Senior forward Liza Karlen was proud of No. 19 Marquette women’s basketball for a multitude of things.
The balanced scoring (four players posted double-digit points), fast-moving offense (21 assists on 29 baskets) and stout defense (Creighton shot 39.4% from the field) were all things mentioned by the St. Paul, Minnesota native after the game. But, she took extra time to mention the composure her team showed throughout the back-and-forth battle.
“We knew Creighton was going to go on their runs, it was just a matter of how we can handle them,” Karlen said.
It was what was missing in Marquette’s 55-44 loss to Creighton at home last year, and what was prevalent in the Golden Eagles’ (10-0, 1-0 Big East) 76-70 win over the Bluejays (8-1, 0-1 Big East) Wednesday night at the Al McGuire Center.
“We knew they’re really scrappy, they want to come in and tie up the ball as much as possible, reach down at it, trying to get us in foul trouble,” Karlen said. “Just staying steady as much as possible and then being composed.”
Fourth quarter fire
The game was tight going into the final frame with the Bluejays leading 55-54.
As the minutes wound down and the Golden Eagles needed a boost of energy, the Al McGuire Center woke up to fans standing and cheering on the blue and gold.
“One of the reasons why I love Marquette so much is just that it’s a basketball school and I’m extremely proud of our basketball atmosphere,” Karlen said. “Our community definitely shows out for us and I’m very proud of that.”
As the fans got louder, the Golden Eagles got better.
The game was tied 64-64, but Marquette went on a 7-2 run — comprised of three different scorers — to give itself a five-point lead, its largest of the night.
“Tie ballgame,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “I just kept stressing to our team, we were so confident when the ball is moving and different people are getting touches. Just reminding them that you don’t have to do it on your own.”
After that run, the Bluejays called a full timeout, but it would not be enough as the Golden Eagles would secure the six-point victory.
Karlen stays hot
Karlen had yet another big game for Marquette.
She finished with 25 points — which marked a new season-high (beating 22 against Illinois) — 12 rebounds and shot 11-for-22 from the field.
“Liza (Karlen) was good the entire game and she just keeps proving herself to just make timely baskets,” Duffy said, “whether it’s a big one down the stretch, whether it’s when we’re in a scoring drought.”
In the waining minutes, it was those “timely baskets” that helped secure the win. In the final frame, Karlen led everyone with eight points, while scoring two jumpers in close succession to put Marquette ahead 73-66.
“I know we’re talking basketball, but this is also an engineering student who’s in the middle of five finals and completely just working in all aspects of her life right now,” Duffy said. “She’s the epitome of what a phenomenal student-athlete is.
“Obviously she’s getting that go-to player mentality with this, getting some some big game experience that she’s been in, but she’s always kind of been in that maybe secondary role, so I hope her confidence continues to grow.
“She’s getting a lot of just impactful moments throughout this early part of the season, which is great.”
Statistical leaders
Along with Karlen, sophomore guard Kenzie Hare scored 15 points on 100% shooting from the field and dished out five assists. Senior guards Rose Nkumu and Jordan King were the two others Golden Eagles to score double-digits, both putting up 11 points.
For Creighton, senior forward Emma Ronsiek finished with a total of 29 points for the Bluejays, shooting 9-for-16 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Not far behind her was senior guard Molly Mogensen, who scored 21 points and shot 8-for-12.
Up next
The Golden Eagles will take on Appalachian State (5-3) Sunday at the Al McGuire Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST.
This story was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @RaquelRuizMU.
