No. 8 Marquette uses early 21-0 run to roll past Providence

Kam Jones posted an 18-point, 10-assist double-double to lead four double-digit scorers for No. 8 Marquette on the way to a 78-50 blowout win over host Providence on Tuesday night.

Jones scored 14 of his points in the first half as the Golden Eagles (12-2, 3-0 Big East) put the game well out of reach in the first half, building a 27-point halftime lead that ballooned to as many as 32.

A 21-0 run across six-plus minutes put the Golden Eagles ahead 28-10. Marquette shot 52.9 percent from the floor in the opening period while holding Providence to 27.3 percent, collecting 11 of its 15 steals and turning 14 turnovers into 20 points.

Stevie Mitchell (14 points, five steals), David Joplin (11 points, six rebounds) and Zaide Lowery (11 points, three 3-pointers) also contributed to the Golden Eagles' rout.

Wesley Cardet Jr. had a team-high 11 points while Jayden Pierre had nine along with six assists for the Friars (7-7, 1-2), who had won their previous five home games in the head-to-head series.

Bensley Joseph's three from the left wing helped the Friars' 8-2 start in the first 2:06, but the visitors drained three 3-pointers in a 66-second span to take their first lead at 13-10.

The Golden Eagles logged seven steals during the shutout stretch, with transition layups by Jones and Mitchell helping to bring the lead to double digits. Jones' right-wing 3-pointer off a Mitchell steal made it 28-10 before Cardet broke the drought with a triple halfway through the period.

Lowery hit a pair from distance in the final 7:04 of the half, including one during a 12-2 finish that saw Joplin put an exclamation point on a layup with five seconds remaining before break.

Rich Barron and Pierre knocked down 3-pointers to get the Friars off to a strong second-half start, but Mitchell hit one in response and Jones followed with back-to-back baskets to up the Marquette lead to 56-26 before the 15-minute mark.

The first of Providence's two later pushes saw Cardet drop six points during a 11-2 sequence, but Gold canned a triple from the right with 8:31 left to punctuate an 8-0 response.

The Friars then put up a 9-0 run, with Ryan Mela (five points, eight rebounds) knocking down a three off the bench and Corey Floyd Jr. scoring six.

A late 12-0 Marquette stretch included Lowery hitting his third 3-pointer and skying for a dunk with 1:30 left.

--Field Level Media