Buccaneers were 17th century pirates who roamed the Caribbean. They were fierce, they were ruthless and they took whatever from whomever they wanted.
The Division III Beloit Buccaneers were none of these things. Instead it was the Marquette women’s basketball team that took whatever it wanted, recording 26 steals during the 102-30 thrashing that was Marquette’s final exhibition game of the season.
“We were just talking a lot,” senior Lauren Thomas-Johnson said. “We jumped into the passing lanes trying to really pressure the ball and deny the passing lanes, and that was our main focus for this game and where our steals came from.”
The steals — seven more than last year’s game high and one short of the team record — were the key factor in the outcome of the game.
Marquette was able to push the tempo as a result of the thefts and exploited the advantage in quickness it had over Beloit by converting steals into easy points.
“Pushing the tempo is how we want to play,” coach Terri Mitchell said. “So even if a team is in zone, you don’t want to allow them to dictate the pace. I think the ultimate goal for us is to dictate the pace.”
The Golden Eagles forced the Buccaneers into 40 turnovers and were able to score an astounding 60 points off those mistakes.
“We work a lot on advantage breaks,” Mitchell said. “Anytime we get a steal we consider it a free possession. So when we get a steal we’re trying to make the most of it and get the defense back on their heels.
“I thought our team did a great job of finding the extra man, making the extra pass and converting it into scores.”
No player did a better job of pushing the ball up court and looking for the open player than junior Angel Robinson. The standout guard known for her scoring was more focused on getting her team involved than raking up points on her own. She dished out eight assists and matched last season’s game high in the process.
“Whether we want to bring the ball up or we want to push it, I want our guards to be able to say what we want to do,” Mitchell said. “I think Angel, she’s always thinking ‘push it,’ and our players respond to that.”
The steals Marquette collected gave Robinson and the other Marquette guards plenty of opportunities to dictate the quick tempo. It put more pressure on Beloit and emphasized Marquette’s overall team speed.
The most memorable display of speed came from freshman Sarina Simmons with three minutes remaining in the first half. As a Beloit guard was at the top of the arc launching a three, Simmons leaped from near the free throw line to block the shot. Simmons picked it up, outran the defender and was able to lay the ball in at the other end.
“It’s just all timing,” Simmons said. “I think a lot of people underestimate me about my timing and how high and quick I can get off the ground. It was all for the crowd, but I was good with it. “
As the opposition Marquette faces this season gets more athletic and more talented, the Golden Eagles should look to continue crowding the passing lanes and forcing turnovers if they want to continue to push the pace and utilize their speed.
