No. 22/17 Women's Basketball Hosts Michigan on Sunday

MILWAUKEE – The No. 22/17 Marquette women's basketball team returns home to the Al McGuire Center on Sunday, Dec. 2, hosting the University of Michigan, which are receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' Poll, in a non-conference tilt at 4 p.m. Central time.

The Golden Eagles (5-1) were forced to play Wednesday's game against crosstown foe Milwaukee at the Klotsche Center due to facility issues at the Al McGuire Center and adjusted accordingly in dispatching the Panthers, 83-74. Allazia Blockton (28) led all scorers and was one of four Golden Eagles in double figures. She and Natisha Hiedeman broke two long-standing records for field goals made and 3-pointers made, respectively.

Both Blockton (19.3 ppg) and Hiedeman (14.5 ppg) are leading Marquette in scoring average this season, while Amani Willborn (11.5 ppg) and Erika Davenport (11.2) are also averaging in double figures with Danielle King (9.7 ppg) not far off. The Golden Eagles currently rank in the nation's top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (1.59 - 4th), turnover margin (+10.5 - 6th), scoring margin (+32.2 ppg - 7th) and scoring offense (87.8 ppg - 8th). They also lead the BIG EAST in rebounds per game (43.0 rpg) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.3), sinking 9.5 triples per contest, which is good for 20th in the nation.

Sunday's matchup marks the ninth meeting (U-M leads 5-3) all-time in a series that dates back to 1993. The most recent meeting took place last year, following a four-year hiatus, and resulted in an 82-76 Michigan win.

PROMOS

Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest – $100 prize for fan dressed in the best (or worst) Ugly Christmas Sweater.
All fans dressed in holiday attire can receive a free GA ticket.
First 500 fans at game receive Marquette 'Holiday Sweater' T-Shirt.

Following the matchup against the Wolverines, Marquette faces a challenging road test against No. 6/6 Mississippi State in Starkville. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Central time and will air live on SEC Network Plus.

OPPONENT
MICHIGAN (5-2): The Wolverines, who entered the week receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' Poll, fell to No. 13/13 NC State, 66-55, on the road on Thursday. Michigan completes a five-game road swing vs. No. 22/17 Marquette, which marks their fourth ranked opponent during that stretch and includes a road win over No. 21 Missouri back on Nov. 23.

U-M has three players averaging in double figures led by Hallie Thome's 14.6 ppg, followed by Nicole Munger (12.7 ppg) and Naz Hillmon (10.6 ppg). Thome is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.9 boards per contest.

STORYLINES
• Allazia Blockton is up for two major awards. She was recently named by the WBCA Wade Trophy Watch List as one of 35 candidates in the country under consideration for the nation's top Division I women's basketball player. She is also one of 30 finalists for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award, which focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages them to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

• Two long-standing records were broken on Wednesday night at the Klotsche Center. Blockton set the career record for made field goals with her fifth basket of the game late in the second quarter, passing Julie Sievers' 35-year-old mark of 717 made baskets. Meanwhile, Natisha Hiedeman, also in the second quarter, eclipsed Lori Goerlitz's 23-year-old career mark for 3-pointers made (221) as she knocked down four triples to bring her career total to 223.

• Senior Danielle King became Marquette's fifth active player to reach the 1,000-career points mark with her 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter of MU's win over Montana State on Nov. 9.

• Allazia Blockton is poised to become Marquette's all-time scoring leader as she is just 49 points shy of passing Krystal Ellis' ('09) current record of 1,940 points. She is also on pace to become the first player, male or female, to reach 2,000 career points in school history. The four other active 1,000-point scorers include Natisha Hiedeman (1,383), Erika Davenport (1,240), Amani Wilborn (1,075) and King (1,041).

• Marquette is the only Division I program with five 1,000-point scorers, but will soon be joined by top-ranked Notre Dame, which has four active 1,000-point scorers and a fifth just 84 points away. Both teams will meet on Dec. 22 at the Al McGuire Center.

• Senior Amani Wilborn recorded her first career double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) against UIC. She's averaging 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest so far this season. She earned BIG EAST weekly honor roll accolades for the week, following the UIC game.

• Marquette had consecutive games in which six players reached double figures in scoring (Montana State and Northern Iowa). Last season, the Golden Eagles accomplished the feat just once - in an overtime loss on the road to the eventual national champions, Notre Dame.

• The Golden Eagles have dished out 20 or more assists in four of six games this season. MU handed out a season-high 24 assists against Montana State and 22 helpers against South Dakota State, UNI and UIC.
Head coach Carolyn Kieger's high-scoring offense is shining through once again this year as MU is averaging 87.8 points per game, which ranks ninth in the country.

• Blockton was tabbed as unanimous BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and is the reigning league player of the year and scholar-athlete of the year. Davenport, Hiedeman and Wilborn were all picked to the BIG EAST Preseason Team.

• The Golden Eagles spent the summer on a foreign tour in Australia from August 9-20. The team played four games overseas and experienced quite a few adventures, including snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and visiting the Sydney Opera House.

• Head coach Carolyn Kieger enters her fifth season at the helm of the Golden Eagles. She has guided Marquette to the most wins in any two-year span in program history with 49 victories from 2016-18, including back-to-back 20-win campaigns. Kieger's record at Marquette stands at 77-57.

• Marquette earned an at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament, reaching the second round for the first time since 2011 and just the fifth time in program history, also marking the first time since 1999-2000 the Golden Eagles have made back-to-back trips to the Big Dance.