Eric Boggs 
Marquette vs Purdue
The No. 15/14 Marquette Golden Eagles made a bold statement on Tuesday night, securing a commanding 76-58 victory over No. 6 Purdue at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Led by a historic performance from senior guard Kam Jones, Marquette snapped Purdue’s 39-game non-conference winning streak, the fourth-longest in NCAA Division I history.
Jones delivered the third triple-double in Marquette’s program history—and the first since Dwyane Wade’s iconic 2003 Elite Eight performance—finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jones, who has scored in double figures in every game this season, reached the milestone with a key assist to Stevie Mitchell for a three-pointer in the final minute.
Mitchell, stepping up in a career-best outing, led all scorers with 21 points while adding four steals and shooting a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Chase Ross chipped in 12 points, and Ben Gold added 11, including three timely three-pointers. Together, the Golden Eagles showcased a balanced attack that proved too much for Purdue to handle.
Marquette controlled the game from the outset, leading for over 34 minutes and building a 20-point margin in the second half. Their defense held Purdue scoreless from the field for over eight minutes in the second half, fueling an 8-0 run that effectively sealed the game. The Golden Eagles capitalized on Purdue’s 15 turnovers, converting them into 18 points, and dominated the paint with a 38-22 scoring advantage.
Purdue’s offense struggled to find rhythm against Marquette’s stifling defense. Trey Kaufman-Renn led the Boilermakers with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively. Purdue, typically strong from beyond the arc, managed just 33% shooting from three-point range, a stark drop from their season average of 46%.
The win marks Marquette’s second all-time victory over Purdue and their first since 2019. Under head coach Shaka Smart, the Golden Eagles continue to thrive against top-ranked opponents, improving to 18-12 against AP Top 25 teams and 4-5 against top-six squads.
Marquette now stands at 5-0 on the season and looks poised for a strong campaign. Jones, who is tied for 17th on Marquette’s all-time scoring list with 1,504 points, has already demonstrated his leadership and scoring prowess, including a 32-point performance in the season opener and 28 points against Maryland last week.
Next, Marquette travels to Nassau, Bahamas, to face Georgia on Saturday in the Baha Mar Hoops tournament, with opportunities to further solidify their national standing looming against No. 5 Iowa State and No. 19 Wisconsin. As they build momentum, the Golden Eagles appear more than ready to contend for the Big East title and challenge the reigning national champion UConn Huskies.
Marquette’s victory over Purdue not only highlights their growing dominance but also solidifies their place among college basketball’s elite early in the season. With Jones leading the charge, this team looks capable of making a deep run come March.
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