It wasn’t until four minutes into the game that the Musketeers were finally able to make themselves at home.
The reason? Marquette women’s basketballs’ defense.
The Golden Eagles (14-6, 6-3 Big East) cut Xavier’s scoring opportunities and forced turnovers back into their own hands finishing with 20 points off turnovers.
And that was just the start. Scoring was an area of difficulty for the Musketeers (6-15, 1-9 Big East), as they averaged 52.9 points per game.
Marquette kept them far from their average, as it took them down 67-38 Wednesday night in Cincinnati at Cintas Center.
Energy = Runs = Success
Marquette had gone on a 9-0 run heading into the second quarter with a 16-4 lead, feeding off its own energy basket after basket.
The Golden Eagles translated this energy into the second quarter, and at one point tripled the scoring gap between the teams (24-7).
Closing out the second half, they went on a 7-0 run in the final 3 minutes, extending their lead to 35-14. Shooting 47 percent from the field compared to the Musketeers’ 32 percent, Marquette swarmed their opponent’s offense, where they were only able to take 19 shots compared to the Golden Eagles’ 30.
This energy continued throughout.
Starters shine
Contributions from an entire lineup are what the Golden Eagles look for.
On Wednesday, three of the five starters ended their nights scoring in double-digits, accounting for 48 of the 67 total points (71%).
Leading at the half was senior guard Lee Volker with 10 points, and 6 rebounds. Volker ended the game as the team’s leader with 18 points and 7 boards.
Not far behind her were sophomore forward Skylar Forbes (17 points) and sophomore guard Halle Vice (13 points).
Junior guard Olivia Porter led the team with six assists.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles head out to the East Coast on Sunday, where they will face the Villanova Wildcats (11-10, 5-4 Big East). Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.
This recap was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @RaquelRuizMU.
