Marquette women’s basketball (15-7, 7-4 Big East) returned to the Al McGuire Center after a loss against Villanova, where they broke back into the win column in a 57-55 victory to St. John’s (13-10, 3-9 Big East).
Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday night’s win:
“Defense! Defense!”
Marquette was forcing the Red Storm to hold the ball late into their possessions throughout the game, forcing the shot clock turnovers, and others back into their own hands. At the half, the Golden Eagles had eight points from their seven turnovers.
St. John’s had only six points in the paint compared to the blue and gold’s 16 through the first 20 minutes.
Bench brings the boom
Head coach Cara Consuegra has almost all her players out on the court each game, and Wednesday was no exception.
Junior guard Bridget Utberg had one of the Golden Eagles’ four made 3-point shots of the night.
Kennedi Perkins went 2-for-5 from the field, and 4-for-9 from the free throw line, tallying eight points.
Sluggish third
Taking a shot from behind the arc was a rarely used tactic for the Golden Eagles. They leaned into the jumper points in the second half, finishing with 24 paint points compared to the first half’s 16.
Marquette was leading by double digits going into the locker room, but after the third quarter, the Red Storm was just two points behind, putting the pressure on in the final frame.
Marquette had only scored nine points, while St. Johns’ offense had made opportunities possible, allowing them to bucket 17 points. The Golden Eagles finished the frame shooting 18 percent from the field, and 16.7% from beyond.
Final 10 minutes
Tied game, then up, tied, then down, then finished.
Marquette was up 57-55 with just 45 seconds left in the game, forcing Coach Consuegra to call a timeout, then Coach Joe Tartamella to do the same with 14 seconds left.
It’s almost as St. John’s was a different team in the fourth quarter. It kicked up the intensity to another level, causing the fans to sit up in their seats a bit more.
Sophomore forward Skylar Forbes was the team’s leader, finishing with 15 points. Not far behind, was senior guard Lee Volker with 14.
Sophomore guard Halle Vice averages 7.4 rebounds per game, but exceeded that number, coming off with 10 boards on the night.
The buzzer blares after a missed shot from the Red Storm, and it’s a win for the Golden Eagles.
This article was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @RaquelRuizMU.
