Marquette University
UConn
WBB Takes on No. 4 UConn at Home Wednesday
2/6/2023 4:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Golden Eagles host Huskies at the Al McGuire Center
MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's basketball team (15-8, 8-6 BIG EAST) is set for a mid-week battle against No. 4 UConn (21-3, 13-0 BIG EAST) on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The Golden Eagles and the Huskies will tip-off at 7 p.m. (CT) from the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. The game will be broadcast by SNY with Alan Bestwick (play-by-play), Meghan Culmo (analyst) and Maria Marino (sideline) on the call. A link to live stats is available on GoMarquette.com.
In the team's most recent outing on Saturday evening, Marquette came out on top with a 66-49 victory over Georgetown at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles used great ball movement and efficient defense to help secure the win, recording 22 assists on 26 made baskets. In a game which Marquette never trailed, Jordan King led all scorers with 23 points, to go along with five assists and three boards.
The Huskies enter the week ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll, boasting a 21-3 overall record and sitting atop the league standings with a perfect 13-0 mark. UConn had rattled off 14-straight wins before suffering a home loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday afternoon, falling 81-77. Connecticut is 7-2 in road contests this year.
UConn is led by junior Aaliyah Edwards, a forward who is averaging a team-best 17.1 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. Graduate forward Dorka Juhász leads the team on the glass with 10.2 rebounds per game, while junior guard Nika Mühl leads the NCAA with 8.6 assists per outing.
Marquette and UConn have met up 16 times in a series which began in 2006, the Huskies winning each meeting. Connecticut won the first meeting between the squads this season at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, a 61-48 game on Dec. 31.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
• Connecticut enters Saturday's contest ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll with a 21-3 record and a 13-0 mark in conference play to sit atop the league standings.
• In 2021-22 the Huskies were the NCAA Tournament runners up after a 30-6 campaign and a 16-1 league record to win the BIG EAST title.
• All three of UConn's losses this season (Maryland, Notre Dame, South Carolina) have been to teams currently ranked in the top 10.
• UConn is 7-2 on the road this season.
• The team has been led by junior Aaliyah Edwards, a forward who is averaging a team-best 17.1 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. Graduate forward Dorka Juhász leads the team on the glass with 10.2 rebounds per game, while junior guard Nika Mühl leads the NCAA with 8.6 assists per outing.
• The Huskies lead the NCAA in field goal percentage at 52.0 percent. They also rank fourth in 3-point percentage (40.2) and assists (19.9), and fifth in rebound margin (11.0)
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST UCONN
• Saturday's meeting will be the 17th all-time between Marquette and UConn, a series which began in 2006.
• UConn has won all 16 games in the series.
• The Huskies swept last year's season series winning in Milwaukee 72-58, in Hartford 69-38 and in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals 71-51.
Last 5 Meetings
DATE LOCATION RESULT SCORE
12/31/22 A L 61-48
3/6/22 N L 51-71
2/23/22 A L 38-69
2/13/22 H L 58-72
3/8/21 N L 39-73
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Eagles are 48-22 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 81-34 overall mark (.704) at Marquette.
• The Golden Eagles are 68-3 under Coach Duffy when leading at halftime and 52-8 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 52-5 when shooting more free throws than its opponent.
• In the 115 games of the Coach Duffy era, the Golden Eagles have out-rebounded their opponent 92 times.
KING EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
• After posting a strong performance in a pair of games last week, Marquette guard Jordan King was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
• The senior averaged a team-best 20.5 points on the week, to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. Against Georgetown, she went for 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor, as well as three boards and five assists.
• This was King's fourth Weekly Honor Roll appearance of the season, and the eighth of her career.
LAST TIME OUT
• Marquette got back in the win column on Saturday evening, posting a 66-49 win over Georgetown at the Al McGuire Center.
• The Golden Eagles used great ball movement and efficient offense to help secure the win, recording 22 assists on 26 made baskets, while locking things down on the other end of the court. MU held Georgetown to just 37.3 percent (22-of-59) shooting.
• In a game which Marquette never trailed, it used a strong shooting start to pull ahead early and never look back. The MU lead stretched to as many as 23 points.
• Jordan King had another strong scoring performance, going for 23 points in the outing along with five assists and three boards. She was joined in double-figures by Emily La Chapell and Chloe Marotta, who went for 11 and 10 points, respectively.
EARLIER THIS SEASON
• In the first meeting this season between Marquette and UConn, the Golden Eagles suffered a 61-48 win on Dec. 31 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
• After getting off to a slow offensive start and trailing 9-0 early on in the first quarter, Marquette found some offensive rhythm to claw back into contention. It was able to cut the UConn lead to just six midway through the fourth quarter, but the Huskies closed out the game shooting 61.5 percent (8-of-13) in the final quarter to secure the win.
• Liza Karlen led Marquette in the scoring and rebounding columns, with 15 points and six boards. Emily La Chapell (11) and Chloe Marotta (10) each finished in double-figures as well.
• UConn was paced by Lou Lopez Senechal, who finished with 22 points.
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 hold a 10-2 record at home this season, and have won 28 of their past 333 games in the Al. Under Coach Duffy, MU has a 44-10 home record.
• In its 10 wins at home this year, Marquette has outscored opponents by a combined total of 740-495 (74.0-49.5).
• Opponents are averaging just 51.7 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 36.9 percent (243-658) from the floor, and averaging 18.0 turnovers per game.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
• The freshmen pair of Emily La Chapell and Mackenzie Hare have made a difference for Marquette this season, each making big contributions during their first collegiate seasons.
• La Chapell has been a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week and has made 11 starts for MU, while Hare ranks fourth on the team and third among league freshmen with 7.7 points per game. They are just the second-ever freshman duo at Marquette to each earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors in the same season.
• While each playing under 19 minutes per contest, the duo has combined to average 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and ranking third and fourth on the team in 3-point percentage.
UP NEXT FOR MU
• The Golden Eagles have a few days off before returning to the road next week to face Providence on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. (CT).
• The game will be broadcast by BIG EAST Digital Network on FloHoops, with a link to live stats and stream available on GoMarquette.com.
