Marquette University
USF
Golden Eagles Fly High Over USF, 79-66
1/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. - Junior Krystal Ellis scored 30 points, freshman Paige Fiedorowicz added 10 points and junior Kelly Lam contributed 11 to lead the Marquette women's basketball team to defeat USF, 79-66, Saturday evening at the Sun Dome.
The win marks the Golden Eagles' first BIG EAST road victory of the season as MU improves to 11-8 overall, 3-3 in conference play.
"When playing on the road we needed everyone on this team to step up and be the best basketball player they could be tonight," said head coach Terri Mitchell. At home we seem to do that, but on the road we seem to rely on one or two people. Although Krystal had an unbelievable game, it was our energy on defense that got us going in the second half. This was a difficult game for us, and we dedicate this win to Erin (Monfre) and her family as they go through this difficult time."
Coming out of halftime tied, 34-34, the two teams traded buckets to knot the score for the seventh time, 39-39, early in the second half.
From there Marquette scored nine unanswered points to go ahead, 48-39, with 16:17 to play. Marquette pushed its lead to 13 points, 56-43, three minutes later with the help of jumpers by Ellis, sophomore Janelle Harris and freshman Angel Robinson.
"We came out of the second half with fire," added Mitchell. "We created a lot of turnovers that led to easy buckets, and we got that 10-point lead and pretty much stay with that for the rest of the game."
The Bulls countered and cut MU's lead to seven, 58-51, with 11:07 remaining in the game, but it would be the closest USF would come.
Marquette took its largest lead of the game, 19 points, 53-72, with 6:02 remaining in the game after Ellis drilled her second trifecta of the game, and again, 76-57, with 4:05 left to play.
"I thought the team did a good job of screening for each other and setting each other up," Mitchell said. "When other players started scoring, that opened up things for Krystal. I always believe that defense can create offense and tonight was just another example of that."
Ellis scored 23 of her game-high 30 points in the second half.
For the game, Marquette shot 44.9 percent (31-of-69), while holding the Bulls to make just 19 of their attempts (28.8 percent). Marquette forced 24 USF turnovers and scored 26 points off those miscues. The Golden Eagles tallied 13 steals for the game, led by Robinson with five swipes.
MU was edged on the glass, 51-43, but got a collegiate-high 10 rebounds from red-shirt freshman Jocelyn Mellen. Senior Svetlana Kovalenko pulled down nine.
In the first half, Ellis and Lam each scored seven points for the Golden Eagles who shot 36.1 percent from the field (13-of-36). MU's inside presence was dominant as the Golden Eagles scored 20 of the 34 first half points in the paint.
Marquette will return to the friendly confines of the Al McGuire Center on Wednesday, Jan. 30, to host Georgetown at 7 p.m. Wednesday is Racine County Night. All fans from Racine with valid identification receive half-price admission.
