Quebecer Olivier-Maxence Prosper and the Marquette Golden Eagles started the March Madness tournament brilliantly on Friday, beating the Vermont Catamounts.
• Read also: We found the worst haircuts in sports history
• Read also: Seven Quebecers at March Madness
Second seeds of their portion of the table, the Golden Eagles were largely favorites for this duel against the Catamounts (15e) and they did not disappoint with a 78-61 win.
The Milwaukee, Wis.-based team scored 39 points in the two 20-minute engagements.
The Catamounts closed the gap to five points in the second half, but saw their rivals distance themselves thanks to the flight of Kam Jones.
The Tennessee native got the next 18 points from his side.
Thanks to his prowess, the mark went from 45 to 40 to 63 to 46.
Jones did not go it alone in the victory so far: five members of the Golden Eagles reached ten points, including Prosper. The giant-sized Montrealer amassed 11 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes of play. He was the second most sought-after player on his team.
It’s Marquette’s first victory in 10 years in college basketball’s most prestigious tournament.
In the second round, the Golden Eagles will face the Michigan State Spartans (7e), scorers for the South Carolina Trojans (10e).
Cassandre Prosper also advances
In the women’s draw, another member of the Prosper family impressed: Olivier-Maxence’s younger sister, Cassandre.
She had six points, three assists, but most importantly 10 rebounds in an 82-56 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3e) against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (14e).
Prosper and her teammates will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11e) or the Creighton Bluejays (6e) in the next turn.