Marquette University
Saint Louis
Women's Basketball Clinches Conference USA Championship
2/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2000
MILWAUKEE - An already emotional afternoon became even more so for the #23 Marquette women's basketball team today, as the Golden Eagles defeated Saint Louis 82-70 in the Marquette Arena. The Golden Eagles, expecting a sentimental send-off for their seniors following their last regular-season home game, instead cried tears of joy after the game as Marquette clinched its first-ever outright Conference USA Regular-Season Championship. Fittingly, it was the Golden Eagle seniors who led the way, as all three reached double-digit scoring to help Marquette complete an undefeated season at home and extend its home-court winning streak to 21 games. The Golden Eagles improve to 22-4 overall and 14-1 in C-USA, while Saint Louis falls to 11-14, 4-10.
"The way it ended today - I couldn't have scripted it any better," Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said. "It's always a special day on Senior Day, and then to celebrate the conference title on the same day makes it that much sweeter. I'm going to take my coach's cap off and just enjoy the rest of the afternoon."
The most decorated class ever to pass through Marquette had a lot ot do with the final outcome. Abbie Willenborg, who became Marquette's all-time leading scorer this past Friday, had her way in the lane all afternoon, tallying her 10th double-double of the season with team-highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds. Classmate Lisa Oldenburg also racked up a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Kiesha Oliver poured in 16 points and passed out four assists. Each of the players were performing with the additional "weight" of this game possibly being their last in front of the home crowd.
"We've been talking about that stuff all week," Oliver said. "But once you get out on the court, all that stuff goes away and you just play basketball."
And the Marquette seniors do that pretty well.
Willenborg went 11-16 from the field and also recorded three assists, two blocks and a career-high five steals.Oldenburg went 8-12 from the floor to go along with three assists, two blocks and a steal, while Oliver tossed in eight of her 10 free throw attempts. Those three helped Marquette outrebound Saint Louis 45-36 and aided a defense that limited the Billikens to 41% field goal shooting. Despite going 0-12 from three-point land, Marquette hit 54% of its shots from the field.
Senior guard Mandy Lueking hit five threes and poured in 25 points to lead Saint Louis, which led only once, 5-4, at the 18-minute mark of the first half.
An emotional and grateful Mitchell saluted her seniors, not only for their performances today, but for their entire careers.
"They are such different people," Mitchell said. "Lisa is the comedian ... Abbie the motherly-type ... and Kiesha is the emotion. Yet, they're all such fierce competitors. They are class people as well as class athletes. They've helped me be a better coach and they've taught me so much. They are the reason I will be in coaching for a long time.
"What will be missed the most will be their selfless attitudes, their work ethics and the way they always put the team ahead of any of their individual accomplishments."
Oliver told the home crowd that they won't be missing anything for a while, though.
"We just want to tank you all for the support," Oliver told the fans in a postgame ceremony. "But we're not done yet. We've got a lot more basketball to play."
Marquette concludes its regular-season and C-USA slate next Sat., Feb. 26, when the Golden Eagles battle DePaul at 11 a.m. Tip-off for the final game ever at the Blue Demons' Alumni Hall is scheduled for 11 a.m. With a win, Marquette can register the most single-season wins in the history of the program. The Golden Eagles are now assured of the top seed in the C-USA Tournament which takes place the following weekend.
