UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Four weeks ago, the Marquette women’s basketball team upset then-No. 4 UConn at the Al McGuire Center for its first win over the Huskies in program history.
The No. 5 seed Golden Eagles look to do the same in Sunday afternoon’s Big East Tournament semifinal matchup against the No. 1 seed Huskies at Mohegan Sun Arena.
“We had an amazing night out at the Al McGuire Center a few weeks ago beating UConn,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “(It was) historic for our program, but we also understand UConn in March is definitely different. We’re going to treat it as a very separate entity this third game.”
Marquette comes into Sunday’s matchup with a victory under its belt as it defeated St. John’s 57-47 in yesterday’s quarterfinals. Senior forward Chloe Marotta led her team to the win, netting 14 of 18 points and grabbing eight of her 13 rebounds in the second half alone.
“I’m just thrilled,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “What a great game by our team. I thought our grit and toughness throughout the 40 minutes was really impressive. Just so proud of our grit led by Chloe Marotta, especially her second half.”
UConn enters the contest coming off a 69-39 win over the Georgetown Hoyas Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Aaliyah Edwards recorded her 12th double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Three other Huskies finished in double figures including sophomore guard Azzi Fudd, who made her return to the court after missing the last 14 games.
Fun Facts:
- Marquette ranks 19th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.23. UConn has a 1.12 ratio which ranks 40th in the nation.
- The Golden Eagles shot 77.6% from the free throw line this season which ranks second in the Big East. The Huskies rank fifth shooting 75.5% from behind the charity stripe.
- UConn averages 18.7 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the country. Meanwhile, Marquette sits at 21st in the nation with 16.8 assists per game.
- The Huskies had five different players earn Big East conference honors with junior guard Nika Mühl and Edwards each earning two accolades.
A Look Back:
- UConn leads the all-time series 16-1. The lone loss came Feb. 8 in Milwaukee when the Golden Eagles defeated the Huskies 59-52.
- In that Feb. 8 win, Duffy became the fourth person to beat UConn head coach Geno Auriemma both as a player and as a coach.
- In both team’s first matchup this season, UConn defeated Marquette 61-48, which was the Golden Eagles’ third lowest scoring performance on the season.
- In last year’s Big East Tournament, the Huskies defeated the Golden Eagles 71-51 in the semifinals.
Key Players:
- Senior guard Jordan King, an unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team, ranks seventh and fifth in the league in points and third in assists with 16.3 and 3.9 respectively. She had 16 points in Marquette’s win Saturday over St. John’s.
- Marotta, who also earned a place on the All-Big East First Team, is averaging 14.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. The Mequon, Wisconsin native is shooting 47.2% from the floor on the season.
- Edwards, the Most Improved Player in the Big East, is averaging 16.4 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. The Kingston, Ontario native has scored in double figures in her last seven games.
- In her first year at UConn, graduate student forward Lou Lopez Sénéchal is averaging 15.8 points per game. She earned a spot on the All-Big East First Team and currently leads her team from beyond the arc, shooting 43.1%.
How to Follow:
- Watch: Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on FS1.
- Radio: Trevor Hilson and Ava Mares will have the call Marquette Radio. Coverage starts at 2 p.m. 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.
