National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Connecticut 74, Marquette 67
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Officials: # Lamar Simpson, # Brian O'Connell, # Roger Ayers
Attendance: 17837

Alex Karaban had 23 points and Cam Spencer added 17 to lead second-ranked UConn to a 74-67 victory over No. 8 Marquette in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

The Golden Eagles, who trailed by 14 with just under eight minutes left, used an 11-2 run to pull within 72-67 with 56 seconds remaining. UConn then turned it over, but Marquette missed a chance to make it a one-possession game with its own turnover to lose for the second straight time without standout guard Tyler Kolek.

Karaban and Spencer each hit five 3-pointers for UConn (27-3, 17-2 Big East), which clinched its first outright Big East regular-season title in 25 years on Sunday with a 91-61 victory over Seton Hall.

Kam Jones had 18 points and Oso Ighodaro added 16 to lead Marquette, (22-8, 13-6).

Kolek, the reigning Big East Player of the Year and the nation's leader in assists at 7.6 per game, is sidelined with an oblique injury. He did not play in the Golden Eagles' 89-75 loss at then-No. 12 Creighton last Saturday after suffering the injury in the previous game.

He also is expected to miss Marquette's regular-season finale at Xavier on Saturday.

Marquette trailed 42-31 at the half but pulled within 59-52 on Tre Norman's three-point play with 11:57 left to play. UConn countered with an 11-4 run, however, going in front 70-56 on Spencer's 3-pointer from the top.

Donovan Clingan had 12 rebounds to pace UConn to a 44-31 edge on the boards, including 16 offensive rebounds that led to a 19-4 advantage in second-chance points. The Huskies also connected on 13 of 26 beyond the arc while Marquette was 6 for 16 from deep.

Without Kolek, the Golden Eagles had just eight assists on their 26 field goals.

The Huskies, who pummeled a full-strength Marquette 81-53 at home in mid-February, gained control with a 14-4 run midway through the first half. Spencer's 3-pointer capped the run and put UConn up 31-21 with 5:30 left in the half.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Connecticut   Marquette
Alex Karaban 23 Scoring Kam Jones 18
Cam Spencer 6 Assists Stevie Mitchell 4
Donovan Clingan 12 Rebounds Stevie Mitchell 9
Donovan Clingan 3 Free Throws Made Oso Ighodaro 2
Cam Spencer 3 Steals Kam Jones 2
Donovan Clingan 4 Blocks Chase Ross 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Connecticut 74 43.5 13-26 7-12 18 43 7 8 13
Marquette 67 43.3 6-16 9-16 8 29 4 9 9