NEW YORK — The Marquette University men's basketball team concluded its season in the first round of the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament with an 89-87 loss to Xavier Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Sophomore forward Royce Parham finished with 22 points and nine rebounds and freshman Michael Phillips II finished with a career-high 10 points.
Xavier led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but MU used a 15-2 run late in the half to take a 34-31 lead with 4:39 on the clock. The score was tied 38-38 at the intermission thanks to nine points from Parham. The Golden Eagles shot just 39.5 percent from the floor, but held the Musketeers to just a 41.2 percent clip.
It remained a one-possession game throughout the majority of the first part of the second half. An Xavier 3-pointer at the 13:13 mark gave the Musketeers a 54-48 advantage and resulted in a Marquette timeout. XU continued to extend its lead with a 15-2 run, and the advantage increased to double digits at the under-12 media timeout. The Golden Eagles responded, pulling even at 80-80 with 1:56 left, but were unable to pull ahead, and Xavier made its free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Despite the loss, Marquette still has something to celebrate as Nigel James Jr. was named the Big East Freshman of the Year during an awards ceremony held Wednesday afternoon.
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