Marquette Opens Exhibition Play Saturday

Oct. 31, 2008

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette women's basketball team will host Winona State (Minn.) in its first exhibition game of the 2008-09 season on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Al McGuire Center. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Marquette opens the regular season against 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Oral Roberts at the Al McGuire Center on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.

The Golden Eagles are coming off a 21-14 overall record for the 2007-08 campaign that was capped by a season-high five game win streak and the WNIT Championship. Marquette, who returns 81.8 percent of its scoring from a season ago, welcomes back four starters, including senior All-American candidate Krystal Ellis and All-BIG EAST Freshman Team selection Angel Robinson, and six letterwinners. Four newcomers join the team in junior college transfers Breann Hill (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Lauren Thomas-Johnson (Manchester, England), and freshmen Georgie Jones (St. Paul, MInn.) and Jessica Pachko (Cincinnati, Ohio).

They have earned preseason national recognition by several media outlets including Sporting News (No. 25), Women's Basketball Magazine (No. 23), Lindy's College Basketball (No. 25), SportsPageMagazine.com (No. 24) and by Nancy Lieberman (No. 22).

Along with the team recognition, Ellis was named a preseason second team All-American by Sporting News, as well as to the "Wade Watch" list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year, and was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection. Ellis averaged 19.4 points per game during the 2007-08 season, and 23.2 ppg during Marquette's march to the Women's National Invitation Tournament Championship.

Winona State, a NCAA Division II program in Winona, Minn., went 21-9 overall and finished third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with a 11-7 record during the 2007-08 season. The Warriors return four starters, all of which are seniors, including Jenny Steffen who led Division II in three-point field goal shooting a season ago.

Season ticket holders are able to pick up their season ticket t-shirts on the southeast concourse on Saturday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 10, when the Golden Eagles wrap-up exhibition play against Wis.-Parkside at 7 p.m. One t-shirt per season ticket purchase. If you aren't able to pick your t-shirt(s) please call the Marquette Women's Basketball office at (414) 288-5784 to schedule a pick-up.

Women's basketball season tickets are still on sale and packages start as low as $40. Log onto www.gomarquette.com or call (414) 288-GOMU for more details.