Growth, Relationships, and Victory Highlight Marquette’s Tuesday Night Win

Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles gather together

In basketball, the best medicine is winning. This very medicine was established and administered on Tuesday with Marquette’s 30-point statement win over the Providence Friars. This win embodied Coach Shaka Smart’s Marquette program that is self-defined by three things: relationships, growth, and victory. 

Relationships:

Marquette alum and NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade was notably in the house for Tuesday’s matchup. “He is special; so glad that he was able to come into the locker room and speak to the guys after the game” Smart commented. With Wade’s energy in the building, the Golden Eagles came out screaming. Early and often they found success from beyond the arc while continuing their patented defensive intensity. As their lead reached over 30 points and the clock showed less than a minute remaining, Wade and the crowd called for the non-scholarship walk-ons to enter the late game blowout. Smart agreed with a sly grin, checking in his five walk-ons. What normally is a lighthearted end to an uncompetitive game turned into a Providence Friars device for pent-up aggression. As Marquette walk-on Casey O’Malley walked up the floor, he was met by serious defensive hostility from Providence freshman Ryan Mela. Providence coach Kim English told the media postgame: “If you are going to do that, do it in minute one against Kam Jones, not in the last 44 seconds.” Shaka Smart and Co. were quickly bothered by the abrupt militancy and broke into a short scuffle at the scorer’s table. Still, the late-game extracurriculars from both benches only showcased the connective togetherness that holds the Golden Eagles together. As the fight broke up. O’Malley and the walk-ons kept calm and unified throughout the final buzzer. 

Four walk-ons gather at center court after the scuffle

Growth:

Friday night was a treacherous one for the Golden Eagles. A road blowout loss to the Villanova Wildcats was just about the last thing an already slumping Marquette squad needed. “We did not have the requisite fire and passion required—particularly our starting lineup—to be able to come in here on the road and then come back from a deficit,” Smart said. “We have a lot to figure out with our starting group in terms of coming into the game with a level of hunger and passion that we have to have.” 17 points from Kam Jones, a career-high 17 points from third-year big man Ben Gold, and a 14-point night from senior forward Stevie Mitchell culminated in a 30-point stomping of the Providence Friars. For Mitchell in particular, this bounce-back performance was much needed. “I loved how Stevie shot the ball with aggressiveness,” Smart said on his guard’s performance. “He shot the ball well all year when his mind is clear, and he definitely did that tonight.” “My efforts have kind of been poor for a few games, so just stepping up with that and being the head of spirit, the heart, the engine, or whatever it may be,” Mitchell said.

Senior forward Stevie Mitchell celebrates after a made three.

Victory:

The Golden Eagles have had the Friars number all year. In the two-game series sweep of Providence this year, the combined score has been 160-102 in favor of the Golden Eagles. As a whole, the 2025 Friars, led by Head Coach Kim English, have been underwhelming. Losses to St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, Butler, and Georgetown are the main reasons why the Friars weren't exactly feared as they headed into Fiserv on Tuesday. Still, a 30-point win is nothing to scoff at, especially looking at the momentum that Marquette needs to build before the postseason. March is all about momentum and getting hot at the right time. Key performances from Ben Gold and bench pieces like Tre Norman, Zaide Lowrey, and Damarius Owens will define just how far the “victory” portion of “growth, relationships, and victory” perpetuates in March. As for Tuesday’s win, it is a good start that can hopefully blossom into the resurgence of a Marquette team that was once touted as a top-five team in the country.

(all photos via Marquette Athletics) (Quotes via Jake Dale and the Marquette Wire)