SPORTS

FIRST-YEAR GUARDS NOT TAKING EARLY OPPORTUNTIES LIGHTLY

SPORTS, 14

The MarqueTTe Tribune sports

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

PAGE 16

Plundering The Pirates

Photo by Katie Craig katherine.craig@marquette.edu

Marquette women’s basketball celebrates in its 80-61 win over Seton Hall Jan. 22 at the Al McGuire Center. Golden Eagles improve to 8-2 at home this season after the win. Hare, La Chapell combine for 35 points in victory

By Jack Albright

jack.albright@marquette.edu

The Marquette women’s basketball team is back to .500 in Big East play.

Forgetting about this loss to Seton Hall back in December, the Golden Eagles (12-7, 5-5 Big East) swept off the cobwebs against the Pirates Sunday afternoon with a 80-61 victory at the Al McGuire Center.

“Just a tremendous team win today. Seton Hall’s a great team. I thought we did an awesome job on their big two with Lauren Park-Lane and Sydney Cooks, and can’t say enough about our bench to come in and help us be successful,” head coach Megan Duffy said.

“We’ve been working really hard on that collection of our bench and some of our other starters being confident to take shots, and just happy came to fruition today.”

Marquette keeps its undefeated streak at home against Seton Hall with the victory.

61 80

Next: Marquette vs. Xavier Wed., Jan. 25, Al McGuire Center @ 7:00PM FloSports, Marquette Radio

Statistical Leaders

Senior forward Chloe Marotta showcased her offensive talent, putting up 19 points, five assists, four steals and two blocks in 37 minutes.

Two other Golden Eagles finished with double-digit points: first-year guards Kenzie Hare and Emily La Chapell finished with a career-high 23 and 12 points respectively.

“Kenzie Hare was tremendous. Got hot doing what she does, being a playmaker and making shots,” Duffy said.

Senior guard Lauren ParkLane led the Pirates with 14 Buying into role Nkumu spent offseason working on basketball IQ

Rose Nkumu began her college career deep in the bench. In her first season, she played less than half of the team’s games. Two years later, the junior guard has become a mainstay in the starting lineup.

“The biggest thing for me has been buying into Coach (Megan) Duffy’s message and doing really whatever the team needs me to do,” Nkumu said. “My job is defense specifically, so being able to bring that aspect to my team, being able to guard the other team’s best player, a lot of the time.”

The junior guard started just three games in her second season and reached that same number before Thanksgiving this season. She has also more than doubled her playing time, now up to over 25 minutes per game. By John Gunville “It’s that work behind the john.gunville@marquette.edu scenes and in the dark. This is what we said [to] her, ‘It’s gonna make you starting point guard one day’,” assistant coach Kelly Komara said. “She bought into it and she believed in what Coach Duffy and myself were trying to do, and that was to make her a better overall basketball player, but also give her a lot of confidence.” Komara said being a leader has been an important part of Nkumu’s growth this season. “Every day in practice, practicing what she preaches,” Komara said. “Taking charges and getting those falls is really showing our younger players that you don’t just wake up See ROLE page 15