Marquette's Tyler Kolek, Jones Star in Win vs. Colorado, Thrill March Madness Fans

Marquette held on to beat No. 10 Colorado 81-77 and advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Sunday.

This is the first time since 2013 the second-seeded Golden Eagles have punched a ticket to the regional semifinals.

Marquette led by as many as 12 points and was up eight at halftime. The Buffaloes continued to hang around in the second half and had multiple opportunities to jump ahead late.

Sophomore guard Chase Ross hit a pivotal long-range jumper to put the Golden Eagles up three and senior guard Tyler Kolek restored the advantage with a left-handed floater inside the final minute.

Kolek posted a game-high 21 points along with 11 assists for his eighth double-double of the season. Junior guard Kam Jones chipped in with 18 points and went 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Marquette's backcourt tandem drew a lot of praise on social media:

The Buffaloes came up short despite the best efforts of junior guard KJ Simpson, who had 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He was the hero in the first round against Florida but couldn't replicate that magic when Colorado needed a bucket in the waning moments Sunday.

A date with No. 11 North Carolina State awaits Marquette in the next round. The Wolfpack ended Oakland's Cinderella bid in overtime on Saturday after having ousted sixth-seeded Texas Tech to open the tournament.

In terms of the draw, Marquette will have expected to get a slightly more difficult road after getting placed in the bottom half with No. 3 Kentucky. Especially after Sunday's scare, Shaka Smart's squad won't be looking past NC State.

The action tips off Friday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.