The Marquette women’s basketball team opened the season with a dominating victory over Arkansas Pine-Bluff, winning 88-46.
The Golden Eagles led the game wire to wire, starting the game off with a seven point lead and never letting Arkansas Pine-Bluff come closer. Marquette led by 21 midway through the first half on the way to a 42-point victory.
Throughout the game the Lady Lions looked completely outmatched by a far more talented Marquette team. The Golden Eagles dominated every facet of the game, especially in the frontcourt, where the Marquette forwards outscored them in the paint 60-14 and out-rebounded them 41-26.
“I think part of how we played was how our team is as a whole, how unselfish everybody is,” said senior forward Paige Fiedorowicz. “Our guards played really well. We had 20 assists. That’s the most assists we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
The defense also played well, leaving the Lady Lions looking helpless at times. The team generated 25 turnovers, 17 of which were steals.
“The things that we emphasized in practice were what really led to our strong defense,” said freshman forward Katherine Plouffe. “Ball pressure, hands up and help side. We’ve talked about those things since the beginning of practice, just doing it consistently gets us the steals and gets us the stops on defense.”
Coach Terri Mitchell was pleased with the way the ladies played on Saturday.
“Couldn’t be more excited for the beginning of the season,” Mitchell said. “I think our team right now has unbelievable leadership. They have a unity about them that you can just feel in the locker room. You just have to take baby steps like we did today.”
The team was led by forwards Fiedorowicz, who scored 20 points, Plouffe, who had 19, and sophomore forward Sarina Simmons, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“I think I played well, but with the help of my teammates. I got a lot of open looks inside, so that helped a lot,” Plouffe said. “I think we all played pretty well tonight as a team, and I don’t think that anybody would have played well if that hadn’t happened. We just need to work together to get each other open and get good looks.”
Mitchell curiously left Simmons in the game for a significant amount of time late in the second half, with the game already out of reach.
“I thought she needed to play better,” Mitchell said. “She did play better. I thought she needed to gain some confidence, and that’s how she left the game — with confidence.”
The team plays again Monday night against Alcorn State, a game that should help prepare them for the first big challenge of the season, a game at home against Michigan on Friday.
