10 team to the next round of the tournament.
Marquette advanced to the semifinal alongside No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, and No. 7 Tennessee.
Despite trailing 35-30 at halftime, the Golden Eagles turned the game around with a 17-0 run in the second half, allowing them to take a late 64-59 lead. Despite missing five consecutive free throws, the game was decided when Sean Jones made a crucial 3-pointer with 36.3 seconds remaining.
Marquette’s victory was aided by strong performances from David Joplin, Oso Ighodaro, and Kam Jones, as they overcame a poor showing at the free-throw line.
In the other half of the bracket, Zach Edey led No. 2 Purdue to a win over No. 11 Gonzaga, securing a place in the semifinals against No. 7 Tennessee.
