Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
UAB
UAB Upends Marquette, 68-54
1/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2003
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MILWAUKEE - The Marquette women's basketball team closed its four game home stand on a losing note Sunday afternoon at the Bradley Center, losing to UAB, 68-54.
UAB's Chantell Thomas led all scorers with 25 points; she played all but two minutes of the game. Thomas was hot from beyond the three-point line, connecting on three of six. It was bombs away for UAB in the first half as the Blazers connected on five of 12 three-point attempts.
The Golden Eagles kept it close in the first half, never trailing by more than nine points and entered the locker room at halftime down six. Marquette is now 9-6 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA. UAB improves to 6-10 overall and 1-2 in C-USA play.
UAB opened up a 14 point lead with 13:17 left in the second half and then Marquette began to battle back. A 5-0 run brought Marquette within six points with just over eight minutes remaining.
"I talked at halftime that if they could go up, we could come back. Our goal at the eight minute mark was to have it at six points. We made that goal, but our offense didn't continue to perform," head coach Terri Mitchell said.
UAB answered back with a 9-0 run of its own, bringing their lead to 15 points with 6:19 left. Marquette could not find its way back into the game as missed free throws hurt the team. The Golden Eagles were 11-for-21 in the game from the charity stripe.
"We are 12th in the nation in free throw shooting," said Mitchell. "Its baffling what happened today. It happens, everyone in this league is able to beat everyone else. We know in this conference that we need to get the home ones."
Marquette was led in scoring and rebounding by senior Rachel Klug who had 18 points and seven rebounds.
"They were being pretty physical, it was a very physical game all around," said Klug. The two teams combined for 34 fouls.
Michelle Smith of UAB recorded a game high 17 rebounds and scored 13 points.
Marquette hits the road for its next two contests, taking on Memphis on January 24 at 7 p.m. and Saint Louis on January 26 at 2 p.m.
Notes: Katie Alsdurf connected on a three-pointer for the ninth consecutive game ... The Golden Eagles won the opening tip for the eighth consecutive game and hold a record of 4-4 in those games ... Marquette's bench scored just four points.
