WBB Concludes Regular Season Sunday vs St. John's

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (19-9, 12-7 BIG EAST) closes out its 2021-22 campaign this weekend as it hosts St. John's (11-17, 7-11 BIG EAST) on Sunday afternoon. The Golden Eagles and Red Storm will tip-off at 2 p.m. (CT) at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. The game will be broadcast by BEDN on FloHoops, with Dave Bernhard (play-by-play) and Michelle Griffin-Wenzel (analyst) on the call. Live stats are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles enter the contest 19-9 on the year with a 12-7 mark in BIG EAST play to sit fifth in the league standings as the regular season winds nears its finale. Most recently, Marquette earned a 57-51 road win over Providence Friday night at Alumni Hall.

St. John's enters the contest with an 11-17 overall record and a 7-11 league mark, currently sitting seventh in the BIG EAST standings. The Red Storm had won four of five games before falling at No. 7 UConn on Friday, 93-38.

The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series against St. John's 20-10, and have won seven-straight in the series. MU came out on top in the teams' first meeting this season, a 70-65 decision in Queens on Jan. 30. Five different players reached double-figures for Marquette, led by Karissa McLaughlin's 18-point, six-assist performance.

St. John's has been led offensively this season by junior guard Leilani Correa, who leads the squad and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 17.4 points per contest. Senior forward Rayven Peeples leads the team's efforts on the glass with 9.5 boards to go along with 8.7 points per game. The Red Storm is coached by Joe Tartamella, in his 10th season with the program.

SCOUTING THE RED STORM

• St. John's enters the contest with an 11-17 record including a 7-11 mark in BIG EAST play.

• The Red Storm had won four of its past five games before suffering a 93-38 loss at No. 7 UConn on Friday night.

• The Johnnies are 4-8 on the road this season.

• Junior guard Leilani Correa has been the top offensive threat for St. John's this season, averaging 17.4 points, fifth in the conference. She is shooting at a 40.8 percent (167-of-409) clip from the field and 34.6 percent (53-of-153) from 3-point range.

• Senior forward Rayven Peeples leads the team's rebounding with 9.5 boards per game.

• St. John's is one of the league's top 3-point shooting teams, shooting 33.9 percent (233-of-687) while making 8.3 triples per contest.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ST JOHN'S

• Sunday's game will mark the 30th all-time meeting between Marquette and St. John's, a series which began in 2005.

• MU leads the all-time series 20-10, and has won eight-straight and 10 of the past 11 games in the series.

• Marquette is 9-4 all-time against the Red Storm in Milwaukee.

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 39-16 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 62-24 overall mark (.721) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 51-3 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 37-3 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 43-5 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 86 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent in 72 of those outings.

EARLIER THIS SEASON

• Marquette used an evenly-spread offensive attack on Jan. 30 in Queens to earn a 70-65 road win over St. John's.

• All five MU starters scored in double-figures, led by Karissa McLaughlin's 18-point effort.

• Despite being on top for most of the game, the teams played within a few possessions of each other for the majority of the contest. Entering the fourth quarter, Marquette held a 47-46 advantage.

• The Golden Eagles used 58.3 percent (7-of-12) shooting in the final quarter and 6-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe down the stretch to gain separation and secure the win.

• The Red Storm was led by Leilani Correa, who had 17 points in the game.

SENIOR DAY SALUTE

• Prior to Sunday's contest, Marquette will honor its three non-returning players in what will be their final game played at the Al McGuire Center.

• Lauren Van Kleunen finishes her career as one of the most prolific players in program history. Playing 154 games in her career, no athlete in any sport in Marquette history has competed more in the blue and gold. She ranks 10th all-time in rebounds (762) and 15th all-time in scoring (1,394) career points. A native of Mason, Ohio, Van Kleunen graduated with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations, and recently earned her master's degree in communication and a certificate in sports leadership.

• Karissa McLaughlin joined the Golden Eagles as a graduate transfer this season, and made an immediate impact both on the court and as a veteran leader in the locker room. Purdue's all-time leading 3-point shooter, she has had the most efficient shooting season of her career and one of the best in Marquette program history this year, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc and making 114 3-pointers. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in communications and media studies.

• Antwainette Walker will graduate after spending the past three seasons at Marquette and establishing herself as a strong and well-respected leader on the team. After spending her freshman season at Arkansas-Little Rock, the Lisle, Illinois, native joined the Golden Eagles in 2019 and quickly adapted to find her footing in Marquette's program. She will be graduating from Marquette with a bachelor's degree in physiological sciences.

COMING INTO THE HOMESTRETCH

• The 2022 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament will take place March 4-7 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

• With most teams having just one game remaining, only the top seed (UConn), 7-seed (St. John's) and 11-seed (Butler) have been locked in at this point.

• Marquette is guaranteed either the 4, 5 or 6-seed, depending on remaining outcomes.

• If MU defeats St. John's, it is guaranteed the 4 or 5-seed and a first-round matchup against DePaul at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 5.

• If MU loses and Seton Hall wins, accompanied by a DePaul win over Creighton and a Villanova win over Xavier, MU would be the 6-seed and play at 3 p.m. (CT) on Friday, March 4.

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette picked up a 57-51 win over Providence in its final road game of the season Friday night in Providence, Rhode Island.

• The Golden Eagles were propelled by a dominant performance by Liza Karlen, who recorded a double-double with a career-best 24 points to go along with 10 boards.

• In a game which was close from start-to-finish, MU trailed 49-47 with 3:41 left in the fourth. It responded with an 8-0 run to regain control and to seal the victory.