Maui Invitational semifinals: How No. 4 Marquette knocked off No. 1 Kansas in heated showdown

Marquette dominated Kansas 73-59 in the Maui Invitational semifinals on Tuesday night. The matchup resulted in a one-sided affair, with the Golden Eagles (5-0) holding the lead for almost the entire game and maintaining a 17-point advantage with seven minutes left.

Marquette is set to face No. 2 Purdue in the tournament championship on Wednesday.

Heated exchange

Tensions rose in the opening half when Kansas swingman Kevin McCullar Jr. made a 3-pointer near Marquette's bench.

McCullar exchanged words with Golden Eagles coach Shaka Smart while returning down the court, leading to a heated confrontation that required intervention from both teams.

A heated exchange unfolded as an irate Coach Bill Self of the Jayhawks and Smart appeared to exchange words on the sideline following a discussion with officials.

Smart mentioned their familiarity, noting that he and McCullar go way back to Smart's coaching days at Texas when McCullar played for Texas Tech.

Marquette domination

Ighodaro made 9 of 15 field goal attempts, contributing 14 points in the second half.

Chase Ross added 12 points and six rebounds coming off the bench, while Kam Jones scored 10. McCullar led the Jayhawks (4-1) with 24 points and eight rebounds.

Hunter Dickinson, a Preseason All-America center, was limited to 13 points and eight boards, falling short of his average of 24.3 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Marquette dominated, outscoring Kansas 46-26, and capitalized on 18 forced turnovers, turning them into 20 points.

Tyler Kolek's five steals and Stevie Mitchell's four showed the Golden Eagles' formidable defense, maintaining their status as the defending champions in both the Big East tournament and regular season.

At halftime, Marquette held a 38-28 lead and secured its first victory against a top-ranked team since winning 74-72 against Villanova at home in January 2017, improving their record to 3-11 in such matchups.

Marquette’’s third victory over a No. 1 team

Marquette secured its third victory over a No. 1 team in history with a notable win against Kansas, marking only the second time in a non-conference game.

The first win came on March 29, 2003, on the heels of Dwyane Wade's impressive performance as Marquette triumphed over Kentucky, earning a spot in the Final Four.

The recent victory against Kansas is particularly significant as it breaks a longstanding streak, being Marquette's first win over Kansas since 1974. Additionally, it represents Shaka Smart's inaugural win against an AP No. 1 team, breaking a previous 0-3 record in his coaching career.

FAQs

Q1: When was the first Maui Invitational played?
A1: 1984

Q2: How many teams are playing in 2023 Maui Invitational?
A2: Eight.