Dec. 17, 2008

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MILWAUKEE - Marquette cruised to a 69-39 victory over Oregon in front of an announced crowd of 4,000 fans Wednesday afternoon at a sold out Al McGuire Center. A stingy defense coupled with a well-rounded offensive attack, led by a game-high 17 points from senior Krystal Ellis, helped the Golden Eagles improve to 8-3 on the season.

Ten different players scored for MU, while the visiting Ducks (3-5) connected on just 22.2 percent (12-of-49) of their shots from the field. A combination of full- and half-court pressure, along with a match-up zone, forced 11 Oregon turnovers in the first half and just six field goals.

MU used a 15-2 run in the opening minutes to help grab an early 20-7 lead. Oregon closed the gap by producing a run of their own and held Marquette scoreless for a six-minute stretch. Micaela Cocks hit a 3-pointer at the 6:04 mark to cut the MU lead down to 22-14 and moments later followed with an easy layup to pull the Ducks within six points.

Ellis put an end to MU's scoreless drought by knocking down her second 3-pointer of the half with 3:18 remaining. Back-to-back layups by Jessica Pachko in the final minute of the first half gave the Golden Eagles a 15-point advantage, and Marquette enjoyed a 33-20 lead at the break.

Fiedorowicz had garnered her first collegiate double-double by halftime, collecting 10 of Marquette's 19 rebounds in the first half. She finished with 12 points and a career-high 12 boards.

Marquette opened the second half with a 14-2 run, extending the MU cushion to 25 points at 47-22 and quickly eliminating the hopes of an Oregon comeback. Sophomore guard Courtney Weibel, who made her first start as a Golden Eagle, drained a pair of 3-pointers during the stretch. Weibel scored nine points, all from beyond the arc.

The Golden Eagles return to action this Saturday, Dec. 20 when they host UW-Green Bay. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.