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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Marquette senior guard Tyler Kolek said he didn’t need any time to settle in after missing a few weeks with an injury. But once he got rolling in the second half, everything flipped for the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles.
Kolek, who missed three weeks because of an oblique injury, dropped a double-double in an 87-69 win over 15-seed Western Kentucky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Marquette erased a seven-point halftime deficit in large part due to Kolek. He finished the game with 18 points and 11 assists, with 10 of those coming in the second half.
“All I got to do is catch it and throw it in the rim,” Jones said. “That’s what he does. He’s [an] All-American for a reason. We need that from him. That’s what he did tonight.”
Kolek, the NCAA’s leader in assists and a second-team AP All-America selection, had been out since Feb. 28 with what he described as a Grade 2 oblique strain. He returned to practice this week and was a full participant for two days, he said.
Despite the absence, he said he never felt like he was out of rhythm.
“I’ve been playing this game a long time,” Kolek said. “Once I hit the floor, some obvious jitters because I haven’t played since three weeks now, but I think 37 minutes, most minutes in a game, so I thought I did all right with the wind.”
The senior from Cumberland, Rhode Island, was held at bay in the first half as the Hilltoppers (22-12) surged to a 43-36 halftime lead. Western Kentucky senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. spearheaded a torrid finish to the half and scored 17 points in the opening 20 minutes.
But after the break, Marquette (26-9) clamped down on Marshall. He had four points on 2-of-4 shooting in the second half.
The difference, Marquette coach Shaka Smart said, was as simple as playing with a bit more effort and being a bit meaner.
“He was terrific with how aggressive he was in the first half,” Smart said. “It’s as fundamental as changing the look on our face when we’re guarding him.”
The Golden Eagles also made a big adjustment to get Kolek more space. In the first half, Kolek said Western Kentucky made it a point to keep him out of the paint. Smart and Marquette adjusted by moving away from ball screens between him and the center and started working the offense between him and Jones.
Jones scored 18 points in the second half and Kolek had assists on 10 of the team’s 20 field goals as the duo nullified any hopes of a Western Kentucky upset.
“We gave them some open looks where we just weren’t connected enough defensively with our communication and those sorts of things,” Western Kentucky coach Steve Lutz said. “And they got going.
Marquette will advance to face 7-seed Florida or 10-seed Colorado on Sunday in Indianapolis.
Jones said that all season, the Golden Eagles have felt like a Final Four contender. After three straight exits in the tournament’s opening weekend, they know how difficult a deep run can be, too. But with Kolek back in the fold, things felt familiar for Marquette on Friday.
“He came back in, got the ball, made the plays he normally makes and we just do what we do,” Jones said. “We’re glad to have him and grateful to have him back.”