Marquette entered Wednesday’s Big East rivalry game against DePaul looking to snap its three-game losing streak.
The Golden Eagles did just that, defeating the Blue Demons 72-63 at Wintrust Arena.
“I’m just so proud of our effort,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said after the game to Big East Digital Network’s Sideline Reporter Kacy Standohar. “We were down Liza Karlen tonight and the new players that had to play more minutes were awesome. We made some shots, but our defense (made) it as difficult as possible. (I’m) just proud of our effort here on the road.”
The Blue Demons got on the board first when senior forward Jorie Allen made a basket in the paint. Senior guard Jordan King responded by draining a jumper in the next possession. She would go on to score the next six points for the Golden Eagles.
Marquette’s offense continued to gain momentum early in the game as it headed into the media timeout on a 6-0 run. It then extended its lead to 10 points by the end of the frame.
The Golden Eagles out-rebounded the Blue Demons 13-7 in the first 10 minutes. Marquette held DePaul to just 35.3% from the field in the quarter as well.
The second frame started out in a similar fashion as King scored the first four points of the quarter for the Golden Eagles. First-year guard Mackenzie Hare came off the bench for Marquette and hit a 3-pointer to extend its lead to 16 points. She finished with six points in 16 minutes of action.
Marquette outscored DePaul 20-16 in the second quarter and went into the locker room holding a 14-point lead. The Golden Eagles shot 53.3% compared to the Blue Demons’ 35.3%.
Senior forward Kennedi Myles, who earned her first start of the season with junior forward Liza Karlen sidelined, made a jumper to begin the third quarter for the Golden Eagles. Myles finished with four points on 2-for-2 shooting, two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 13 minutes of action.
Then both teams struggles offensively, as the Blue Demons held the Golden Eagles just to eight points in the third quarter and went into the fourth quarter trailing just seven points.
DePaul outscored Marquette 15-8 and shot 31.3% in the frame, while the Golden Eagles shot 22.2%.
After its slow third quarter, Marquette went on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter to go up 17 points. DePaul brought the score within single digits several times throughout the frame but the Golden Eagles held their ground holding onto the road victory.
King led all Marquette scorers with 23 points and shot 50% from beyond the arc. In addition, she dished out nine assists.
“Jordan just is playing like a senior,” Duffy said. “Three level scorer, whatever the team needs, she’s willing to do. The big thing about her is her poise. She’s doing great defensively; she’s handling our pace. (She) had a great night tonight.”
Senior forward Chloe Marotta came just shy of a double-double, netting 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds. First-year guard Emily La Chapell made her second consecutive, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
Sophomore forward Makiyah Williams also brought down nine rebounds, a new career high for the Chicago native.
Sophomore forward Anessah Morrow led DePaul with 24 points and 15 rebounds, marking her 12th double-double of the season.
Karlen was not in the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 16 2021. A team spokesperson told the Marquette Wire, Karlen was out with an undisclosed injury and there is no timetable on her return. She did not make the trip down to Chicago.
With the win, the Golden Eagles have taken four of the past five games in the series against the Blue Demons.
Marquette (10-5, 3-3 Big East) will finish out its four-game road trip against No. 25 Creighton (9-5, 3-3 Big East) Jan. 8 at 3 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
This article was written by John Leuzzi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JohnLeuzziMU.
