The first chapter of a new era of Marquette women’s basketball has come to an end.
After a hard-fought loss against top-seeded James Madison (30-5) that went to overtime, the Golden Eagles (21-11) came up short, falling 80-76 in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
MU’s fight falls short after sending game to overtime
James Madison started the game on an 11-0 run, but Marquette weathered the storm, eventually tying the game at 24 a piece with 6:23 in the second quarter. The Golden Eagles went into the halftime break up 32-30.
The second half was back and forth, with neither team leading by more than four points until a pair of Kseniia Kozlova free throws gave the Dukes a 66-60 lead with 2:31 to play.
Yet again, Marquette fought back with a 6-0 run, ending with a pair of sophomore forward Skylar Forbes free throws to tie the game with 56 seconds. Senior guard Lee Volker had an open deep ball with 13 seconds left that bounced in and out. The Golden Eagles got a defensive stop to force overtime.
Marquette fell behind early in the extra period before sophomore guard Halle Vice cut it to a one-point deficit with 44 seconds left. Ro Scott hit a dagger layup followed by a Volker missed triple to secure the Dukes’ 80-76 victory.
Standout performers
Volker, Vice and Forbes carried the Golden Eagles on the offensive end, scoring 59 of Marquette’s 76 points.
Forbes led all scorers with 25 points (8-for-15), adding eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks. She also set the all-time single-season blocks record in the loss, surpassing 54 blocks.
Most blocks in a single season in program history!
#WeAreMarquette | #playwithHEART pic.twitter.com/HiFWcwHEod
— Marquette WBB (@MarquetteWBB) March 23, 2025
Vice earned a double-double, dropping 22 points (7-of-16) and grabbing 11 rebounds. Volker scored 12 points, and Jaidynn Mason finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
For James Madison, Kozlova dominated in the paint, scoring 20 points (6-for-15) and collecting 11 rebounds. Scott and Jamia Hazell scored a combined 29 points for the Dukes.
Season overview and senior impact
Marquette finished fourth in the Big East and went 21-11 in Cara Consuegra’s first season at the helm.
Expectations for this team were low from the national media and other Big East coaches. Nevertheless, the Golden Eagles proved they were better than others expected. They finished the season 98th on offense and 30th on defense, according to predictive metrics site BartTorvik.
Most importantly, Consuegra laid the foundation for the culture she seeks to build at Marquette. The Golden Eagles were a connected group that relied on core values, unselfishness, toughness, and resilience.
As for the seniors, guard Abbey Cracknell increased her output in her senior season in Milwaukee, appearing in 28 games. Volker, a forward who transferred from Duke, was an influential part of the culture MU built this year. She also improved immensely on the floor, increasing her scoring average from 3.5 to 12.6 points and grabbing 2.1 more rebounds per game.
Both seniors had an impact on and off the floor in a new era of Marquette basketball.
This story was written by Max Mullin. He can be reached at maxwell.mullin@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MullinMax.
