No one is ever going to consider the full 45 minutes of Friday’s NCAA tournament game between Marquette and Rice to be an instant classic on any level. That’s what happens when neither team shoots over 40%, and both teams commit at least 15 turnovers. It was not a good game.
It was, however, dramatic as hell.
After trailing by nine points with 2:46 to go and by four with 1:53 left, Marquette found a way to even the game, send it to overtime, and finally pull away from the Owls, 58-54. The win advances Marquette to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight season.