» MU women in NCAA tourney:
Tournament win locks up NCAA bid
The Marquette women’s basketball team pulls away in the fourth quarter, then holds on to defeat DePaul, 86-78, to win the Big East tournament and secure an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament.
Young and bold, fast and ferocious, the Marquette University women’s basketball team seized the Big East Conference tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament bid by defeating DePaul, 86-78, in a thriller Tuesday night at the Al McGuire Center.
Marquette (25-7) won the Big East Tournament title for first time in school history by defeating top-seeded DePaul (26-7). Third-seeded Marquette joined the Big East in the 2005-’06 season.
The last time MU won its conference tournament title was in 1995, when it played in the Great Midwest. With the win, the Golden Eagles locked up their 15th postseason appearance since the program began in 1975-’76.
MU coach Carolyn Kieger, at 34, is the second-youngest head coach in Big East history to win a tourney title.
The first period was a wild shootout, capped by a brilliant and controlled half-court launch by MU guard Natisha Hiedeman (28 points) that went in. It gave Marquette a 25-24 edge despite the fact the Blue Demons were shooting 58.8%.
MU decided the best defense in the second period would be a full-throttle offense. With the Golden Eagles pushing in every possession, DePaul could only battle back with an aggressive defense, led by guard Jessica January’s grit. She led DePaul with 23 points. And yet MU’s Amani Wilborn (20 points) scored three differthe ent times three different ways in a short stretch. She kept MU on top for the 42-40 halftime lead.
At halftime, MU had 10 turnovers, DePaul had eight, and the lead had changed nine times. But MU was winning the glass, 19-12, and points in the paint, 24-12.
Tied at 50, Danielle King hit a short jumper in the paint and Hiedeman led the way with huge threes. MU just couldn’t stop Amarah Coleman, who fired off 11 points in 6 minutes until she took a seat on the bench for a rest.