No. 22/17 Golden Eagles Race Past Michigan, 85-74

MILWAUKEE – The No. 22/17 Marquette women's basketball team used a fast start get by the University of Michigan, 85-74, at the Al McGuire Center on Sunday and pushed its record to 6-1 on the season.

The Golden Eagles outscored the Wolverines (5-3) by 10 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 52-32 lead into halftime and never looked back en route to its third-straight win and fifth home victory in as many tries.

For the second time this season, all five starters reached in double figures scoring led by senior Erika Davenport, who poured in a season-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds. Allazia Blockton added 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Natisha Hiedeman added 11 points and seven assists. Amani Wilborn and Danielle King chipped in with 12 points apiece.

Marquette led by as many as 28 points with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter before Michigan tightened the final gap with a 26-11 fourth quarter advantage.

The Golden Eagles shot over 56 percent in the first half and assisted on 16-of-21 made baskets on the way to a commanding 20-point halftime lead. They would finish two assists shy of their season-high of 24, dishing out 22 helpers on 30 buckets. It's the fifth time in seven games this season Marquette has recorded 20 or more assists.

Hiedeman sparked Marquette by scoring nine of her 11 points on a trio of 3-pointers in a first quarter that staked Marquette a 26-16 advantage. The Golden Eagles reached double digits from downtown for the fourth time this year, going 11-for-28 from beyond the arc on Sunday.

Michigan, which entered the week receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN Coaches' Poll, was 10th in the nation in rebounding margin (+13.9) entering play on Sunday. Marquette outrebounded the Wolverines, 39-28, with 16 offensive boards. U-M's second-leading scorer on the year, Nicole Munger, fouled out with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter and finished tied with a team-high 12 points in 25 minutes of action. She was joined by Naz Hillmon and Priscilla Smeenge for team-high honors.

The Golden Eagles return to action on Thursday, Dec. 6, traveling to Starkville, Mississippi to take on sixth-ranked Mississippi State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Central time and will air live on SEC Network Plus.