WBB Opens BIG EAST Play With 76-48 Win Over Xavier

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball (5-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) team opened up BIG EAST play with a victory on Friday night, defeating Xavier, 76-48 at the Al McGuire Center.

"I'm thrilled to get our first BIG EAST win of the season, and proud of our team for bouncing back from a tough game down in Florida against Georgia," said Marquette head coach Megan Duffy. "I thought we had a great week of practice, and I thought we did a nice job executing our offense and made some nice defensive plays. There are a lot of good numbers on the stat sheet tonight."

In a game which Marquette led from start to finish, the Golden Eagles got out to a strong start and never looked back. MU opened the game on a 16-4 run, led by junior guard Jordan King who scored 10 points in the first seven minutes of action.

The Golden Eagles took a 44-24 lead into the half, their largest halftime advantage of the season. MU shot a stellar 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from the field and 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from behind the arc through two quarters.

MU finished the game shooting a season-best mark of 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range, including a perfect 5-of-5 from graduate guard Karissa McLaughlin, who went for a game-high 20 points. Three other Golden Eagle players scored in double-figures, including sophomore forward Liza Karlen, who went for her first collegiate double-double with career-best marks of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Musketeers were led by Ayanna Townsend, who finished the night with 16 points and five boards.

The Golden Eagles opened the game on a 16-4 run, seven of those points coming from Jordan King.
MU's 25 first quarter points were the team's second most in a quarter this season.
Karissa McLaughlin recorded a season-high seven assists to go along with her 20 points.
This was McLaughlin's third 20-plus point performance of the season.
Liza Karlen went for career-highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds as she posted the first double-double of her collegiate career.
Danyel Middleton came off the bench and played 12 minutes, recording a career-high seven points.
Lauren Van Kleunen neared a double-double, finishing with 10 points and eight boards, to go along with five assists.
Marquette won the rebounding battle 45-25, including 17 offensive boards. MU has outrebounded opponents in each of its seven games this season.

UP NEXT: Marquette will remain at home as they continue BIG EAST play, hosting Butler (0-7, 0-1 BIG EAST) on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. (CT) at the Al McGuire Center. MU will then return to non-conference play.

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).