WBB Hosts Ball State in WNIT First Round

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (21-10, 13-7 BIG EAST) begins WNIT play this week as it hosts the Ball State Cardinals (20-12, 11-8 MAC) in the first round of the 64-team tournament on Wednesday evening. The Golden Eagles and Cardinals will tip-off at 7 p.m. (CT) at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. The game will be broadcast on FloHoops, with Patrick Reed (play-by-play) and Michelle Griffin-Wenzel (analyst) on the call. Live stats are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a 21-10 overall record and a 13-7 mark in league play to place fifth in the conference standings. They posted a 105-85 win over DePaul in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals before falling to top-seeded UConn in the semifinals. As the highest-seeded BIG EAST team to not make the NCAA Tournament, Marquette earned an automatic bid into the WNIT.

Ball State finished fourth in the MAC with a 20-12 overall record and an 11-8 mark in conference play. It took down the league's top-seeded team Toledo in the MAC Tournament semifinals, then fell in the championship game to Buffalo 79-75.

This will be MU's 10th time competing in the WNIT, and first since 2014. The Golden Eagles won the tournament in 2008, and was the runner-up in 2016. Marquette and Ball State haven't met up since 1993, and MU leads the series history 2-1.

Ball State has been led this season by senior Thelma Dis Agustdottir, who is averaging 11.1 points per game. Freshman Ally Becki was named to the All-MAC Third Team after leading the squad in both rebounds (5.9) and assists (4.9) per game. The Cardinals are coached by Brady Sallee, in his 10th season with the program.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS

• Ball State placed fourth in the MAC after posting a 20-12 overall record and an 11-8 mark in conference play.

• The Cardinals took down top-seeded Toledo in the MAC Tournament semifinal round before falling to Buffalo in the championship game 79-75.

• On the road, Ball State is 8-4 this season.

• Playing the majority of the season without top scorer Anna Clephane, senior Thelma Dis Agustdottir has stepped up to lead the Cardinals with 11.1 points per contest. Freshman Ally Becki earned All-MAC Third Team honors after leading the squad in both rebounds (5.9) and assists (4.9) per game.

• Ball State ranks near the top of the nation in terms of volume from 3-point range, averaging 8.7 triples per game, 14th in the NCAA. They are shooting 32.1 percent (279-of-869) from deep this year.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST BALL STATE

• Wednesday's game will be the fourth all-time meeting between Marquette and Ball State, and the first since 1993.

• The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 2-1.

• Marquette is 16-15 all-time against current MAC programs.

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 19-6 against non-conference opponents under Coach Duffy.

• Coach Duffy is off to the best coaching start through three seasons of any coach in program history. She boasts a 64-25 overall mark (.719) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 53-3 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 38-4 when they turn the ball over the same or fewer times than their opponent.

• MU is 33-3 when scoring more than 70 points under Coach Duffy and 44-5 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 89 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent in 74 of those outings.

ABOUT THE WNIT

• The Postseason WNIT, in its 24th season, is a tournament which features 64 NCAA Division I women's basketball teams from across the country.

• In a single-elimination bracket, each game will be played on campus sites with one of the two teams hosting.

• The tournament will conclude with its championship game on Saturday, April 2, with the title game being broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

• The 64-team field includes 32 teams that receive automatic berths and 32 at-large selections. The automatic bid for each conference goes to the team with the highest finish in their conference standings that didn't make the NCAA Tournament.

• Marquette is the BIG EAST's auto bid this season, with Seton Hall joining the field as an at-large as well.

GOLDEN EAGLES IN THE WNIT

• Making their 10th all-time appearance in the WNIT, the Golden Eagles have a strong history in the tournament.

• Marquette won the 2008 WNIT title, posting an 81-66 win over Michigan State in the championship game.

• Two years prior in 2006, MU was the tournament's runner-up.

• Marquette has hosted a total of nine WNIT games, and has a 7-2 record in those.

• This will be the team's first WNIT appearance since 2014, when it defeated Indiana State in the first round before falling to Indiana in the second round.

REACHING HISTORIC HEIGHTS

• With 157 games under her belt, Lauren Van Kleunen has become one of the longest-tenured players in the history of women's college basketball.

• Van Kleunen currently ranks tied for fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history in career games played.

• No player in any sport in Marquette history has competed in the blue and gold more than LVK. After redshirting in 2016-17, she has only missed one game and MU has a 114-43 record in contests that she's played in.

VAN KLEUNEN NAMED TO ALL-LEAGUE TEAM

• In what is the final season of her six-year Marquette career, Lauren Van Kleunen was recognized by the league as she earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors.

• Marquette's record holder for career games played with 157, Van Kleunen had her best statistical season this year as she led the team with 13.2 points to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest in the regular season.

• She shot an efficient 47.4 percent (161-of-340) from the floor, sixth in the BIG EAST.

• Van Kleunen was twice named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season, and was a member of the Daytona Beach Invitational All-Tournament Team.

• This was her second-straight year being recognized by the league, after earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors and receiving the Sportsmanship Award in 2020-21.

MAROTTA EARNS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

• A leader both on the court and in the Marquette and Milwaukee communities, Chloe Marotta is the recipient of this year's BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.

• Marotta serves as the president of Marquette's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

• A Milwaukee native herself, Marotta has logged countless of hours of community service with various local organizations, and has given back to the area's youth by taking place in free basketball clinics for youth and reading to kids in local schools.

• On the court, she started all 29 games for MU this year while averaging 5.8 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game in the regular season.

• Marquette's Lauren Van Kleunen earned the Sportsmanship Award last season.