Sunday marked a dawn of excitement for the sophomore class. 

In an 83-50 takedown against IU Indy – formerly known as IUPUI – sophomore guard Halle Vice earned her first double-double where she shot 6-for-10 from the field, ending with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Bettendorf, Iowa native didn’t start a game in the 2023-2024 season, but has started every game this season so far. 

Alongside Vice, was sophomore forward Skylar Forbes led the scoring for the Golden Eagles, finishing with 15. All this culminated in Marquette women’s basketball (2-2) outlasting IU Indy (1-5) Sunday at the Al McGuire Center, 83-50.

Scoring tactics were different for both teams.

The Golden Eagles’ defense had pressure on the Jaguars, pushing them out beyond the arc – where they took most of their shots – but couldn’t do the same for themselves. 

The Jaguars ended shooting 7-for-23 from deep, while on the contrary Marquette made 6-of it’s-12 3-pointers.

However, it was in the paint where the magic happened, and it got better and better for the Golden Eagles as each quarter went on. Just over 50% of their points were from inside, whereas IU Indy only had 16.

Second chances and Jaguar mistakes drew defensive intensity from Marquette throughout the game. 27% of Marquette’s points were drawn from turnovers, which were seen when the teams were on the floor battling for whose ball it was.

IU Indy faced foul trouble all throughout the game which meant the Golden Eagles were seen at the free throw line quite often where they finished 15-for-19.

Instead of celebrating by cheering on the court and running around the Al McGuire Center for handshakes, the girls decided to become part of the cheering section and run out into the bleachers to celebrate their second season win.