WBB to Host #8 UConn on Sunday

FULL NOTES (PDF)

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (17-6, 10-4 BIG EAST) returns home to Milwaukee this weekend to host No. 8 UConn (16-5, 10-1) on Sunday afternoon. The Golden Eagles and Huskies will tip-off at 1:30 p.m. (CT) at the Al McGuire Center. The game will be broadcast on FOX with Lisa Byington (play-by-play) and Christy Winters-Scott (analyst) on the call. Live stats are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles have won eight of their past 10 matchups, but are coming off of a 74-63 overtime loss on the road to Villanova on Friday night. MU currently sits fifth in the conference standings, but is just one game behind second with a 17-6 overall record and a 10-4 mark in conference play.

Sunday's matchup features a rematch of the 2021 BIG EAST Tournament championship game. Connecticut, the reigning league champs, enter the contest atop the conference standings with a 10-1 BIG EAST record. The Huskies had a 169-game conference winning streak snapped on Wednesday against Villanova, but bounced back with a dominant 84-60 win over DePaul on Friday.

This will be the first matchup between Marquette and UConn this season, after the first meeting, originally scheduled for Dec. 29, was postponed due to COVID health and safety precautions. It has been rescheduled for Feb. 23 in Hartford. MU is 0-12 all-time against the Huskies.

Connecticut has been led this season by senior guard Christyn Williams, who is averaging 15.4 points per game. Senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa leads the squad in both rebounds (8.2) and assists (4.1) per game. The Huskies are coached by Geno Auriemma, in his 37th season with the program.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

• UConn enters the matchup with an overall record of 16-5, including a 10-1 mark in BIG EAST matchups. It currently sits atop the conference standings.

• The Huskies had a 169-game conference winning streak snapped with a 72-69 loss to Villanova on Wednesday night. They followed that performance up with a dominant 84-60 win over DePaul on Friday, in what was a matchup between the top two teams in the conference standings at the time.

• While Connecticut has been without 2021 Wooden Award winner Paige Bueckers for the majority of the season, senior guard Christyn Williams has stepped up to lead the Huskies with 15.4 points per contest. Senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa leads the squad in both rebounds (8.2) and assists (4.1) per contest.

• UConn leads the league and ranks fifth nationally in field goal percentage (.472). It also boasts the BIG EAST's top field goal percentage defense (.371).

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST UCONN

• Wednesday's game will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Marquette and Connecticut, a series which began in 2006.

• The Huskies have swept the all-time series, 12-0.

• The teams faced off three times last season, including a meeting in the BIG EAST Championship game, a 73-39 UConn win.

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 37-13 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 60-21 overall mark (.740) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 50-3 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 35-3 when they turn the ball over the same or fewer times than their opponent.

• MU is 31-3 when scoring more than 70 points under Coach Duffy and 42-4 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 81 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent in 68 of those games (53-16 record).

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

• MU has established one of the best home court advantages in the country, posting a 73-12 record inside the Al McGuire Center since the 2016-17 season.

• The Golden Eagles are 12-1 at home this year, winning nine of those games by double-figures and outscoring opponents 919-664 (70.7-51.1).

• No team in the BIG EAST boasts a better win-loss record at home.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE

• Marquette has established itself as one of the nation's top defenses this season, and ranks atop the league in multiple defensive categories.

• MU leads the league in scoring defense (55.3 points per game) and 3-point defense (25.7%), and is second in turnovers forced (16.2) and third in field goal percentage defense (37.2%).

• The Golden Eagles have held 10 different opponents under 50 points this year, tied for fourth-most in the NCAA.

• MU is undefeated (32-0) under Coach Duffy when holding opponents under 55 points.

• Marquette's 55.3 points per game allowed are the fewest by a MU team since the 1979-80 season.

DECEMBER GAME VS UCONN RESCHEDULED

• Marquette's game against UConn, originally scheduled for Dec. 29 but postponed due to COVID health and safety protocols, has been rescheduled by the BIG EAST.

• The game will now take place on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

• Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. (CT), and the game will be televised on SNY.

VAN KLEUNEN EARNS WEEKLY HONORS

• Lauren Van Kleunen continues to be a model of consistency for Marquette, and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after helping the team to a pair of wins last week.

• On the week, Van Kleunen averaged 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting a combined 46.7 percent (14-of-30) from the floor.

• Against Providence, she went for a game-high 19 points to go along with eight boards.

• This was the third weekly honor for Van Kleunen this season, and the fourth of her career.

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette saw a six-game winning streak come to an end as it dropped a 74-63 overtime decision at Villanova.

• Despite holding the lead for 37:02 of regulation, the Golden Eagles were outscored 14-3 in the overtime period.

• Villanova's Maddy Siegrist was fouled with 0.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and then proceeded to hit two free throws to even the game at 58-58 and sent it into overtime.

• The Wildcats scored the first points of the overtime period, their first lead since the 7:28 mark of the first quarter. They went on to win the overtime period 16-5.

• Jordan King led Marquette's scoring efforts with 14 points, while Chloe Marotta had a strong all-around performance of 13 points, 13 boards and six assists.

• Villanova's Siegrist finished with 42 points and 13 rebounds.