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Marquette won the opening tip and Cristina Bigica found Katherine Plouffe in the paint for a layup five seconds later, giving Marquette a 2-0 lead. They would never relinquish that lead.
Ok, I'm sure that you could find lots of games where that happens, but in this case, there was no drama past about the 6 minute mark of the first half when Tennessee Tech cut the lead to just six points. Marquette responded to that by ripping off a 13-0 run, including eight from Arlesia Morse.
The Golden Eagles led by 23 at the half, and would push the lead as high as 26 on - surprise - a three pointer from Morse. Tennessee Tech would eventually pull the lead back under 20 on four different occasions in the second half, even going as low as 16 on an and-1 by Diamond Henderson with 6:53 left to go, but Marquette would match their Golden Eagle counterparts, closing out the game with a 19-15 score down the stretch.
For the first time all season, neither Katherine Plouffe nor Katie Young posted a double-double. You can't really blame them, as it was merely the minutes restriction that Terri Mitchell put on them in a blowout that prevented it. KP had 21 points and five rebounds in just 22 minutes, while Young had 12 points and nine rebounds in just 18 minutes of run. Tennessee Tech was led by 22 points from Diamond Henderson.
One thing to keep an eye on going forward is the status of Apiew Ojulu. She picked up her second foul of the game just 76 seconds into the game and was immediately subbed out for Lauren Tibbs. Ojulu would not return in the game, but given the speed at which it got out of hand, it may have just been a coaching decision. Without any video of the game, it's hard to say for certain.
Abbie Willenborg Player of the Game: Gotta give it to Arlesia Morse. 24 points, six rebounds, two assists, all in just 22 minutes off the bench. Morse is clearly going to be coming off the bench all season long, but if she can come in and put together her best Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson impression every time, Marquette's going to be doing pretty good.
Clare Barnard Undersung Eagle of the Game: Everyone knows how much we like focusing on no turnovers in this slot. We'll do it again here as Brooklyn Pumroy had nine points, three rebounds, five assists, four steals, and zero turnovers from the point guard spot.
Up Next: PLOUFFE ON PLOUFFE VIOLENCE!
A unique opportunity for @MarquetteWBB senior Katherine Plouffe as she faces her twin sister today in Vegas. pic.twitter.com/2CP3dZAjpn
— Marquette Athletics (@muathletics) November 30, 2013
Michelle Plouffe's Utah Utes come into today's game with a 2-3 record. They'll be playing their second game against a Big East opponent in as many days, as Utah lost to Butler yesterday, 66-54.
Not only is she Katherine's twin sister, but Michelle is just as important to Utah as KP is to Marquette, if not more so. Michelle is the only scorer with an average in double digits, averaging just over 20 a game. Like Katherine, Michelle is also averaging a double-double with 11.2 rebounds per game. The only real difference between them appears to be Michelle's shooting. She's more willing to let fly from behind the arc, shooting .467 on 15 attempts so far this season.
Utah was picked to finish seventh in the Pac 12 this season.
