Marquette Falls Short in Chicago Thriller, 75–74

by: Michael Sanders

CHICAGO — In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final shot, Marquette (4–4) dropped a heartbreaking 75–74 decision to Oklahoma (5–2) Friday afternoon at Credit Union 1 Arena.

Senior guard Chase Ross led the charge with 21 points, five boards, and three assists, while freshman Nigel James Jr. continued to impress, matching Ross with 21 points, a new career high. Sophomore Royce Parham provided a big spark off the bench, adding 13 points and giving the Golden Eagles a needed interior presence.

Marquette built a 13-point first-half lead behind an 8–0 run and led 37–33 at the break. Ross came out firing in the second half, helping extend the advantage to double digits at 48–37. But the Sooners flipped the script midway through, capitalizing on a long Marquette scoring drought to go ahead 55–52 with just over seven minutes to play.

The Golden Eagles kept fighting. Down 69–62 with under four minutes left, Ross buried a deep three to pull Marquette even at 72–72 inside the final minute. But Oklahoma’s late free throws proved to be the difference. After a Sooners turnover gave MU one last look, a potential game-winner rimmed out at the buzzer.

Despite the loss, Marquette showed flashes of the team’s full potential — led by its veterans and fueled by the emergence of young talent like James Jr.

The Golden Eagles will look to regroup as they continue non-conference play, hunting for consistency before BIG EAST action begins.