It’s been a tough start to the season for the Golden Eagles, as they dropped to 2-4 with a loss to South Dakota Sunday. Marquette trailed by nine at the half, had a late surge, but fell just short, losing to the Coyotes 69-65.
Leading the way for Marquette was freshman guard Kenisha Bell, who scored a team-leading and career-high 22 points in the loss. She posted her previous career high of 21 points in the Golden Eagles’ previous game against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was named the Big East Freshman of the Week Monday. Bell is the first Marquette player to earn this honor since 2011.
Bell put the Golden Eagles up 65-63 in the waning minutes with a 3-point play, but Marquette was unable to score again. South Dakota junior guard Tia Hemiller answered with the tying bucket, followed by a Coyotes steal off the inbound play. The Golden Eagles fouled senior guard Raeshel Contreras, who made both free throws to give South Dakota a 67-65 lead.
Senior guard Arlesia Morse, who scored 15 points in the loss, had one last opportunity to tie the game with less than five seconds remaining, but missed the shot attempt.
The early season struggles are not a surprise for Marquette, a team adjusting to new coach Carolyn Kieger and featuring four true freshmen. The team is also experimenting with new roles for players. Freshman Hannah Grim and sophomore McKayla Yentz were in the starting lineup for the first time in their respective careers.
Marquette’s two-game road trip this week gives the Golden Eagles an opportunity to get back on the right track. Tuesday, the Golden Eagles face Auburn and four days later they’ll be back in Wisconsin to battle rival Wisconsin. Marquette is catching each team at the right time, as both are riding losing streaks.
Auburn boasts a solid 3-2 record, but two of its victories came against mediocre opponents in Troy and Grambling State. The Tigers’ most impressive victory is against Florida Gulf Coast, a team that went 26-8 last season and is 5-2 this year. They’ve lost their last two games to Virginia and Winthrop.
Wisconsin defeated Marquette by two in last year’s meeting, but has gotten off to a slow start this year. The 1-4 Badgers have lost four in a row after winning their opener against Illinois State.
