UNCASVILLE, Conn. — After securing a first-round bye Monday night, the Marquette women’s basketball team will face the St. John’s Red Storm Saturday afternoon in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. The Golden Eagles are the No. 5 seed, while the Red Storm sit at No. 4.
Marquette enters into the matchup coming off a 98-80 win over the DePaul Blue Demons. This marked a season-high in points for the Golden Eagles.
Junior forward Liza Karlen led the way for Marquette, recording a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds. In her final game at the Al McGuire Center, senior forward Chloe Marotta posted 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. Three other Golden Eagles also scored in double figures in the contest.
“I can’t say enough about a lot of people tonight,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “Chloe sent herself out of the Al the right way. She was tremendous.”
Meanwhile, St. John’s went on the road and defeated the Providence Friars 53-50 Monday night. The Red Storm closed the regular season with a 22-7 record and a 13-7 mark in conference play, which marked the team’s best since the 2013-14 season.
Redshirt senior guard Jayla Everett scored a team-high 18 points and shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Redshirt senior guard Kadaja Bailey added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Fun Facts:
- The 22 regular season victories match the most for St. John’s under head coach Joe Tartamella and the highest in regular season play since 2009-10.
- Marquette’s defense allowed its opponents to score an average of 57.5 points per game, which led the Big East. St. John’s finished third in the Big East, allowing its opponents to score 59.4 points per game.
- Both teams are active from beyond the arc. As a whole, the Red Storm shot 35.4% from the 3-point line, while the Golden Eagles shot 31% on the season.
- Marquette grabbed 38.7 rebounds per game, which ranked third in the conference. St. John’s ranked eighth, averaging 35.1 rebounds per game.
- Emily La Chapell and Mackenzie Hare were both named to the Big East All-Freshman team. It is the first time the Golden Eagles have had two first-year’s earn the same award in the same season since Natisha Hiedeman and Allazia Blockton in 2015-16.
- Junior guard Jordan King and senior forward Chloe Marotta both earned All-Big East First Team honors.
A Look Back:
- Marquette leads the all-time series with a record of 19-11.
- The Golden Eagles split the regular season series with the Red Storm, falling 66-61 in Queens and defeating them 61-38 in Milwaukee.
- The last time these two teams faced off in the Big East Tournament was in 2020, and Marquette defeated St. John’s 78-55 in the semifinals.
Key Players:
- King, who has started every game in her career, is Marquette’s primary ball-handler. King is her team’s leading scorer, averaging 16.6 points per game. She also dishes out a team-high 3.9 assists per game.
- In her final season, Marotta is currently averaging 14.8 points per game and averaging a team-high 8.9 rebounds per contest. In the last matchup against the Red Storm, Marotta recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
- Everett leads St. John’s in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. The St. Louis, Missouri native is also shooting a team-best of 42.5% from beyond the arc.
- Bailey is averaging 13.4 points per game and is the Red Storm’s second leading scorer. In her last three games, Bailey is averaging 16.6 points per game.
How to Follow:
- Watch: Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on FS2.
- Radio: Trevor Hilson and Ava Mares will have the call Marquette Radio. Coverage starts at 1:30 pm CST on this link.
- Twitter Updates: @KaylynnWrightMU and @MUWireSports
This article was written by Kaylynn Wright. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @KaylynnWrightMU.
