No. 1 UConn women’s basketball vs. Marquette: time, how to watch, broadcasters, preview
When UConn and Marquette last played on Feb. 5, coach Geno Auriemma said that it was one of his team’s best outings of the season.
The No. 1 Huskies will look to channel that same success into their regular season finale when they host the Golden Eagles on Monday at 8 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion.
Since losing to UConn 87-58 a few weeks ago, Marquette (which is second in the Big East standings) split the season series with DePaul, most recently taking down the Blue Demons on the road, 85-71. The Golden Eagles also beat Villanova by eight a few weeks ago.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
Site: Gampel Pavilion
Time: 8 p.m.
Series: UConn leads, 10-0
Last meeting: No. 3 UConn 87, Marquette 58, in Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 5, 2021
TV: CBS Sports Network (John Sadak, Julianna Viani)
Radio: UConn IMG Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN
Marquette probable starters, sixth man:
Selena Lott, G, 5-11, Sr.; Lauren Van Kleunen, F, 6-2, R-Sr.; Camryn Taylor, F, 6-2, So.; Jordan King, G, 5-11, So.; Chloe Marotta, F, 6-1, Jr.; Taylor Valladay, G, 5-7, So.
UConn probable starters, sixth man:
Christyn Williams, G, 5-11, Jr.; Olivia Nelson-Ododa, F, 6-5, Jr.; Evina Westbrook, G, 6-0, R-Jr.; Nika Muhl, G, 5-10, Fr.; Paige Bueckers, G, 5-11, Fr.; Aaliyah Edwards, F, 6-3, Fr.
The matchup
UConn’s offense: Five Huskies scored in double figures in Saturday’s win over Butler, and the top-two scorers were freshmen: Edwards (24 points) and Bueckers (20). Williams scored at least 15 points for her fifth-straight game, and Westbrook (16 points) had her most productive scoring night since Arkansas.
When UConn played Marquette in early February, the Huskies went 10-for-23 on 3s and Bueckers (30 points), Williams (18) and Edwards (11) finished in double figures.
UConn’s defense: Hasn’t had the sort of banner performances of late that we’d seen most of February. It allowed a 2-15 Butler team to sink 14 3s and score the most points a Big East team has managed against UConn all season. But UConn did some good work on the defensive end when it last played Marquette, forcing 18 turnovers and dominating the glass as the game went on.
Marquette’s offense: Marquette thrives off its offensive rebounding, coming away with the ball on nearly 40 percent of its misses. When UConn and Marquette first met, the Golden Eagles had seven offensive boards in the first quarter. But the Huskies kept them off the glass from that point on, as Marquette only had three offensive boards in the final three quarters. In that game, top scorer Selena Lott was limited to one made field goal and four points, while Lauren Van Kleunen led Marquette with 18 points.
Entering Monday’s game, Lott averages 15.4 points, and the team scores 73.6 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting.
Marquette’s defense: Marquette allows opponents to score 61.7 points on 38.9 percent shooting — good for the second-best defense in the Big East behind UConn. The Eagles are also proficient on the defensive glass, collecting 74.4 percent of boards on that end of the floor.
UConn keys: Rebounding, especially on the defensive end; good offensive movement; better defense than the Huskies have played the last two games
Player to watch: Bueckers has been doing so many things right as of late, but one area of her game that’s cooled off is her 3-point shooting. She has gone 6-for-22 on 3s over her last three games despite shooting well north of 50 percent from the perimeter most of this season. Can she get into a better rhythm from beyond the arc in UConn’s final game with zero stakes?
About Marquette’s coach: Megan Duffy, a 2006 Notre Dame alum, made a splash in her first season in Milwaukee, winning Big East coach of the year last season after her team was picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll. She guided the Golden Eagles to a 24-8 record, and they fell to DePaul in conference tournament championship game.
Marquette’s mascot: Golden Eagle
Famous alumni: NBA player and coach Doc Rivers, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, television personality Rachel Lindsay.
Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com.
