As the women’s basketball team starts their season hot with a 9-0 record and a No. 19 ranking in the national polls, they’ve turned a lot of heads and have continued to impress. Last season’s 21-11 record and tied-fifth place finish in the Big East resulted in a No. 9 seed NCAA tournament berth where they were eliminated in the first round. The Golden Eagles shooting has been key to their offensive success this year as they have dominated all of their opponents offensively. Its shooting success is the best way the Golden Eagles can compete with the best by the spring.
Fifth-year head coach Megan Duffy had huge plans to improve upon last season’s results. Duffy brought in six new players and two new coaches in an attempt to strengthen every part of the team. Duffy planned to build the team around star guard Jordan King, who came back for her final year of eligibility.
Although the Golden Eagles gained six new players, last season left eight open spots with six seniors graduating and two players transferring out. Much of the roster changed but the bulk of the scoring stayed. Last season, King led the team with 15.9 points per game.
Marquette went cold turkey last season outside the perimeter averaging a 30.8% from behind the arc, good for 186th in the country. Sharpshooter Karissa McLaughlin also missed the start of the season. King and guard Mackenzie Hare combined for 9.0 attempts a game compared to 8.1 by the rest of the team combined.
The Golden Eagles’ shooting performances last year were a significant weakness that other teams could (and would) take advantage of. Hare came off the bench the entirety of her first year. Although Hare and King provided for much of the perimeter shooting, they still shot 31.0% and 35.7% respectively. Marquette needed a spark on offense to compete with the best teams.
If you look at the numbers, this season’s success has been no surprise. Hare has experienced a huge jump her sophomore year and currently has the best 3-point percentage in the country at 58.3%. This is an incredible number over eight games and anything in this remote area over the course of a season would be record-breaking. Heather Donlon from Fordham set the record at 57.5% while only making 50 threes all year while Hare has already made 32 this season.
Marquette’s shooting has been vital to its undefeated start, and they have dominated the box scores. The Golden Eagles have had four 30-point victories this season including a 96-36 thrashing of the St. Peters Peacocks.
Although the defense has been good, offense is the way Marquette has been separating itself from the pack. Hare has moved into the starting rotation and is averaging over 16.2 points per game as the team’s top scorer. Hare’s outside shooting ability makes opponents prioritize her, opening the floor for King to showcase her own offensive capabilities.
The transfers, as well as players like Hare, who are developing, are helping the team by providing depth and giving King relief when she has the ball.
Although the start of the season seems near perfect, Marquette has still not faced the top dogs in the country and needs to face the top teams to move up the rankings further, but will have a chance to when it faces No. 19 Creighton Wednesday night. If the Golden Eagles can continue this run and continue their amazing shooting, then they can quickly find themselves among the best in the country and a real chance to compete for some silverware in the spring.
This story was written by Conor McPherson. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on X at @ConorMcPherson.
