The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Women’s Basketball looks to stop skid at Seton Hall

Photo by Valeria Cardenas/valeria.cardenas@marquette.edu
Photo by Valeria Cardenas/[email protected]

The Marquette women’s basketball team (4-12, 0-5)  is on a five-game losing streak and will hope to get back on track with a victory against a very good Seton Hall team (15-2, 4-1) in South Orange, N. J., Friday.

The Golden Eagles haven’t won in conference play yet and are winless since defeating Western Illinois 65-57 at the Al McGuire Center Dec. 21. Marquette coach Carolyn Kieger’s team has struggled with hanging onto the ball all season, but especially so during the cold streak, committing double-digit turnovers in every game and 20 or more twice. Marquette will rely heavily on its back court to turn the tide as freshman Kenisha Bell and senior Arlesia Morse lead the team in scoring at 14.9 and 13.8 points per game, respectively.

The Golden Eagles score plenty of points to win games, coming in at third in the conference in scoring offense (68.1 points per game), but with the second worst field goal percentage in the Big East, the team needs to focus on better shot selection. These struggles can be pinpointed to the league’s second worst three point shooting percentage (.245). Adding to Marquette’s woes is a defense that allows 78.6 per game, last in the conference.

Kieger said in her preseason interview that she wanted to focus on reducing turnovers and it continues to be the biggest soft spot on the team. Marquette has the Big East’s last ranked turnover margin of -3.9 and a assist to turnover ratio of 0.6. Seton Hall is second in the conference in turnover margin at 7.41, which means Marquette will have to take even more care of the ball moreso than the team already does.

Marquette holds the advantage against Seton Hall in rebounding, where the Golden Eagles ranks toward the top of the Big East in both offensive (14.1) and defensive (26) rebounds. Morse and senior forward Apiew Ojulu lead the team in boards, both averaging 6.5 per game.

Seton Hall is one of the best teams in the conference, and it has shown early. The Pirates have a star in guard Ka-Diedre Simmons who has been Big East Player of the Week twice already and averages 16.8 points and a conference best 5.3 assists per game.

Seton Hall ranks in the top three in scoring offense (73.1) and defense (61.3), with a turnover ratio that makes them a force to be reckoned with. Along with Simmons, Seton Hall has one of the best defenders in the Big East as junior forward Tabitha Richardson-Smith leads the conference in steals (2.9 per game).

The Golden Eagles will face off with the Pirates Friday in South Orange, New Jersey at 6 p.m.

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