No. 22/19 MU Hosts Providence in BIG EAST Lidlifter

MILWAUKEE – The No. 22/19 Marquette women's basketball team opens BIG EAST Conference play on Saturday, Dec. 28 when the Golden Eagles welcome Providence to the Al McGuire Center. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. CT on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

Kent Sommerfeld (play-by-play) and Matt Shumacker (analyst) will call the action from the sidelines.

The Golden Eagles turned in a 9-3 record in its non-conference slate with all three losses coming against ranked opponents: at No. 24 Miami, at No. 6 Mississippi State and No. 2 Notre Dame. It is the second-best non-league start under head coach Carolyn Kieger. This is the 14^th BIG EAST opener for Marquette and the fifth under Kieger with MU going 9-4 in league lidlifters, including two straight after topping St. John's in overtime last season.

Marquette will host Creighton on Monday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. CT, also on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

OPPONENT

PROVIDENCE (8-4, 0-0 BIG EAST): After opening the season 2-0, Providence has won eight of its last 10 games, while freshman Mary Baskerville was tabbed as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the first time this season leading the Friars to a 3-0 mark, winning their home Holiday Classic. She averaged 10.3 points and 9.3 boards in the three-game span. Senior sharpshooter Jovana Nogic leads Providence with 14.3 points per game, while her mark if 3.25 three-pointers per game ranks 24^th in the NCAA.

The Friars have a tough BIG EAST opening weekend meeting two ranked opponents as they will travel to No. 19/20 DePaul on Monday.

THE SERIES
Marquette meets Providence for the 20^th time in the series with the Golden Eagles holding a 14-5 lead, including sweeping the Friars a year ago.

STORYLINES

Allazia Blockton is now Marquette women's basketball's all-time leading scorer. At the 4:18 mark of the fourth quarter at Northwestern the Milwaukee native made history. She has amassed 1,983 career points in 108 game and is on pace to become the first Golden Eagle, male or female, to reach 2,000 career points.
Marquette is currently the only program is the country with five active 1,000-point scorers. Blockton (1,983) is joined by Natisha Hiedeman (1,481), Erika Davenport (1,306), Amani Wilborn (1,121) and Danielle King (1,109). No. 2 Notre Dame has four 1,000 point scorers with the fifth under 20 points from the milestone.
Marquette begins its 14th season of BIG EAST play on Saturday and the fifth under head coach Carolyn Kieger. The Golden Eagles are 19-12 all-time in conference openers (North Star; 1-2, Midwestern Collegiate; 2-1, Great Midwest; 3-1, Conference USA; 6-4, BIG EAST; 9-4) and have won nine of the previous 13 league openers. Last season, Marquette defeated St. John's in overtime 74-72 at the Al McGuire Center.