MILWAUKEE, WIS.– The Providence College women's basketball team fell to No. 22/19 Marquette in its BIG EAST opener on Dec. 29 in Milwaukee, Wis.  The Friars dropped to 8-5 overall (0-1 BIG EAST), while the Golden Eagles improved to 10-3 (1-0 BIG EAST).
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The Friars defended the high-scoring Golden Eagles well in the first quarter, but struggled offensively, hitting just 1-17 attempts from the field. Marquette mounted a 16-6 lead after 10 minutes of action.  Seven of Marquette's 16 points came from the free throw line.
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Marquette was able to widen the gap in the second quarter, out-scoring the Friars 24-6 in the stanza, including a 9-0 run over the final 2:52.
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Providence shot just 10-percent from the field in the first half (3-30), while Marquette hit 50-percent of its attempts (15-30).  Natisha Hiedeman led all scorers with 18 points, while
Mary Baskerville (Enfield, Conn.) paced Providence with four points.
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The Friars shot 50-percent in the second half (14-24), but their deficit proved too large to overcome.
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Jovana Nogic (Belgrade, Serbia) led Providence with 12 points, while Baskerville totaled eight points and a team-best five boards in 14 minutes of action before fouling out.Â
Alyssa Geary (Elmhurst, Ill.) posted nine points and four rebounds.
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Marquette forced 23 miscues by Providence in the game and collected 18 steals, outscoring the Friars 21-7 in points off of turnovers.
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The Friars return to action on Monday, Dec. 31 against No. 19/20 DePaul at Phillips-McGrath Arena in Chicago, Ill.  The game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) via FOX Sports Go.
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- GO FRIARS! -
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