WBB Loses on Road to No. 7 UConn 69-38

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Marquette women's basketball team (18-9, 11-7 BIG EAST) fell to No. 7 UConn on Wednesday night at the XL Center, losing 69-38.

In what was the second meeting of the past 10 days between the Golden Eagles and the Huskies, Marquette was unable to overcome a slow start to the contest as UConn (20-5, 14-1 BIG EAST) held it to just 29 percent (6-of-21) shooting in the first half while forcing 12 turnovers.

The Golden Eagles opened the second half on a 7-0 run, holding UConn scoreless for the first 3:40 of the third quarter, but the Huskies fired back with an 8-0 run of their own and never looked back.

Graduate forward Lauren Van Kleunen led Marquette's scoring efforts as she went for 12 points, while junior forward Chloe Marotta had team-best marks of seven boards and three assists.

The Huskies were paced by Evina Westbrook's 17-point performance.

Danyel Middleton saw her first game action since Jan. 30, returning from a non-COVID related illness. She logged six minutes on the court.
Lauren Van Kleunen moved up a spot on Marquette's all-time career scoring list, passing Danielle King (2015-19). She now has 1,380 career points, ranking 15th all-time.
This was only the fifth time this season that Marquette was outrebounded by an opponent (32-25).
Marquette finished the contest shooting 34.7 percent (17-of-49) from the field, 16.7 percent (1-of-6) from 3-point range and 75.0 percent (3-of-4) from the free throw line.
Marquette's 38 points were its fewest points scored in a game this season.
With the win, UConn clinched the BIG EAST regular season title.
With the loss, Marquette falls to 0-14 all-time against UConn.

UP NEXT: Marquette concludes a four-game road trip this weekend as it faces Providence on Friday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. (CT) at Alumni Hall in Providence, Rhode Island. The game will be broadcast on FloHoops, with live stats available on GoMarquette.com.

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).