#MUWBB to Finish Non-Conference at Belmont

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Marquette women's basketball team is set to finish non-conference play at Belmont on Sunday, Dec. 13. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. Central time on ESPN+ and BelmontBruins.com will have live stats.

The Golden Eagles (3-1, 1-0 BIG EAST) won the only matchup between these two teams in a game last year at the Al McGuire Center, 53-51. Belmont led by eight points at the half before MU stormed back and clinched a victory on a Lauren Van Kleunen jumper with 22 seconds left.

Led by second year head coach Megan Duffy, the Golden Eagles have won non-conference road games at North Dakota and Cincinnati in addition to a home victory over Providence to begin BIG EAST competition. MU's lone loss was to Milwaukee on Dec. 4.

The Golden Eagles are coming off a 24-8 (13-5 BIG EAST) season in which they finished as conference runner-up and advanced to the BIG EAST tournament title game for the fourth straight year.

Although MU is anchored by seniors Selena Lott (17.0 ppg.) and Lauren Van Kleunen (13.5 ppg.), it returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year. This includes BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection Camryn Taylor, who's averaging 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds as a sophomore this year.

Belmont (2-1, 1-0 OVC) is led by fourth-year head coach Bart Brooks. In his three seasons at the helm, his teams have gone 81-21, winning back-to-back OVC titles and making the NCAA tournament in his first two years.

In 2017-18, Brooks led Belmont to its best season in school history, going 31-4 (18-0 OVC). The team went on to play Duke in the NCAA tournament.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
The game will be live steamed on ESPN+. Live stats will be available on BelmontBruins.com. Make sure to follow along on Twitter @MarquetteWBB for live in-game updates.

GAME DETAILS
Marquette (3-1, 1-0 BIG EAST) at Belmont (2-1, 1-0 OVC)
Curb Event Center
Nashville, Tennessee
Sunday, Dec. 13
2 p.m. CT

LIVE COVERAGE
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

STARTING FIVE
• This is the return game in the home-and-home series the two teams scheduled, which started last year with a game in Milwaukee.
• MU is the first high major team to play at the Curb Event Center since Georgia did on Dec. 12, 2013.
• The Golden Eagles are 2-0 on the road this year and 10-6 in true road games in Coach Duffy's tenure.
• Coach Duffy coached in her 100th game as a head coach on Thursday. She holds a 71-29 (.710) overall record, including a 27-9 mark (.750) at Marquette.
• The Golden Eagles are 21-1 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 13-1 when they turn the ball over fewer times than their opponent.

SCOUTING THE BRUINS
• Under the leadership of Coach Brooks, Belmont has gone 31-4, 26-7 and 22-9 in his first three years.
• So far in 2020-21, BU beat Middle Tennessee and Tennessee State after dropping its opener at No. 11/12 Kentucky.
• Belmont's lone senior is Madison Treece, a former Duke transfer who leads the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) while taking down 3.7 rebounds per game.
• 2019-20 Second Team All-OVC honoree Jamilyn Kinney is a junior guard who ranks third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg) while leading the team in assists (5.0). She runs the show for this Bruins offense.
• Three highly ranked freshmen on Belmont have become instant contributors, as Tuti Jones, Whitney Hay and Destinee Wells rank second, fourth and fifth on the team in scoring. Jones and Wells were Top 150 recruits entering college.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST BELMONT
• Marquette is 1-0 all-time against the Bruins. The Golden Eagles took the lone game in the series last season, 53-51. The game was played just under a year ago, today, on Dec. 21, 2019.
• Belmont looked to have control of the game early, leading 28-20 at halftime.
• Jordan King and Isabelle Spingola led the Golden Eagles with 12 points each as MU fought back to take a late lead on a Lauren Van Kleunen jumper with 22 seconds to play.
• Belmont had two chances to tie or take the lead late, but both of their 3-point shot attempts missed.

CAMRYN TAYLOR BUILDING OFF STRONG FRESHMAN SEASON
• The Peoria, Ill., native played in 31 games off the bench and finished fourth on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg.) on her way to BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors in 2019-20.
• She notched 11 double figure scoring efforts in her first year in Blue & Gold. Taylor netted a career-high of 23 points in a road win over Seton Hall in January.
• Taylor is picking up where she left off this year, averaging of 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds (team-high).
• She netted a career-best 27 points against Milwaukee after notching a double-double (17 pts/11 reb) at UND.
• Taylor was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 7 for her performance against MKE.

MU BY THE NUMBERS – BIG EAST (2020-21)
Scoring Offense: 80.0 (4th)
Scoring Margin: +14.8 (3rd)
FG Percentage: .448 (4th)
3FG Percentage: .318 (6th)
Rebounding Offense: 41.8 (3rd)
Rebounding Defense: 30.5 (1st)
Blocked Shots: 2.0 (7th)
Assists: 21.0 (2nd)
Steals: 8.0 (7th)

[JORDAN] KING ME
• Sophomore point guard Jordan King started all 32 games last year as a freshman, finishing second on the team and eighth in the BIG EAST in assists per game (3.2).
• The Rockton, Ill., native reached double figures in scoring in 10 different games, including a breakout 18-point performance at Milwaukee on Dec. 8, 2019.
• King made the BIG EAST Honor Roll after tallying a career-best 20 points in MU's season opener.
• She tallied her second double-figure scoring output of the year against Providence (12/4), going for 18 points and five assists. King ranks in the top 10 in the conference in assists (3.7).
• King continued to change her best with a 15-point, eight rebound (career-high) performance at Cincinnati on Dec. 10.

NEWCOMERS FINDING THEIR FOOTING
• Several of MU's newcomers have started to carve out roles for themselves in the rotation.
• Antwainette Walker, Liza Karlen and Julianna Okosun combined for 18 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the Golden Eagles win over Providence (12/4).
• Walker and Karlen had eight points each on a combined 6/11 shooting. Karlen hit two big threes in the first half to help break the game open against the Friars. Walker had all eight of her points in half No. 2.
• Rose Nkumu netted her first collegiate basket against UND in the season opener. Fellow freshman guard Danyel Middleton has yet to appear for the Golden Eagles, but the hope is that she will shortly.

WHAT'S NEXT?
• After the Belmont game, MU finishes up its scheduled December slate with a resume to BIG EAST play. The Golden Eagles will start with a home game against St. John's on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.
• Following the SJU game, MU will travel to Seton Hall on Saturday, Dec. 19 and Xavier on Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Keep up with the Marquette women's basketball program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteWBB) and Instagram (@marquettewbb) and `liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteWBB).