Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
UAB
Women's Basketball Wins, In The End
1/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2000
MILWAUKEE - Abbie Willenborg hit a layup with 10 seconds left and then iced the game with a pair of free throws as the Marquette women?s basketball team came from behind to defeat UAB 72-69 in overtime at the Milwaukee Arena this evening. Fellow seniors Kiesha Oliver and Lisa Oldenburg paced the Golden Eagles, with 22 and 21 points, respectively, and helped Marquette extend its current home-court winning streak to 17 games. The Golden Eagles also remain undefeated in Conference USA action at 6-0 and are 14-3 overall. Following the loss, UAB is now 11-6, 3-3.
The Lady Blazers opened an 18-8 lead by utilizing red-hot three-point shooting. UAB?s Jackson sisters, 6-2 sophomore Deanna and 5-9 senior Lisa, each hit a pair of treys in the first eight minutes as each of the Blazers? first six field goals was a three.
Marquette chipped away at the lead behind the slashing of junior Heidi Bowman, who had 10 of her 14 points in the opening half. However, every time Marquette cut into the lead, the Lady Blazers found the open player for a three. UAB went 8-15 from behind the three-point arc in the first half, and hit 12 in the game. Deanna Jackson led the first half charge for UAB with 12 points and eight boards. The Lady Blazers took a 32-23 advantage into the intermission.
?UAB came out firing, which is not their personality,? Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said. ?But they were feeling it and getting open looks.? As they have in several other games this season, the Golden Eagles mounted a furious comeback after the break. Oliver found success on several dribble-drives to the hoop while Oldenburg and Willenborg worked the low-post game to help Marquette take its first lead with 4:41 left in the contest. It was the Marquette defensive effort, however, that paved the way for the comeback. Deanna Jackson was held to only four points and two rebounds in the second half and the Lady Blazers committed 13 turnovers in the second 20 minutes. Marquette also had a 40-33 advantage on the boards over UAB, which came into the game as the top rebounding team in C USA.
?We went to a man defense in the opening of the second half, and that?s what got us back in the game,? Mitchell said. ?We adjusted to follow the game plan in the second half.?
The remaining minutes of regulation were a back and forth affair. Bowman, who hit a three-pointer this past Sunday to provide Marquette with a 62-59 victory at UNC Charlotte, couldn?t convert this evening, as her three point attempt as the buzzer sounded was long.
The overtime session was more of the same, as the teams traded baskets. Oliver?s three off a motion play with 13 seconds left was long, but Willenborg hauled in the offensive rebound for the quick put-back. The 6-2 senior center then grabbed a Holly Holland airball on the other end of the floor and hit the subsequent free throws for the final outcome.
?I challenged the seniors at halftime,? Mitchell said. ?If you can get on to your leaders and they respond, then that filters down through the team. They responded.
Oliver?s 22 points was a season high for the 5-9 guard, who also collected six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Oldenburg?s 17 points came on 7-9 shooting from the field and went along with seven boards, two assists, four blocks and three steals. Willenborg had 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a block and three steals. The Lady Blazers were led by Mia Thrash, who had 17 points. Deanna Jackson had 16 points and 10 boards, while Lisa Jackson tallied 14 points and Holland 11.
The Golden Eagles conclude the week in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse on the University of Memphis campus, where Marquette battles the Memphis lady Tigers on Sun., Jan. 23, at 3 p.m. (CT).
MARQUETTE 72, UAB 69 (OT)
UAB (11-6, 3-3) D. Jackson 7-14 0-0 16, Holland 4-15 0-0 11, Smith 2-5 1-6 5, L. Jackson 5-11 0-0 14, Thrash 5-11 6-7 17, Stallings 2-7 0-0 6, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Landry 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-64 7-13 69.
MARQUETTE (14-3, 6-0) Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Oldenburg 7-9 6-8 21, Willenborg 5-11 5-7 15, Johnson 0-8 0-0 0, Bowman 6-11 2-2 14, Oliver 9-16 2-4 22, Seffern 0-0 0-0 0, Zawodny 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 15-21 72.
Halftime_UAB 32, Marquette 23. 3-point goals_UAB 12-27 (D. Jackson 2-3, Holland 3-7, L. Jackson 4-7, Thrash 1 4, Stallings 2-6), Marquette 3-17 (Oldenburg 1-1, johnson 0-7, Bowman 0-4, Oliver 2-5). Rebounds_UAB 33 (D. Jackson 10), Marquette 40 (Oldenburg 7, Willenborg 7). Assists_UAB 16 (D. Jackson 5), Marquette 13 (Willenborg 4). Turnovers_UAB 20, Marquette 22. Fouled out_UAB (D. Jackson, L. Jackson). Total fouls_UAB 18, Marquette 15. Att_689.
