NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — David Joplin scored a career-high 29 points and made six 3-pointers, Chase Ross had 14 points and five steals, and No. 15 Marquette beat Georgia 80-69 on Saturday.
Joplin scored five straight Marquette points to begin a 12-3 run that Stevie Mitchell capped by banking in a shot with 1:33 remaining for a 78-66 lead. Mitchell made a steal at the other end to help seal it.
Ben Gold scored a career-high 14 points and Kam Jones had 10 points and seven assists for Marquette (6-0). Jones was coming off the program’s third triple-double in more than 100 seasons when he had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes against No. 6 Purdue on Tuesday. Gold’s previous high was 12 points at UConn on Feb. 7, 2023, while Joplin’s was 28 at DePaul on Jan. 28, 2023.
Blue Cain scored 17 points and Tyrin Lawrence added 15 for Georgia (5-1). Dakota Leffew had 11 and Silas Demary Jr. 10. The Bulldogs turned it over 18 times, leading to 27 points by Marquette.
Marquette opened a season 6-0 for the first time since 2011-12, when the Golden Eagles won their first 10 games.
Marquette scored 11 straight points early in the second half and held Georgia to five points in seven minutes to take a 55-40 lead. The Bulldogs started the second half by missing 6 of 8 shots.
Georgia made 2 of 12 from 3-point range in the first half before hitting 5 of 10 to begin the second, including three straight makes to start an 11-0 run to get within 60-57 with 8:25 left. But the Bulldogs missed two of their next three to finish 8 of 25, while Joplin was 6 of 11 to help Marquette make 11.
Georgia stays in the Bahamas to play No. 22 St. John’s on Sunday.
Marquette returns home to play Stonehill on Wednesday.
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