Amid the coaching change from Megan Duffy to Cara Consuegra this past spring came a retooled roster that included an all-new starting five. Sophomore guard Halle Vice had a chance to take on a bigger role this season.
She took it, ran with it and didn’t look back.
Vice has flourished for the Golden Eagles this season, starting in all 20 games thus far, while providing valuable versatility at the guard and forward spots.
The Bettendorf, Iowa native is averaging 11.2 points and north of seven rebounds per game, while she earned a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll in late December. She repeated the feat in the first week of February, with 66.7% shooting from the field.
This summer, Vice also earned the “Lockdown Leader” award five times — a new accolade instilled by Consuegra during the offseason. Vice’s ability to be a consistent presence on the boards and glass has helped the Golden Eagles score in the paint.
“She typically leads the way for us in rebounding,” Consuegra said. “And if it isn’t a number; some games she may not be our leading rebounder, but she gets her hands on so many deflections and tip-outs that it helps other people come down with the rebound.”
Consuegra also said that Vice’s ability to adapt on defense has earned her that spot in the starting five.
“Defensively, what I love about her is that she can play so many spots,” Consuegra said. “She can play a big post, she can switch on the ball screen, she can stay in front of a dynamic guard, and that’s what makes her so valuable.”
For Vice, a constant day-in, day-out approach helped her improve between her first two seasons as a Golden Eagle, despite not playing much as a first-year.
“I put the same work ethic of coming to practice, with that mentality of getting 1% better, so the work that we do in practice shows when it’s game time,” Vice said.
Fellow sophomore forward Skylar Forbes, who has a close-knit dynamic with Vice, said the relationships are key to getting the most out of each other amidst the retooled lineup from her first year with Marquette.
“I think it’s pretty cool playing with my best friend (Vice), just being able to have those moments on and off the court,” Forbes said. “We’re all honing into our roles, our development with each other and the coaches. We have six new players and six returners, our roles are different for everyone, so honing into what the coaches want us to do, knowing what we’re good at and helping us succeed.”
At the Battle on the Banks Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, both players earned honors, with Forbes taking home MVP and Vice being nominated to the All-Tournament team. It was an early sign of what was to come, as the pair has taken Marquette’s offense to new heights as conference play rolls on.
“The two of them, they’re such great friends, to see them play together and build that chemistry on the court, has been really fun to watch,” Consuegra said. “I’ll say that in non-conference that it wasn’t always there, I think they were still learning each other as basketball teammates. As the season has gone on, through the experience they’re gaining together, they’re getting to a point where they’re playing very well off each other.”
Vice said that the team is coming together as it looks to peak at the right time as the calendar flips to February.
“We all had to learn each other, and how to play with each other,” Vice said. “But I think you can tell that in each game we play with each other, that in each practice, we get a little bit better, we can tweak a few things from after each game and practice, so only up from here.”
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.
