Heading home for the holidays? Scrambling to sell your Fanatics tickets to fellow Marquette students? Before packing the car or boarding the plane to head to your hometown, take a gander at several key home basketball games you would be missing over winter break.
Men’s basketball
Savannah State — Dec. 15
Winter break kicks off with a basketball doubleheader. The men’s team has a 1 p.m. matinee meeting with Savannah State at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Savannah State, entering today with a 5-4 record, has scored 60 points or more in only two games this season, including an ugly 39-38 win over Western Illinois earlier this year.
LSU — Dec. 22
Marquette will take on SEC foe LSU on Dec. 22. Last season, the Tigers handed the Golden Eagles their first loss of the year, and any fans with a sour taste stuck in their mouths will want to see in person if Marquette can exact revenge. LSU enters Thursday with a 5-0 record, albeit all its games have been at home thus far.
Connecticut — Jan. 1
Fans can start off the new year watching an intriguing home matchup with Connecticut. The Huskies, playing their first season without former coach Jim Calhoun since 1986, are expected to be middle-of-the-pack contenders this season. Connecticut’s recruiting, however, has been consistently strong over the years and the team always poses a threat.
Georgetown — Jan. 5
The Hoyas are expected to fight for one of the top four seeds in the Big East. The No. 15/23 Hoyas have only lost one game this year, and that was to No. 1 Indiana. Getting balanced scoring from several contributors means any Hoya has the potential to blow the game wide open, which Marquette will need to take note of heading into this one.
Women’s basketball
Toledo — Dec. 15
The women’s team plays one of its five December home games against Toledo, which has bounced back nicely since a close 79-76 loss to Dayton to open the season. The Rockets should be well rested and ready to go against the Golden Eagles that night — the team has a week-long break before the matchup.
Dartmouth — Dec. 20
This should be a sure win for Marquette. The Big Green have started slow (1-5) and lost four of their five games by 13 or more points. If Marquette can force turnovers and make Dartmouth take uncomfortable shots, the Golden Eagles will handle this Ivy League squad with ease.
Syracuse — Jan. 5
The Golden Eagles welcome Syracuse to the Al Jan. 5 as both teams start their respective Big East schedules. The Orange struggled last season in conference play but still advanced to the WNIT finals. Expect Syracuse to play with a distinct sense of urgency in this one because of the pressure to start its Big East schedule strong.
Connecticut — Jan. 12
Luckily for the Marquette community, it gets to see Connecticut at the Al for a second straight season. Coach Geno Auriemma’s Huskies are ranked No. 2 in the most recent national poll and have plowed through their non-conference schedule with ease.
Connecticut will likely win the regular season conference title, and it won’t be shocking if it claims victory at the Big East Tournament, too. It’s unfortunate that Marquette residence halls don’t open until the following day, because many students should see this powerhouse team in action.
