WBB Takes on Xavier on Wednesday

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (12-7, 5-5 BIG EAST) is set for a mid-week contest at home as it plays host to Xavier (7-12, 0-10 BIG EAST) on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The Golden Eagles and the Musketeers will tip-off at 7 p.m. (CT) from the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. The game will be broadcast by BIG EAST Digital Network on FloHoops with Bob Brainerd (play-by-play) and Michelle Griffin-Wenzel (analyst) on the call. Live stream and stat links are available on GoMarquette.com.

In the team's most recent outing on Sunday afternoon, Marquette earned a dominant 80-61 win over Seton Hall at the Al McGuire Center. In a start-to-finish win in which MU never trailed, freshman guard Mackenzie Hare came up big off the bench as she totaled a career-high 23 points. Marquette took over with a 27-9 second quarter and never looked back. Chloe Marotta also came up big for MU, going for a double-double of 19 points and 12 boards.

The Musketeers enter the contest with a 7-12 overall record and in search of their first win of BIG EAST play this season. After a strong start to the year, Xavier has now dropped nine-straight, most recently falling 76-38 at No. 22 Villanova on Tuesday. It is 2-4 on the road this year.

Xavier is led statistically this year by guard Mackayla Scarlett, a junior who is averaging team-best marks of 12.1 points and 2.8 assists per game. Senior forward Nila Blackford, a transfer from Kent State, averages a team-best 5.5 rebounds per contest.

Wednesday's game will be the 27th all-time between Marquette and Xavier, a series which dates back to 1985. The Golden Eagles hold a 19-7 advantage in the series, with wins in 12-straight meetings. Last year MU earned a 76-48 win in Milwaukee before defeating the Musketeers 65-46 in Cincinnati.

SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier enters Wednesday's contest with a 7-12 overall record and still in search of its first BIG EAST win of the year.

• After getting off to a strong start to the year, the Musketeers have now dropped nine-straight. Most recently, they fell 76-38 at No. 22 Villanova on Tuesday.

• In 2021-22 the Musketeers went 9-21 overall with a 4-16 mark in league play to finish 10th in the BIG EAST.

• The team has been led statistically this year by guard Mackayla Scarlett, a junior who is averaging team-best marks of 12.1 points and 2.8 assists per game. Senior forward Nila Blackford, a transfer from Kent State, averages a team-best 5.5 rebounds per contest.

• Xavier ranks third in the league in blocks per game with 4.3. It averages 58.8 points per game, fewest among BIG EAST teams, while allowing 65.6.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST XAVIER

• Wednesday's meeting will be the 27th all-time between Marquette and Xavier, a series which began in 1985.

• Marquette has performed well in the all-time series, holding a 19-7 advantage, and has won each of the past 12 meetings.

• Xavier is 2-10 all-time in games played in Milwaukee.

• MU swept the series last year, earning a 76-48 win in Milwaukee before winning 65-46 in Cincinnati.

Last 5 Meetings

DATE LOCATION RESULT SCORE

1/21/22 A W 65-46

12/3/21 H W 76-48

12/22/20 A W 69-56

2/14/20 H W 61-48

1/19/20 A W 80-60

STARTING FIVE

• The Golden Eagles are 45-21 against BIG EAST opponents under Coach Duffy.

• Coach Duffy is off to the best coaching start through four seasons of any coach in program history. She boasts a 78-33 overall mark (.703) at Marquette.

• The Golden Eagles are 66-3 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 49-8 when they turn the ball over the same or fewer times than their opponent.

• MU is 45-4 when scoring more than 70 points under Coach Duffy and 50-5 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.

• In the 111 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent 88 times.

MAROTTA NAMED TO WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• After having excellent performances in both of last week's games, senior forward Chloe Marotta was recognized by the league as she was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

• On the week, Marotta averaged 21.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game while shooting a combined 51.4 percent (18-of-35) from the floor.

• Against St. John's, she went for a double-double of 24 points and 12 boards. She followed that performance by going for 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a career-high tying four steals in the team's win over Seton Hall.

• This was the third Weekly Honor Roll appearance of the season for Marotta.

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette picked up a dominant victory over Seton Hall on Sunday at the Al McGuire Center, winning 80-61.

• With MU's leading scorer limited to just 20 minutes due to foul trouble, the freshman duo of Mackenzie Hare and Emily La Chapell stepped up big for the Golden Eagles. Hare went off for a career-high 23 points, while La Chapell went for 12 points, two rebounds, four assists and three steals.

• In a game which Marquette controlled from start-to-finish and never trailed, MU used an enormous 27-9 second quarter to gain separation and never looked back.

• Chloe Marotta also had a strong outing, filling the stat sheet with a double-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a career-high tying four steals.

BATTLE TESTED

• With the BIG EAST looking stronger this season than it has in years, Marquette has faced one of the nation's toughest schedules.

• Marquette's opponents to this point have combined for a 231-117 record (.664), the 12th highest opponent win percentage of any NCAA team.

• While the remainder of MU's schedule remains a test, it does lighten up a little bit. The team's future opponents have a combined record of 113-74 (.604), the second-easiest remaining slate in the BIG EAST.

MAROTTA MOVES INTO THE TOP 10

• In her fifth and final season as a Golden Eagle, senior forward Chloe Marotta continues to etch her name in the record book in several statistical categories.

• During Sunday's win over Seton hall, Marotta moved into the program's top-10 in career rebounds. She passed Allazia Blockton (2015-19), and now sits in 10th all-time with 779.

• Currently sitting with 888 career points, she has a chance to become just the ninth player in program history to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds in a career.

• Marotta also currently sits second in all-time games played at Marquette with 136. She sits only behind her former teammate Lauren Van Kleunen, who played 160.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

• The Al McGuire Center has gained a reputation as one of the most difficult places to play not just in the BIG EAST, but in the nation in recent years.

• The Golden Eagles are off to an 8-2 start at home this season, and have won 26 of their past 31 games in the Al. Under Coach Duffy, MU has a 42-10 home record.

• In its eight wins at home this year, Marquette has outscored opponents by a combined total of 610-406 (76.3-50.8).

• Opponents are averaging just 53.1 points per game in the Al McGuire Center this season, with only one opponent scoring more than 62 points. Marquette's opponents at home are shooting just 37.2 percent (204-549) from the floor, and averaging 18.2 turnovers per game.

UP NEXT FOR MU

• The Golden Eagles head back on the road to Indianapolis for a showdown against Butler on Sunday, Jan. 29. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. (CT) at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

• The game will be broadcast by BIG EAST Digital Network on FloHoops, with a link to live statistics available on GoMarquette.com.