Marquette University
Georgetown
MU Bests Georgetown, 71-68 on Senior Day
2/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MILWAUKEE--In strong team effort led by 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals from Natisha Hiedeman, the Marquette women's basketball team mounted a comeback victory and took home the 71-68 win over Georgetown on Sunday.
For the Golden Eagles (19-8, 13-3 BIG EAST), Allazia Blockton also notched 15 points, Erika Davenport added 11 points and nine rebounds and Amani Wilborn racked up 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds on the night. Shantelle Valentine also played strong defense on her senior night, chipping in a basket, four rebounds and two blocks.
Dionna White's 27 points and Cynthia Petke's 11 points and 12 rebounds led the Hoyas (12-14, 7-9 BIG EAST) as both players played the full 40 minutes.
The tight contest featured eight ties and 10 lead changes, as neither team led by more than nine at any point throughout the game. With the win, Marquette keeps pace with DePaul for first place in the BIG EAST.
With the win, The Golden Eagles conclude the home portion of their schedule with a 12-1 mark in the Al McGuire Center, with the only loss coming by a point against Creighton. The one home loss is the best mark for the Golden Eagles since the 2003-04 season where they finished 13-1 on their home court.
Marquette got off to a strong start on both ends, surging to an 11-2 advantage before Georgetown answered with a run of its own to take a brief 16-15 lead geared by White's nine points. Hiedeman buried a triple at the buzzer to give her eight for the frame and the Golden Eagles an 18-16 lead.
The Golden Eagles and Hoyas battled throughout a closely contested second quarter that saw the Hoyas take a slim 33-30 lead into the half. At the break, Hiedeman had 10 points, three steals, three boards and a pair of assists in an all-around effort. Blockton was the other Golden Eagle in double-digits with 10. For the Hoyas, White had a game-high 13 points and Cynthia Petke racked up nine rebounds to go with four points.
Georgetown opened an early lead thanks to some tough defense, but Marquette made up four straight baskets to close the quarter and take a 49-47 lead into the final ten minutes.
Wilborn took over in the fourth, gearing the offense with seven points and four assists in the frame to help Marquette close it out. A White and-one layup gave Georgetown a one point lead with a minute and a half to go but Wilborn answered back with a tough lay-in. From there, the Golden Eagles were able to get enough stops and make enough free throws to ice the game and take home the narrow victory.
Marquette closes out the regular season with an east coast swing, playing at Seton Hall Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. Central time and at St. John's Feb 25 at 1 p.m. CT. The Golden Eagles own wins over both teams this year.
