WBB to Take on Creighton Sunday

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (16-5, 9-3 BIG EAST) is set for an important BIG EAST matchup on Sunday afternoon as it welcomes second-place Creighton (16-6, 11-3 BIG EAST) into the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles and Bluejays will face off on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. (CT). The game will be broadcast on FS1 with Bob Brainerd (play-by-play) and Rex Walters (analyst) on the call. Live stats are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles currently sit at fourth in the league standings with a 15-5 overall record and an 8-3 mark in conference play. Marquette is riding a streak of five-straight wins, it's longest win streak of the season. Most recently, MU defeated Providence on Friday 61-59.

While both teams have 16 wins on the year, Creighton boasts an 11-3 league record and defeated Marquette in the teams' first meeting. The Bluejays are coming off of a big 77-68 road win over DePaul on Friday in what was a battle for second place in the league standings.

In the first meeting between these teams back on Jan. 7, the Bluejays posted a 62-45 win at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha. After a back-and-forth first half, Creighton used an 11-2 run to open the third quarter to gain separation and come away with the win, led by Lauren Jensen's 15 points. The Bluejays lead the all-time series 15-12, though Marquette has won four of the past five meetings.

Creighton has been led this season by sophomore forward Emma Ronsiek, who is averaging team-best marks of 14.8 points and 4.6 boards per game. Senior guard Tatum Rembao ranks 11th nationally with 6.0 assists per outing. The Bluejays are coached by Jim Flanery his 20th season.

SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS

• Creighton enters the contest with a 16-6 overall record including a 11-3 mark in BIG EAST matchups.

• The Bluejays have dropped two of their past four, but are coming off a big 77-68 road win at DePaul on Friday.

• In 2020-21, Creighton finished the season 10-12 with a 6-7 record in league play. The Jays were picked sixth in this year's BIG EAST preseason poll.

• Sophomore forward Emma Ronsiek leads the squad in points (14.8), rebounds (4.6) and blocks (1.2) per contest this season. Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly also average double-digits in the scoring column.

• Senior guard Tatum Rembao leads the team and ranks 11th nationally with 6.0 assists per game.

• Creighton leads the nation in assists (20.3 per game) and ranks atop the league in 3-point percentage (36.0%) and turnovers per game (13.3.)

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST CREIGHTON

• Sunday's game will mark the 28th all-time meeting between Marquette and Creighton, a series which spans back to 1986.

• The Bluejays lead a close all-time series, 15-12.

• MU has won four of the past five meetings.

• Marquette is 8-5 all-time against Creighton in games played in Milwaukee.

EARLIER THIS SEASON

• Marquette and Creighton matched up on Jan. 7 at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, a 62-45 win for the Bluejays.

• The Golden Eagles were held to a season-low 45 points, as they shot just 33.9 percent (20-of-59) from the floor and were held without a 3-pointer (0-for-3).

• After a close first half in which neither side led by more than four at any point, Creighton used an 11-2 run to start the third quarter to take control.

• Creighton's Lauren Jensen scored a game-high 15 points.

• Marquette was led by Jordan King (14 points, five assists), who was the only Golden Eagle player to reach double-figures.

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 36-12 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 59-20 overall mark (.747) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 49-2 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 34-3 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 41-4 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 79 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent in 66 of those games (52-15 record).

HONORING THE BLACK FIVES

• In conjunction with the BIG EAST Conference, the Marquette men's and women's basketball teams have teamed up with the Black Fives Foundation to honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans who played a critical part in basketball history.

• The Marquette women will represent Mysterious Girls AC of Harlem, New York, and will wear the team's name and logo before Sunday's game vs Creighton.

• Coaches will wear a "Make History Now" pin to draw awareness to the foundation's mission, and fans will be educated through videos and other game time promotions on the relevance and importance of the Black Fives.

MOVING THE BALL

• Marquette ranks among the nation's elite in ball movement, sixth in the NCAA with 19.0 assists per game.

• With eight games remaining in the regular season, the team is on track to break the program's single-season assist average record of 17.5, set in 2018-19.

• The Golden Eagles have recorded assists on 71.9 percent (399-of-555) made baskets, third-best in the nation.

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

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette posted a 61-59 win over Providence at the Al McGuire Center on Friday night.

• In a game which came down to the wire, the Golden Eagles capitalized on excellent rebounding, winning the battle on the glass 44-30 led by Liza Karlen's 10.

• With a two-point advantage and the clock winding down, Karissa McLaughlin came up with a steal on a pass into the post with under a second left in the contest to seal the win.

• MU was led by Lauren Van Kleunen, who finished with 19 points and eight boards.