With 51.4 seconds left in the game, junior Arlesia Morse made a free throw shot, making her the 24th player in Marquette women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000-career point mark.
Coach Terri Mitchell said Morse’s accomplishment is a testament to her play all season.
“She has been a tremendous spark off the bench all season long, giving us that offense,” Mitchell said to GoMarquette.com. “As a junior, to hit that milestone is just a really big deal. Our team is very happy for her.”
The career milestone came in a road game against Providence, in which Marquette won 71-62. The win improved Marquette’s record to 7-5 in the Big East and 16-7 overall.
Morse led all Marquette scorers, scoring 18 points in 25 minutes and shooting 3-for-6 from behind the arc. With Morse’s recent success from three-point land, she has the team’s highest three-point shooting percentage with at least 10 three-point attempts (.345).
Senior Katherine Plouffe also continued her steady play, notching her ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds (five offensive, five defensive). With one more point, senior Katie Young would have had one as well, as she had nine points and 14 rebounds. Both players helped Marquette bring down 59 rebounds throughout the game, including 27 offensive rebounds, almost matching Providence’s 28 defensive rebounds.
Mitchell said the team’s rebounding was a key for the offense.
“Once again, I’m really proud of the way we rebounded the basketball,” Mitchell said. “That’s always going to be our starting point.”
Despite the offensive prowess of Morse, Plouffe and Young, the Golden Eagles shot below average throughout the game. Marquette made 13 shots on 38 attempts in the first half and only made 9-of-34 in the second. Marquette was 4-for-9 from the three-point line in the first half, but fell back down to .294 percent overall after shooting 1-for-8 in the second.
Despite Marquette’s shooting woes, Mitchell said there were other aspects of the team’s game that filled the void.
“We weren’t knocking down the bunnies that we normally make,” Mitchell said. “We really relied on defense. That’s what I love about this team.”
Marquette hosts Xavier at home for National Marquette Day, Feb. 15. Tip-off is 12 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.
