Give No. 10 Marquette a minute, and that can be enough to essentially end the game.
In a matter of 41 seconds Friday night at Xavier, Marquette built a double-digit lead. The No. 10 Golden Eagles never relinquished that lead, walking away from the Cintas Center with a 90-44 win.
“We’re just playing Marquette basketball,” senior forward Erika Davenport said. “We’re just having fun.”
In that 41-second span, Marquette used a steal from Danielle King, an offensive rebound from Davenport and then a steal from Amani Wilborn to keep Xavier from even attempting a shot.
Marquette’s hot shooting in the first quarter led to a 19-0 run and a 21-2 lead. Xavier never trimmed the Golden Eagles’ lead to fewer than 18 points.
Turnovers played an important role in Marquette’s ability to establish such a large lead. By the end of the first quarter, the Golden Eagles scored 17 points off eight Xavier turnovers.
“We were getting in the passing lanes. We were playing really good defense,” senior guard Allazia Blockton said. “So I think that boosted us on offense as well.”
Davenport had a double-double about midway through the second quarter. She ended the night with 18 points and 19 rebounds despite matching up against Xavier’s leading scorer.
“(A’riana Gray) is a great rebounder, so (I was) just trying to get in there and get as many as I can,” Davenport said.
Gray entered play leading Xavier in scoring but had only six points on 2-for-14 shooting Friday night. Marquette head coach Carolyn Kieger attributed Gray’s relatively poor performance to Davenport’s defense and overall dominance to the paint.
“I liked that one-on-one challenge that she had,” Kieger said. “(Davenport) was a force in the paint tonight.”
Marquette could not expand its lead in the second quarter but used an 11-0 run in the third quarter to build even more distance from the Musketeers. Xavier could hardly hit a shot, going 5 for 32 from the field after the half.
Senior guard Natisha Hiedeman had a team-high 18 points and five assists in the win.
“She’s just playing so confidently right now,” Kieger said. “She’s playing like one of the best guards in the country.”
However, a different senior guard’s performance had the spotlight Friday night.
Senior guard Allazia Blockton became the first Marquette men’s or women’s basketball player to score 2,000 career points, hitting the landmark at the 2:50 mark in the third quarter.
Marquette does not have much time to dwell on the win or Blockton’s milestone, visiting second-place Butler Sunday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
“That’s a huge game for us,” Kieger said. “They’re playing really well. They’re really balanced. They’re defending extremely well, so I think it will be a good test for our offense. … I’m excited. It gives us an opportunity to get better.”
