MU Travels to Green Bay for Season Lidlifter
11/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes 
| Live Stats | Kieger Talks Opener | Yentz and Valentine talk Rules Changes
The Marquette University women's basketball team will head north to open their 2015-16 regular season campaign with a road contest against in-state foe, Green Bay on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. CT at Kress Center. The game will air live on ESPN3.
Second year head coach Carolyn Kieger's squad features just two returning players in junior McKayla Yentz and sophomore Shantelle Valentine and the duo have appeared in 69 games for the Golden Eagles with a combined nine starts for MU. Last season, Valentine averaged 2.6 points per contest and hauled in 3.4 rebounds per game in just under 13.5 minutes per game, while Yentz matched Valentine's scoring production of 2.6 ppg in limited minutes.
As their lone exhibition match proved, the Golden Eagles will rely heavily on their youth throughout the season. Marquette rallied past Southwest Baptist on Sunday, 70-68, in a match-up where the freshman class was well represented.
The six freshmen that appeared in the contest for MU combined to play 143 of the game's 200 minutes, and tally 57 of the team's 70 points. Freshmen Allazia Blockton, Danielle King, and Natisha Heideman lead MU in scoring with 15, 13, and 11 points respectively, while Heideman also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
Erika Davenport and Amani Wilborn were key role players for MU in the exhibition, as Davenport scored eight points to couple seven rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench for Coach Kieger. Wilborn started the game and tallied four points, two assists, and two steals in 17 minutes of play.
The matchup marks the second consecutive season where the Golden Eagles will begin their season against Green Bay, with the Phoenix taking last season's lid-lifter, 94-66.
Fresh off a season that featured a 28-5 record to couple a 15-1 league mark, Green Bay will look to continue the style of play that earned them a 17th consecutive Horizon League championship and an NCAA tournament berth.
Redshirt junior Mehryn Kraker and junior Tesha Buck will pace the Green Bay offense in 2015-16. The duo averaged 12.5 and 11.6 points per game, respectively, a season ago, with Buck also averaging 3.24 assists per contest. Senior Kaili Lukan also figures to be important for the Phoenix. The Ontario, Canada native averaged 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 44 percent from the field last season.
Marquette will host IUPUI in its home opener at the Al McGuire Center on Nov. 16 at noon CT for their annual MPS day.
