The Marquette Golden Eagles earned a No. 7 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and Shaka Smart's squad was primed to make a run in the Big Dance.
In the Round of 64, the first round of the tournament, the Golden Eagles faced the New Mexico Lobos, an unlikely foe for the season, and the unexpected happened: Marquette lost.
By the end of regulation, the Lobos had shocked a good percentage of the nation and run away with a 75-66 victory over the Golden Eagles, sending Marquette home for the spring, the summer, and the fall.
Within the first 20 minutes, New Mexico had already built a lead over the Golden Eagles, leading Marquette 35-32 with just a half left until the end of regulation. By the end of the game, Lobos' junior guard Donovan Dent and senior center Nelly Junior Joseph combined for a resounding 40 points, easily outpacing anyone on Marquette's squad.
20 more minutes of FIGHT! @rwbaird | #MUBB pic.twitter.com/9qjYhy2mLt
— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) March 22, 2025
During the second half, it only got worse for the Golden Eagles as New Mexico outscored Marquette by six points to build the lead as time expired. With the 40-34 second-half performance against the Eagles, the Lobos flew to victory (no pun intended).
In the matchup, the New Mexico starters combined for an impressive 64 points as Marquette's starting lineup only produced 60 points of its own, mainly produced by senior forward David Joplin's 28-point performance.
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As Marquette is headed home, the Lobos advance to the Round of 32 to take on the winner of No. 2-seed Michigan State versus the No. 15 Bryant Bulldogs.