Ja Morant Outduels Markus Howard as Murray State Routs Marquette in Upset Win

Ja Morant and the 12th-seeded Murray State Racers dominated Markus Howard and the fifth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles on their way to an 83-64 victory in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament on Thursday in Hartford, Connecticut.

Morant sparked the upset by becoming just the eighth men's player since 1984 to record a triple-double, posting 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds for the Racers. Tevin Brown contributed a team-high 19 points.

Howard had 26 points in a losing effort for the Golden Eagles. 

All-Around Game Makes Ja Morant Perfect March Madness Star

On his way to becoming the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Morant (24.6 points per game) found himself among the top scorers in the nation.

However, he can do more than just get buckets. That much was apparent Thursday.

One game after he dropped 36 points on 13-of-25 shooting against Belmont in the OVC title game, Morant was held to just two field goals in the opening 20 minutes against Marquette. But he was still the star of the show.

The 6'3", 175-pound guard put his playmaking abilities on display in the opening minutes, escaping a double team while setting up teammate Shaq Buchanan for an open three:

Plays like that are why he entered the game averaging 10.0 assists on the season.

Morant later put an exclamation point on a strong first half by knocking down a trey in the closing seconds to send his team into the locker room with a seven-point lead:

The Murray State sophomore scored or assisted on an astounding 31 of his team's 42 points in the opening half. The Racers made only three field goals in which the star guard didn't play a part.

That impressive performance (10 points, eight assists, four rebounds) had Morant in position to make a run at a triple-double in just his second career NCAA tournament game. And he wasn't done.

He continued to dominate in the second half, dazzling as Murray State pulled away from Marquette on its way to the upset:

By the end of the game, he had joined exclusive company:

And plenty of people around the internet took notice:

After going one-and-done in last year's tournament, the Racers will hang around a little longer this year—and that will give Morant more time in the spotlight. 

Lack of Balance Proves Costly For Marquette 

While Morant is the Racers' leader, it wasn't a one-man show for Murray State on Thursday. The same can't be said for the Golden Eagles.

A team effort nearly helped Marquette overcome a brutal shooting performance by Howard (1-of-15 from the field) against Seton Hall in the Big East semifinals. Three members of the supporting cast stepped up to provide the Golden Eagles with double-digit scoring, led by Sam Hauser's 22 points.

That type of balance was missing Thursday.

Howard kept Marquette in the game early on, scoring 13 of his team's first 20 points. After his team fell behind by double digits early on, the Big East Player of the Year helped even the score with seven consecutive points during a 10-0 Golden Eagles run.

The junior guard put up a scoring display in the first half. Unfortunately, he could only watch as his team limped into the locker room.

Howard picked up his second foul of the game with 4:40 to play in the opening half and spent the remaining time on the bench. Murray State held just a 30-27 lead at that point. With its best player out of the game, Marquette was outscored 12-8 over the final four-plus minutes before halftime.

That proved a pivotal stretch.

Not only did the Racers gain some breathing room with Howard on the bench, but they also carried that momentum into the second half, gaining total control by coming out of the locker room on a 7-0 run. They never looked back as the lead swelled to 22.

A total of four Racers players were in double figures by the time the second half reached its midway point. On the other side, Hauser was the only Golden Eagle besides Howard (12 at the time, 16 for the game) to have more than even six. 

That forced Howard to play hero ball, and it didn't turn out well for Marquette.

What's Next

Murray State advances to the second round, where it will take on No. 4 Florida State on Saturday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Marquette ends its season with a 24-10 record.