Marquette University Athletics
Women's Basketball Defeats Wagner, 67-59
12/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Recap | Box Score | Quotes
Recap and box score in PDF format.
MILWAUKEE ? Marquette used its defense to force Wagner into 21 turnovers, converting those into 31 points as the Golden Eagles (5-1) pulled out a 67-59 win.
Senior forward Crystal Weaver, senior guard Katie O?Grady and sophomore forward Efueko Osagie each had three turnovers sparking the MU defense. When Wagner (2-3) protected the ball, the MU defense was able to put a hand in the shooter?s face. Wagner shot just 35.0 percent in the first half as MU led by eight, 28-20, at the break.
O?Grady?s presence on defense equaled that of her offense in the first half. She combined her three first-half steals with seven points to pace MU and its bench. The Marquette reserves scored 15 of MU?s 28 points in the 20 minutes.
?It?s good because it?s showing us that we gets sparks off the bench,? head coach Terri Mitchell said. ?We?re trying to emphasize that everyone's ready to score.?
Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger also had seven points in the first half. She tied for the team lead in scoring for the game with 10. She also added six assists. Kieger and the rest of the Marquette squad protected the ball well. Marquette had a season low eight turnovers.
?It?s something we wanted to concentrate on all year,? Kieger said. ?We work on it in practice a lot and I personally wanted to work on turnovers. When I slow down the whole team slows down.?
While Marquette had success with its guard play, the Golden Eagles were as dominant in the post. For the game, Marquette scored 30 points in the paint, led by Weaver?s 10. Marquette was also successful on defense down low. Sophomore center Sarah Shouse had a season-best three blocked shots for the game.
For Marquette, it was a balanced effort. Nine players logged more than 10 minutes, with 11 players scoring at least one point. Defensively, eight players forced a Wagner turnover with a steal and five blocked shots.
Wagner forward Carrie Walker led her team with 20 points and nine rebounds, picking up the pace for three missing teammates who were out with illness, including the team?s most accurate shooter, Vanessa Wyffels. Wagner guard Ashley Linscott had a productive homecoming. The senior from Oconomowoc, Wis., had 15 points and six boards.
The Golden Eagles take a week off for final exams. Marquette returns to action on Sunday, December 14 against Virginia Commonwealth. That game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Wisconsin Lutheran College Fieldhouse in Wauwatosa.
