MILWAUKEE – After experiencing back-to-back losses for the first time since November, the Marquette women’s basketball team is eager to bounce back during their upcoming road trip. The Golden Eagles will first travel to New York to take on St. John’s on Wednesday night at Carnesecca Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
This matchup marks the second encounter between Marquette and St. John’s this season, making the Red Storm the first team Marquette faces twice in the current campaign. In their previous clash on December 29, St. John’s secured a seven-point victory. The Golden Eagles recently fell to Georgetown, which marked a tough start in BIG EAST play, making it four losses in their last eight conference games—a trend seen in three of the last four seasons.
Halle Vice continues to be a standout player for Marquette, having recorded her seventh double-double of the season last Wednesday, leading the BIG EAST in this category. Impressively, five of Vice’s double-doubles have come in the last seven games. After starting with no double-doubles in her initial three BIG EAST games, she has bounced back remarkably, achieving four in her last six contests. Despite facing a challenging shooting night against Georgetown—where the team hit only 19.0% from beyond the arc—Marquette remains among the nation’s best three-point shooting teams, ranking sixth with a 38.4% shooting percentage, a significant improvement from the previous year.
A critical strength for Marquette this season is their exceptional continuity, as they are the only team in Division I women’s basketball to return all players from the 2024-25 season. This experience could play a vital role as they look to regain their winning ways.
One notable milestone is on the horizon for Jaidynn Mason, who is close to scoring her 1,000th career point, having tallied 445 points for the Golden Eagles. Meanwhile, statistical patterns indicate that Marquette’s offensive output is crucial; they have lost six games this season, with each defeat coming when scoring under 67 points.
In their last game against Georgetown, Marquette faced their largest halftime deficit of the season, trailing by 23 points. Their struggles were evident, particularly in the first quarter where they scored just four points, marking their lowest for a quarter this season. However, they improved defensively in the second half, forcing 12 turnovers while limiting their own to four.
As Marquette gears up to face St. John’s for the 38th time, they hold a series lead of 23-14. The Golden Eagles have claimed 11 of the last 15 encounters, although they have experienced a few setbacks, going 3-4 in their most recent meetings.
This season, Marquette has showcased an impressive offensive flexibility with at least five players scoring 20 points in a game, a feat accomplished by only 13 teams in the country thus far. In addition, all five of Marquette’s primary starters have each recorded at least one 20-point game this season.
Halle Vice stands out as a remarkable player with her consistent performance; her recent seven double-doubles have placed her among the top players in the NCAA. Her ability to contribute significantly in both scoring and rebounding will be invaluable as the Golden Eagles look to shift the momentum back in their favor against St. John’s.