Marquette Redmen Drop Conference Opener Against Escanaba Eskymos, 67-56

Marquette, MI – January 3, 2023 – The Marquette Redmen (3-3) basketball team was back in action on Tuesday night as they hosted the Escanaba Eskymos. The Redmen are coming off a 65-49 victory over the Charlavoix Rayders. The game was broadcast live from Barb Crill Gymnasium at Marquette Senior High School with Jacob Swanson on the call for Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 – 99.9!

Marquette would win the Household Appliance opening tip, but it would be Escanaba who would score first. Jack Quinnell would answer back for the Redmen with a shot off the glass to tie things up. Shane Wallin would toss up back to back three pointers to give the edge to Escanaba. Marquette had a sloppy start as they struggled to put up points in the opening minutes. The Eskymos were able to come down with the majority of rebounds and cashed in on the opportunities.

Logan Peterson would end the Redmen scoring drought when his shot found the bottom of the net. Marquette looked to move the ball around offensively but risky passes ended in turnovers. Jacob MacPhee would land a pair of free throws and Will Gale would be able to handle a quick pass for the bucket to bring Marquette within four. The Redmen would end the quarter on a high note with a pair of threes from Kyler Sager, but would be down on the scoreboard.

Escanaba would hit another three pointer from Shane Wallin for his third of the night. Marquette would battle back after breaking the Escanaba press to find Jaxon Jurmu for his first points of the night. The Redmen would look to improve on defense to match the intensity of the Eskymos. The Redmen would come within three after Easton Clements drove the lane for an easy lay up. The half would come to a close and the Eskymos would continue to hold their lead.

Halftime: Marquette 23  – Escanaba 32

The Redmen look to break the Eskymo press defense

The Redmen would get the ball to start the second half, but would turn the ball over immediately. Jack Quinnell would pick up  a pair of fouls in rapid succession, and another foul from the Eskymos would make for shaky start from both teams. Escanaba’s Shane Wallin would pull up from beyond the arc but would miss and draw a foul on the shot. He would hit all three from the charity stripe to build Escanaba’s lead to 12. Marquette would answer back with a three of their own to close the gap. Wyatt Lakanen would put up a lay up to continue to chip away at the Eskymo lead.

The Redmen defense played with physicality, but it would get them in trouble by sending Wallin to the free throw line for a pair of baskets. Wallin piled it on for Escanaba with another three pointer for his fourth of the night. Kyler Sager’s shot would hit it’s mark as the Redmen looked to fight back. Both teams would go back and forth with Escanaba getting the upper hand offensively. The Eskymos defense continued to pressure the Marquette offense, but Marquette’s Jan van den Ende would back down his man to bring it within 10. The Redmen would shoot with confidence to bring the quarter to an end, and only trailing by seven.

The final eight minutes started with a defensive battle between both teams. Marquette and Escanaba would swap lay ups, but the Eskymos would continue to force turnovers and cause problems for the Redmen. Wyatt Lakanen would look to sway momentum in the Redmen’s direction after nailing a three pointer. Marquette would get into the double bonus, and Jacob MacPhee would hit both of his free throws from a loose ball foul.

The Marquette defense would step up their game with blocks from Peter Closner and Kyler Sager. Escanaba’s Shane Wallin would hit a pair of free throws, and the Eskymo defense would force a turnover right away and draw the foul. After a pair of Escanaba free throws, Marquette’s Sager would hit an easy lay up after beating the Escanaba defense. It would be too little to late as the Redmen couldn’t bridge the gap, and would send Escanaba home with the win.

FINAL: Marquette 56 – Escanaba 67

The Marquette Redmen (3-4) are back in action on Thursday as they’re on the road to Kingsford in a GNC match-up. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 EST tip off. Michael J will have the call starting with the Elder Agency Pregame Show around 7:15 on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 – 99.9 and also online!

LISTEN TO THE FULL BROADCAST HERE