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After blasting off to a 20-2 start, Marquette women's basketball used the offensive glass to hold off Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon, winning by a final score of 77-61.
Badger Hate Week 2015 is going well already, and we've barely even started.
The Golden Eagles finished the game by grabbing 50% of their possible offensive rebounds, including a 58% rate in the first half. Marquette reeled in eight of their 14 first half offensive rebounds in that 20-2 run as they built a lead that the Badgers couldn't overcome. The lead briefly hit 10 in the second quarter on a Nicole Bauman three pointer for UW, and another three pointer from Bauman made the lead just eight with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter. But Marquette answered the bell each time to boost that lead back to a safe spot. MU got buckets from Erika Davenport and Allazia Blockton in the second quarter to find some breathing space, and it was an 8-2 burst in the third quarter capped off by back to back buckets from Amani Wilborn that jumped Marquette's advantage back up to 16 points.
The Badgers had one last chance to make a rally as Dakota Whyte cut the lead to 10 with a pair of freebies with 6:40 remaining in the game. If you've got the momentum tilting your way, you can't miss your next five shots and turn the ball over twice, though, and that's what UW did while MU pushed the lead back to 16 with less than three minutes to play.
Allazia Blockton led the Golden Eagles with 17 points in the game, and chipped in five rebounds and two assists as well. Shantelle Valentine and Erika Davenport had the two biggest performances on the glass to carry Marquette to victory, grabbing seven and six offensive rebounds respectively. McKayla Yentz wasn't too shabby either, with four offensive rebounds of her own.
Marquette moves to 3-5 on the season after defeating Wisconsin for the first time in four years.
Up Next: The Golden Eagles will be off for a week before hosting Auburn next week Sunday at the Al McGuire Center. The Tigers are 6-1 after defeating East Carolina at home over the weekend.