March 2, 2012

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)  | Game Highlights | Postgame Press Conference | 
Mitchell Interview with BIGEAST.tv | Morse Interview with BIGEAST.tv | BIG EAST Championship Central

HARTFORD, Conn. - Guards Arlesia Morse and Katie Young each hit four 3-pointers to propel the Marquette University women's basketball team to a 54-51 victory over Cincinnati Friday evening in the first round of the 2012 BIG EAST Conference Women's Basketball Championship at the XL Center.

Young scored a team-high 17 points for Marquette, while Morse added 16. The rookie tallied all 16 points in the second half as the Golden Eagles won their first game in the BIG EAST tournament for the third straight year.

The Golden Eagles (14-16 overall) shot 32-percent from the field, but made eight 3-pointers. Cincinnati shot 31-percent and converted just four 3-pointers.

Senior Bjonee Reaves led the Bearcats (15-15 overall) with 15 points, including four 3-pointers. The rest of the Bearcats were a combined 0-8 from 3-point range.

The first 13 minutes of the game featured five tie scores and five lead changes before Cincinnati closed out the final 7:06 of the first half with an 11-4 run and own a 28-21 advantage at halftime.

The Golden Eagles turned the tide in the early in the second half and used a 9-0 run to erase the deficit and take their first lead of the half, 36-34, with 14:22 to play.

The Bearcats tied the game three times after, but the Golden Eagles held on for their first win since Feb. 4.

The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday at 7 p.m. Central time against No. 6-seed Rutgers in the second round of the tournament.

Game Notes
* Marquette improves to 14-16 overall. Its win over the Bearcats snapped a six-game losing streak that began on Feb. 12.
* Marquette's win over No. 11 seed Cincinnati marks the first time in MU's BIG EAST Conference Championship history it has defeated a higher seed. Marquette is 1-0 all-time against No. 11 seeds in conference tournament history under head coach Terri Mitchell.
* Marquette is 4-6 all-time in the BIG EAST Conference Championship.
* Marquette is 2-3 in first round games of the BIG EAST Championship.
* Marquette leads the all-time series with Cincinnati, 22-12. Marquette moved to 1-2 against the Bearcats in conference tournaments. The win snapped the Bearcats three-game win streak over the Golden Eagles. UC won both regular season meetings, 64-52 on Feb. 1 and 60-46 on Feb. 21.
* Apiew Ojulu played in her first game since Feb. 4. Ojulu played 10 minutes and finished with four points and two rebounds.
* Katie Young led Marquette with 17 points in a career high 34 minutes. It is the first time Young has led MU in scoring this season.
* Arlesia Morse posted her second straight game of double-digit points. Morse has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games.
* Young's and Morse's four 3-pointers ties a Marquette BIG EAST Championship single game record. MU's eight 3-pointers made are a Marquette team BIG EAST Championship record.