Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
Tulane
Marquette Knocks Off Nationally-Ranked Tulane
2/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2000
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Marquette women's basketball team got its best team effort of the season and raced away with an 81-62 victory over nationally-ranked Tulane this afternoon in Fogelman Arena. Marquette stifled the Green Wave with a tough defense, holding Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year Grace Daley, also C-USA's leading scorer, without a point after the intermission en route to improving to 18-4 overall and 10-1 in C-USA. Tulane, ranked #21 in the AP Poll and #22 in the coaches' poll, goes to 19-3, 8-3 with the loss.
"We just had absolute focus today," Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said. "We were just taking it one possession at a time, and we took the scouting report to heart."
Marquette jumped out to a 27-15 lead midway through the first half with some good teamwork. Spreading the ball around, the Golden Eagles took the early lead with seven players finding the bottom of the hoop. Willenborg and Oldenburg paved the way with six points each. Daley kept it close for Tulane with eight points in the first 13 minutes, but she had only one other point the rest of the game.
Marquette was able to maintain its double-digit lead despite Willenborg picking up her second foul at the 6:57 mark and sitting out the rest of the way. In her place, Sarah Zawodny provided a physical presence on both ends of the floor. The 6-4 sophomore center kept up the defensive pressure on Tulane's Janell Burse and collected six points and five rebounds. Kiesha Oliver also helped out, scoring eight points, including two three-pointers. Oldenburg ended the half with 10 points as Marquette took a 40-27 lead into the lockerroom.
The Golden Eagles pushed the margin to 21 with a 14-6 run to open the second frame and never looked back, preserving that margin for a majority of the second half. Filling in for a foul-plagued Willenborg again, Zawodny continued to lead the way , concluding the game with 12 points and eight boards. Oliver and Kristi Johnson were also strong in the second half, helping corral Daley while chipping in 15 and five points, respectively. As always, Oldenburg and Willenborg were steady. Oldenburg finished with 17 points and seven boards, while Willenborg poured in 16 and five.
Marquette out-rebounded Tulane 53-33, but the other key factor, however, was the defense on Daley.
"That was a huge key," Mitchell said. "We wanted to make her work at all times. Locate her on the transition and in the half-court offense, and we did a good job of that. They were also working hard on defense, which probably tired them out some on the offensive end."
Burse, coming off a 39-point, 18-rebound performance this past Thursday, was held to a team-high 13. Fabrecia Roberson tossed in 12 and Britt Themann added 11 off the bench.
"I'm extremely proud of our seniors," Mitchell said. "They poured their hearts out on the floor. Now we need to build on this and keep it going."
The Golden Eagles continue their current four-game road swing next Fri., Feb. 11, when they battle Cincinnati in the Bearcats' Shoemaker Center at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
