Behind a strong second-half performance, the Marquette women’s basketball team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 75-55 win over Holy Cross Friday night inside the Al McGuire Center.
Here’s the breakdown of the Golden Eagles’ win:
Game MVP:
After her dominant performance Monday, junior forward Liza Karlen came out with another strong showing leading all scorers with 18 points. The St. Paul, Minnesota, native went 7-for-11 from the field, picking up three assists and grabbing five rebounds.
For the second straight game, Karlen scored the first six points of the game for the Golden Eagles. Then in the second half, Karlen led the team in nearly every category with 12 points, for rebounds and two assists.
“She’s just efficient right now,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “We can move her around (in) a lot of different spots on the floor. I just like her mentality. I’m looking forward to finding different ways for her to be successful for her team.”
Key Stats:
- First-year guard Mackenzie Hare netted 18 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter, on 5-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
- Four players finished in double figures for the Golden Eagles.
- The Golden Eagles went on an 18-8 run to begin the third quarter of the game.
- In the third quarter, Marquette outscored Holy Cross 23-14.
- Despite the close gameplay, Marquette never relinquished their lead.
Notes:
- Junior guard Rose Nkumu made her first start of the season. Nkumu recorded three points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action.
- Senior forward Kennedi Myles recorded her first basket of the season in the 4th minute of the first quarter with a layup. She finished with six points and went 2-for-2 from the stripe.
- Senior guard Nia Clark netted 11 points in her second game with the Golden Eagles.
- Marquette scored 20 points off fast breaks compared to the Crusaders’ lone two points.
Quote of the day:
Duffy spoke on the spark Hare brought to Marquette’s offense off the bench.
“Kenzie’s a really confident player,” Duffy said. “She can shoot the ball very well. She’s just got a knack to put the ball in the hoop. (She was) just was an incredible spark for us and made some big baskets when we needed them.”
Next up:
Marquette (2-0) will finish its three-game homestand Sunday against crosstown rival University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 2 p.m. CST inside the Al McGuire Center.
This article was written by Kaylynn Wright. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @KaylynnWrightMU.
