Marquette University Athletics
Marquette to Host USF on Senior Night
3/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 2, 2008
MILWAUKEE -
The Marquette women's basketball team will bid adieu to senior Svetlana Kovalenko and close out the regular season Monday night when it hosts USF in front of a nationally televised audience at 8 p.m., at the Al McGuire Center. The game will be broadcast live on College Sports Television with Debbie Antonelli and Ann Schatz calling all the action.
Be here for the Golden Eagles' final home game of the season and the grand prize drawing for "A Night on the Town in Milwaukee." The package includes a one night stay at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, dinner at the Milwaukee Chophouse and Milwaukee Art Museum Tickets. Sign up at the marketing table Monday night. Participants must be present at the time of the drawing to claim their prize.
Marquette (16-12, 8-7 BIG EAST) is one of nine teams that has secured a berth in the BIG EAST Conference Tournement which begins March 8 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Outcomes of Monday night's games will determine what seed the Golden Eagles will be. Currently, Marquette stands in eighth place with an 8-7 conference mark. The final three slots are still up for grabs.
The Golden Eagles are coming off a 71-64 defeat of Villanova on Saturday that put the MU above .500 in conference play (8-7). Marquette answered every run the Wildcats made and outscored Villanova, 43-36, in the second half.
Junior Krystal Ellis added another complete game to her resume with 23 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block at Villanova. Red-shirt freshman Jocelyn Mellen came off the bench to add nine points and a team high seven rebounds. Seven of Mellen's nine points came from the charity stripe. The Golden Eagles took care of business at the free throw line making 20 of 26 attempts at Villanova. Marquette has shot better than 75 percent from the free throw line in six of its last eight games.
Marquette and USF will square-off for the second installment of the home-and-home series this season. Marquette won the first meeting in Tampa, 79-66. Marquette is 13-1 all-time against the Bulls in a series that began in 1996. The Golden Eagles defeated USF on senior night last season, 75-63.
USF (14-14, 4-11) picked up a big win over Pittsburgh, 65-64, in its last time out Saturday night at the Sun Dome. The Bulls' leading scorer Shantia Grace hit a driving layup with five seconds remaining for the game winner. The win snapped USF's two-game road skid and keeps them in the hunt for the 12th and final spot in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament. USF is in a must win situation Monday to claim the 12th seed in the BIG EAST Tourney.
