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WATCH: Controversial foul negates game-tying basket in Creighton-Marquette duel

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•02/21/23
Kam Jones, Marquette guard
Marquette guard Kam Jones dribbles in a game against Creighton on Dec. 16, 2022. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

There was quite a bit of controversy in the final seconds of a 73-71 Marquette win over Creighton in a thriller between two ranked programs.

With No. 10 Marquette leading 73-71 and trying to inbound underneath its own basket, forward Oso Ighodaro attempted to get a pass in to guard Kam Jones. But No. 19 Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard tipped it away to teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner, who dumped in a teardrop for the tying basket.

But officials whistled Nembhard for the foul, negating the tying bucket and allowing Marquette to close the game without further issue.

Check out the sequence in question below.

As close calls go between a pair of ranked teams, that one is up there.

Nembhard certainly appeared to make at least some contact with Jones, but Creighton coach Greg McDermott was absolutely incensed by the controversial foul call, which ultimately cost his team a chance to push the game to overtime.

Marquette has now won both meetings with Creighton, winning 69-58 on its home floor and then again tonight on the road at Creighton.

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Both teams will ultimately be in the Big Dance, but tonight’s loss and the controversial foul call will certainly sting for a while for the Blue Jays.

Projecting Creighton, Marquette in the NCAA Tournament

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is pretty good at tracking NCAA Tournament positioning and both Marquette and Creighton are in good shape to have excellent seeding in this year’s Big Dance.

As things currently stand Marquette has a four-seed in Lunardi’s latest brackegology, slotted to the Midwest Region via Orlando. Opening-round games would be in Orlando for Marquette before Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games would be played in Kansas City.

Creighton, meanwhile is a current five-seed by Lunardi, slotted to the South Region. Lunardi has Creighton playing opening-round games in Albany before Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games would take place in Louisville.