MU Hosts Vanderbilt Thursday for MPS Day
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Marquette Game Notes 
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MILWAUKEE--The Marquette University women's basketball team (2-7, 0-0) welcomes the Vanderbilt Commodores (7-2, 0-0) to the Al McGuire Center Thursday, Dec. 18 for a Noon Central time showdown in Milwaukee.
Thursday afternoon's contest marks the return of MPS Day at the Al McGuire Center. Several large groups of children from the Milwaukee Public School District area will be in attendance to help cheer on the blue and gold. The Noon tip is a result of the special occasion.
The Golden Eagles look to get back on track, after they dropped their fourth-straight contest, falling 77-68 at the hands of the Northern Kentucky Norse this past Monday. Freshman Kenisha Bell poured in a career-high 25 points and fellow freshman Shantelle Valentine chipped in with career highs in points with 11 and rebounds with nine. The freshman trio of Bell, Valentine and Tia Elbert accounted for 47 of MU's 68 points, but the efforts ultimately came up short. After trailing by 14 at the half, the Golden Eagles stormed back, picking up 12 steals in the second half alone. Bell collected seven of her career-high eight thefts in the second half.
Vanderbilt knocked off Elon on the road 66-50 in its last time out. The Commodores were paced by junior Heather Bowe, who came up big with a team-high 15 points in her first action of the season. Teammate Morgan Batey supplied 14 points and picked up a career-high 16 boards.
Thursday's contest marks just the second matchup between the two programs. The Golden Eagles claimed an 82-77 victory in Nashville last season. MU erased a 14-point Vanderbilt lead en route to its win over the Commodores.
