WBB Hits the Road to Face Xavier

Game Notes (PDF)

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (11-5, 4-3 BIG EAST) heads on the road for back-to-back conference games this week, starting with a visit to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face Xavier (6-9, 1-5 BIG EAST). The Golden Eagles and Musketeers are set to play on Friday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. (CT) at the Cintas Center. The game will be broadcast by BEDN on FloHoops with Mike Schmaltz (play-by-play), Paul Fritschner (analyst) and Kelly Hallinan (sideline) on the call. Live stats are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles currently sit at fourth in the league standings with an 11-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play. Marquette is looking to bounce back from a 58-55 home loss against Villanova on Jan. 16.

Villanova has dropped three-straight against league opponents, most recently falling to No. 10 Connecticut, 78-41 on Jan. 15. The Musketeers enter Friday's game 6-9 overall and 10th in the league standings with a 1-5 mark.

The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series against Xavier, 17-7, including wins in 11-straight matchups. Earlier this season, MU posted a 76-48 win over the Musketeers in Milwaukee on Dec. 3, highlighted by 20 points and seven assists from Karissa McLaughlin. Liza Karlen finished the game with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Xavier has been led this season by redshirt sophomore guard Nia Clark, who averages a team-best 32.3 points per contest. Junior guard Kae Satterfield leads the squad with 7.1 boards per game, while also chipping in 9.7 points. The Musketeers are coached by Melanie Moore, in her third season with the program.

SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier enters the contest with a 6-9 overall record including a 1-5 mark in BIG EAST games.

• The Musketeers have dropped three-straight contests against league opponents, falling to Creighton, Providence and No. 10 Connecticut. Against the Huskies on Jan. 15, Xavier lost 41-78 on the road.

• In 2020-21, Xavier finished the season 5-10 with a 2-8 record in league play. It was picked 10th in this year's BIG EAST preseason poll.

• The Musketeers are 4-3 at home this season.

• Statistically, Xavier has been led by redshirt sophomore guard Nia Clark this season. Clark is averaging 13.3 points per contest.

• Junior guard Kae Satterfield leads the team and ranks seventh in the BIG EAST with 7.1 rebounds per game, while also chipping in 9.7 points per contest.

• Xavier leads the league and ranks eighth in the nation in free throw percentage, shooting 79.0 percent (211-of-267) from the charity stripe this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST XAVIER

• Friday's contest will mark the 25th meeting between Marquette and Xavier, a series which dates back to 1985.

• The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 17-7.

• Marquette is 7-5 all-time against Xavier in Cincinnati.

• MU has won 11-straight games against Xavier. The past 10 games have been decided by 10-plus points.

EARLIER THIS SEASON

• Marquette and Xavier matched up on Dec. 3 at the Al McGuire Center, a 76-48 win for the Golden Eagles.

• MU never trailed, opening the game on a 16-4 run and taking a 44-24 lead into the half.

• Karissa McLaughlin led all players with 20 points and seven assists. Liza Karlen went for a double-double of 14 points and 11 boards.

• The Musketeers were led by Ayanna Townsend, who finished with 16 points.

• Marquette shot an efficient 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the floor and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range.

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 31-12 in conference action under Coach Duffy.

• Coach Duffy is off to the best coaching start through three seasons of any coach in program history. She boasts a 54-20 overall mark (.730) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 44-2 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 30-3 when they turn the ball over fewer times than their opponent.

• MU is 29-3 when scoring more than 70 points under Coach Duffy and 36-4 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 74 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent in 62 of those games (48-15 record).

NEARING THE CENTURY MARK

• Coach Megan Duffy enters the week just two wins shy of her 100th career victory as a head coach.

• Duffy, who is in her third year at Marquette after spending two seasons at Miami (OH), has had a stellar start to her career with a 98-40 (.710) overall record.

• In November, Duffy was named to The Athletic's 40 under 40 rising stars in women's college basketball list.

MOVING THE BALL

• Marquette ranks among the nation's elite in ball movement, leading the conference and ranking 12th in the NCAA with 18.4 assists per game.

• Midway through the season, the team is on track to break the program's single-season assist average record of 17.5, set in 2018-19.

• In Dec. 11 win over North Dakota, Marquette tied a program record with 33 assists.

• Jordan King ranks fifth in the BIG EAST, averaging 4.6 assists per contest.

LOCK DOWN DEFENSE

• Along with rebounding and strong fundamentals, defense has become one of Marquette's calling cards under Coach Duffy.

• The Golden Eagles are holding opponents to a league-best 55.5 points per game this season, while keeping six opponents under 50 points.

• Additionally, Marquette is second in the BIG EAST in turnovers forced (17.1) and 3-point field goal defense (25.3%), and third in field goal defense (36.4%).

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette suffered its first home loss of the season on Sunday, falling to Villanova 58-55.

• After MU narrowly led for the majority of the first three quarters, Villanova gained momentum early in the final period to open up a 10-point lead with 5:00 remaining. MU then went on a 9-0 run, but couldn't regain the lead as the game came down to the final buzzer.

• Jordan King led all Golden Eagles with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and six boards.

• Lauren Van Kleunen tied her career high with six assists.

• This was just the second time under Coach Duffy that Marquette has lost a game after leading at the half (44-2 record).