NCAA

Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell scored or assisted on 63 of 98 points vs. Michigan State

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated24 Mar 2023

Kansas State Markquis Nowell scored or assisted on 63 of 98 points vs Michigan State NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 score

Marquis Nowell of No. 7 Kansas State scored or assisted on 63 of 98 points in Thursday’s 98-93 overtime win against No. 3 Michigan State in the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018.

Sixty-three points is the most by a player in an NCAA Tournament game since ESPN first began tracking this statistic in 2010. Nowell also broke the March Madness record for assists in a single game with 19, his last two earned in the final minute of overtime.

Per a few March Madness betting sites, Kansas State has seventh-shortest odds to win the National Championship. Some sportsbooks are showing greater odds for No. 6 Creighton, No. 2 Texas, and No. 3 Gonzaga.

“Today was a special one, man,” said Marquis Nowell. “I’ve got to give a lot to credit to my teammates for battling, for fighting through adversity when we was down. I can’t even explain how I’m feeling right now. I just know that I’m blessed and I’m grateful.”

The Kansas State guard ended his Sweet 16 outing with 20 points, three rebounds, a career-high 19 assists, and five steals in 43 minutes of action. Nowell also shot 7-of-18 (38.9%) from the field and drained two clutch 3-pointers.

Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell breaks NCAA Tournament assist record with 19 against Michigan State in Sweet 16

UNLV’s Mark Wade set the previous NCAA Tournament assists record with 18 during the Runnin’ Rebels 1987 Final Four win against Indiana. Wade tallied four points, four boards, and four steals as well.

Furthermore, Nowell’s alley-oop to Keyontae Johnson with 52 seconds remaining in overtime gave Kansas State the lead for the remainder of this East Region semifinal matchup. Nowell now has 64 points and 42 assists through three games.

“I mean, it was just a basketball play between me and Keyontae,” Nowell added. “We knew how Michigan State plays defense. They play high up, and Keyontae just told me, we got eye contact, and he was like, lob, lob. I just threw it up, and he made a great play.”

Through 35 appearances this season, Marquis Nowell is averaging career highs of 17.2 points, 8.1 assists, 2.5 steals, and 36.8 minutes per game. Plus, he’s shooting 38.7% from the field and 35% beyond the arc.

Additionally, the 5-foot-8 guard led the Big 12 in assists (285), steals (87), free throw percentage (88.9%), 3-pointers (83), win shares (6.0), minutes played (1,288), and turnovers (127). If Nowell continues to dominate, Kansas State will have a chance to defeat No. 9 Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight this Saturday.

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