Mason's Energy Propels Marquette to 32-Point Win in Season Opener

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – In front of a maximum capacity crowd of 3,750 on Marquette's annual School Day, the Golden Eagles defeated Winthrop 89-57 on Monday at the Al McGuire Center. Sharing the ball was key in the 32-point win as MU totaled 27 assists on its 31 made field goals.

Jaidynn Mason led all scorers with 25 points, the second-most in a game in her career. The senior point guard also collected seven rebounds and had five assists. Skylar Forbes added 19 points (6-of-8 FG, 4-of-5 FT) and five assists and Halle Vice posted her first double-double of the year with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Frenetic early, Marquette jumped out to a 12-2 advantage just over halfway through the opening quarter behind five Winthrop turnovers. Following WU's first bucket in more than three minutes, MU answered right back with a triple from Forbes at the top of key. The Golden Eagles' pressure continued throughout the first resulting in seven turnovers and a 23-6 lead after 10 minutes.

Jaidynn Mason set the tone early, pouring in seven points with five coming at the line in the quarter. The senior point guard added another six in the second with a pair of 3-pointers to help Marquette to a 44-23 advantage at the half.

Holding a 22-point edge a minute-and-half into the third quarter, MU ran off a 10-0 spurt with the last six coming in transition to force timeout from Winthrop with 5:32 on the clock. Back-to-back triples from Jordan Muelemans with under four to go in the period stretched the Golden Eagles' lead to 34 at 68-34, their largest lead to that point.

Despite an uptick in points for the visitors in the third, Marquette posted 30 points in the period to take a 74-44 lead with 10 minutes to play.

UP NEXT: The Golden Eagles will return to the Al McGuire Center on Saturday to host Wisconsin at 2 p.m. CT.

NOTABLES

Marquette won its fifth-straight home opener.
MU's 11 made 3-pointers was its most since Dec. 17, 2023 when the Golden Eagles made 11 against Appalachian State.
MU outrebounded Withrop 48-28.
Marquette's 27 assists matched its season-high from last season (vs. Stonehill, 12/21/24).
Of the Golden Eagles' 27 assists, Skylar Forbes, Jaidynn Mason and Lee Volker each had five apiece.
Mason recorded her 46^th career double-figure game, 15^th with Marquette.
Mason's 25 points gave the senior her first 20-point game at MU, and fifth of her career. The total was one shy of her career high.
Skylar Forbes posted the 32^nd double-figure scoring game of her career.
Forbes also tied her career high in assists with five and made 3-pointers with three.
Halle Vice recorded the eighth double-double of her career with 10 points and 11 rebounds.