BIG EAST teams posted another undefeated night with a 4-0 performance and have won eight in a row. The league’s nonconference record sits at 76-25 for a .752 winning percentage. In addition, all 16 teams in the league hold a record of .500 or better and four squads remain undefeated. The last loss by a league team came on Nov. 26.
No. 10/11 Louisville (7-1) beat Murray State 105-62 at home. The Cardinals have won six straight. Senior Monique Reid scored 18 points in just 12 minutes off the bench, while redshirt-freshman Shawnta’ Dyer and sophomore Shoni Schimmel added 14 each. The Cardinals opened the game with a 16-0 run and registered the fourth-highest scoring output in school history, scoring 105 points in a game for the first time since a 109-29 rout of Coastal Carolina on Dec. 18, 1996 (UofL's largest margin of victory).
Senior Becky Burke joined Reid in the 1,000-point club after scoring her first basket, a 3-pointer just a minute into the game. Burke became the 22nd player in school history to reach the mark and has totaled 1,009 for her career.
In Milwaukee, Marquette (4-3) rolled to a 96-35 victory over New Orleans at the Al McGuire Center. Paced by three players who recorded double-doubles, Marquette scored the first 12 points of the contest en route to a 19-2 run to open the game, while holding the Privateers (0-7) scoreless the first six minutes of play.
Sophomore Katherine Plouffe and freshman Apiew Ojulu posted career highs with 14 rebounds apiece while adding 16 and 21 points, respectively.
The victory also marked the 300th career win for MU head coach Terri Mitchell, who is 300-174 all-time in her 16th season guiding the program. She is the winningest women’s basketball coach in school history.
Out west, Syracuse (6-0) remained perfect on the year with a 70-47 victory at Boise State. Senior Iasia Hemingway scored a career-high 30 points. She was 11-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Junior Kayla Alexander joined Hemingway in double figures in scoring with 17 points.
In Pittsburgh, the Panthers (4-2) knocked off Mount St. Mary’s 58-45. Pittsburgh sophomore Ashlee Anderson and freshman Brianna Kiesel each scored in double figures. Anderson, making her first start of the season, recorded a game-high 13 points while also posting career-highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (seven). Kiesel had 12 points and sophomore Kyra Dunn collected 12 rebounds. Dunn also had three blocks and leads the BIG EAST averaging 2.7 per game.
Pitt head coach Agnus (McGlade) Berenato is a 1980 graduate of Mount St. Mary's. She moved to 5-0 against the Mountaineers at Pitt and is 6-2 all-time against Mount St. Mary’s (0-2 at Rider, 1-0 at Georgia Tech).
Material from interviews, school websites, the Associated Press wire service as well as league and team sources was used in this report.
