Day after day the players and coaches would come to practice, complete the drills and prepare for the games. They all knew who would start. They all knew who would come off the bench.

It was their routine, an effective routine, but a routine nonetheless.,”

Everyone on the team could feel it.

Day after day the players and coaches would come to practice, complete the drills and prepare for the games. They all knew who would start. They all knew who would come off the bench.

It was their routine, an effective routine, but a routine nonetheless. The monotony became palpable.

"Things got to the point where we had settled," senior forward Danielle Kamm said. "We lost some of that competitive drive."

That changed in a hurry last week during the practices that led up to the team's game at Providence. Head coach Terri Mitchell reminded her players that no starting spot is secure. And then she backed up her words with action.

Take a look at the box score from that Providence game (a 79-77 Marquette win), and you will find a few surprising additions to the starting lineup, namely sophomores Kelly Lam and Marissa Thrower.

Lam and Thrower replaced seniors Danielle Kamm and Jasmine McCullough, who previously had been staples of the starting five. The message was clear.

"All of last week, (Mitchell) told us that no one on the team is predetermined to start," Kamm said. "That really brought us back to our roots and made us more competitive again."

That rejuvenation especially was prevalent in Kamm's performance versus Providence. The senior forward came off the bench to score 17 points, grab six rebounds and shoot 6-for-6 from the field.

Mitchell made sure to mention that Kamm was one of the key reasons for Marquette's victory but also reaffirmed the M.O. she had hammered home to her players prior to the Providence game.

"They're finding that whoever practices well, starts," Mitchell said. "We want every day at practice to be a battle, and we will reward the players that battle well with a start."

Tonight, the Golden Eagles (17-2, 5-1 Big East) will take on Notre Dame (13-5, 4-1) at the Al McGuire Center at 8 p.m. Although it is unlikely that the starting lineup will continue to act as a revolving door for the remainder of the season, the players are certain they will not return to the doldrums that had plagued them.

"It's just focus," senior forward Christina Quaye said. "It's fight and determination and knowing that we can be so much better than we are already."

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