“When we play UConn, we have to just chip away, and at one point we’re going to beat them,” the Golden Eagles head coach said outside the visiting locker room at PeoplesBank Arena. “That wasn’t today, obviously, and that point might not be in February, and that point might not be for five years, but every time we play them, our goal is to play them better.”

In the programs’ rematch at the Al McGuire Center on Saturday, in which Marquette kept the 71-56 defeat competitive for most of the matinee, that philosophy was evident from the opening tip.

The December game opened with the Huskies scoring the first four points and forcing a five second violation on the Golden Eagles’ second inbound. Feb. 14, it was the blue & gold who took a 5-0 lead and trailed only three points after the first quarter, UConn’s smallest advantage after the opening period all season.

Marquette’s defensive discipline carried into the second quarter, forcing UConn into longer possessions and limiting transition opportunities. The effort resulted in the Huskies’ lowest-scoring first half of the season (36 points) and ultimately their lowest scoring output overall, one less than their previous low of 72 against then-No. 6 Michigan.

“The game was being played at their pace,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said. “When we played them two months ago, it was at our pace.”

That shift in tempo forced the Huskies to operate deeper into their offensive sets rather than relying on early transition looks, a change in the Huskies’ rythym which Auriemma credited to Marquette’s atmosphere and approach.

“This is one of the more difficult places to play in our league,” Auriemma said. “Their style of play is really good: very smart, very methodical, but physical.”

Marquette’s ability to keep UConn uncomfortable extended beyond pace control. After forcing UConn to turn the ball over five times in the opening five minutes, the Golden Eagles prevented the Huskies from turning defense into instant offense, a rarity against a program that thrives on both speed and depth.

“The difference this game was they felt like they were in the game,” Auriemma said. “In Hartford, by the end of the first quarter, it felt like the game was over. Today, they were in it.”

Despite UConn asserting itself in the second half, Marquette remained competitive well into the third quarter. The Golden Eagles continued to contest shots and rebound physically, requiring UConn to make rare lineup and play adjustments.

Marquette’s performance also reflected an improved ability to adjust to UConn’s defensive scheme, even as the Huskies forced 22 turnovers on the afternoon.

“When you do a good job taking care of the ball against them, then you force them to run more offense,” Consuegra said. “Today they were running plays that we didn’t go over in scout because we forced them deeper into their playbook.”

The competitive showing against the most dominant program in women’s college basketball came after a difficult stretch the week prior. The Golden Eagles lost two games in a row — at Creighton and at home against Seton Hall — in disappointing fashion to tie their total number of Big East losses all of last season with four regular season games remaining.

Saturday, though, was a step in the right direction.

“I told our team in the huddle after the game that if we play like that,” Consuegra said, “we can write our own story on how we want to finish this season.”

Now, with the Big East tournament drawing every closer, Marquette faces a critical stretch in determining postseason positioning and momentum. While the 16-10 overall and 10-7 Big East record reflects recent struggles, Saturday’s performance offered a clear benchmark for how the Golden Eagles can play entering March — by continuing to “chip away.”