Golden Eagles Ready to Renew Rivalry with Wisconsin
12/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2008
MILWAUKEE -
The Marquette women's basketball team (7-2) is back in action Saturday, Dec. 13 when it makes the short trek to the state capital to play Wisconsin (9-1). The 1 p.m. tip-off at the Kohl Center can be seen live via webstream courtesy of the BigTenNetwork.com.
Saturday's meeting against the Badgers is the 16th of the series which began in 1977. Wisconsin holds the slim advatage 8-7, but Marquette has won the four straight meetings. Head coach Terri Mitchell's teams are 6-1 all-time against Wisconsin and 19-11 overall against the Big Ten Conference, inlcuding a 81-66 win at Michigan State to claim the 2008 WNIT?Championship.
The Golden Eagles returned to its winning ways with a pair of come-from-behind victories over Northwestern (55-54) and Kansas (67-57). Senior All-America candidate Krystal Ellis was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for her performance in those two wins. It was a team effort that let Marquette chip away at a 16-point deficit at Northwestern, but it was Ellis who scored the final nine points of the game over the last 3:04 to defeat the Wildcats, 55-54. Against Kansas, Ellis matched her Al McGuire Center record of 32 points while almost single-handedly turning what had been a nine-point deficit into a second-half lead. Ellis scored 16-straight points between the 1:34 mark in the first half and 17:31 mark the second half to give MU the lead for good. Ellis currently leads the team with 18.0 ppg, while sophomore guard Angel Robinson follows with 12.9. Collectively, the Golden Eagles have out-scored their opponents by 11.7 ppg and own a 5.3 rebounding margin over their foes
The Golden Eagles have won its last seven road games dating back to its run to the 2008 WNIT Championship, while the Badgers are a perfect 5-0 at the Kohl Center this season.
The Badgers enter Saturday's game as winners of the last nine straight after dropping its season opener to South Dakota State. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Wisconsin claimed the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam by claiming victories over Villanova (47-45), Central Florida (65-61) and then No. 6/7 Baylor (59-58). Sophomore guard Alyssa Karel leads the team with 13.5 points per game and ranks second with 4.6 rebounds per game. Overall, the Badgers are holding its opponents to 60.0 points per game, while out-scoring them by 4.7 points per game.
Marquette fans are welcome to go to a pre-game reception starting at 11 a.m. at Nitty Gritty (223 N. Frances Street) in Madison. A lunch buffet and a cash bar will be available.
