Maybe it can be found in the fact the Marquette women's basketball team now has played close against two Top 15 teams.,”There's solace in there, somewhere beneath the 18 turnovers, somewhere beneath the 37.5 percent shooting performance from the field, somewhere beneath the blown second-half lead.

Maybe it can be found in the fact the Marquette women's basketball team now has played close against two Top 15 teams. Maybe it's in the fact that junior guard Krystal Ellis continues to perform at an all-conference—if not All-American—level.

Maybe it's in the fact that many of the Golden Eagles' young players are gaining experience—in this case on the road—against tough opponents.

But no matter how thorough the search, the end result remains yet another loss for the Golden Eagles. Marquette fell 68-63 Wednesday night at No. 14 West Virginia, dropping its record to 9-7 (1-2 Big East).

West Virginia's Olayinka Sanni led the way for the Mountaineers, recording a double-double of 21 points and 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-2 senior center hit a three-pointer and two free throws to cap a 12-0 West Virginia run with eight minutes remaining.

Krystal Ellis, who scored a team-high 23 points, hit three consecutive free throws to bring Marquette within three with 17 seconds remaining, but Sanni sank two free throws in the final 10 seconds to seal the win for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia won its 13th consecutive home game behind the efforts of four players who scored in double figures. Senior forwards Meg Bulger (12 points) and Chakhia Cole (11), as well as senior guard LaQuita Owens (11) and Sanni combined to provide the Mountaineers with a balanced attack Marquette could not match.

Ellis and freshman forward Paige Fiedorowicz, who finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, were the only Golden Eagles to score in double figures. Senior forward Svetlana Kovalenko added nine points and nine rebounds.

The loss marked the eighth time this season Marquette has played in a game decided by five points or fewer. The Golden Eagles are 4-4 in those contests.

Last season, in front of a home crowd at the Al McGuire Center, Marquette ran away with a 74-50 victory. But that Golden Eagles squad was anchored by four seniors who had experience playing against quality opponents. They understood the mental toughness it takes to hold a second-half lead.

This year's Marquette team is undergoing a trial-by-fire of sorts. With six freshmen on the roster—and most earning quality playing time—the Golden Eagles are suffering through the growing pains of youth and inexperience.

Last night, the team gained firsthand knowledge of how to make a second-half charge—and of how not to protect a halftime lead. The Golden Eagles led by four at the intermission but shot 31.0 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from beyond the arc in the second half.

Marquette lost for the second time in as many games against a Top 15 opponent. Squaring off against then-No. 5 Rutgers Jan. 8 at the Al McGuire Center, Marquette fell 65-61.

But for all the long-term positives that may arise out of games such as the close loss to Rutgers or last night's defeat at the hands of West Virginia, the simple truth remains the harshest reality—Marquette has lost three of its last five, and the conference schedule ahead shows no signs of letting up.

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