BIG EAST Action Continues at Marquette

Looking to bounce back from its recent setback to Villanova on Sunday afternoon, the St. John's women's basketball team will continue BIG EAST action on Friday night, kicking off its two-game road swing in Milwaukee for an 8 p.m. ET contest against Marquette.

The matchup between the Johnnies and the Golden Eagles will be live streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) with Patrick Reed and Kyle Dlabay on the call from the Al McGuire Center.

The Red Storm (10-5, 3-1 BIG EAST) enters Friday night's meeting against Marquette as part of a four-way tie in the conference standings. Following DePaul (3-0 BIG EAST) at the top of the rankings, Creighton, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova all boast a 3-1 record in league action.

In a 1-1 weekend for the Johnnies, Qadashah Hoppie paced the squad offensively with 16.0 points per game. The junior guard leads the team in scoring and sits sixth overall in the BIG EAST through 15 contests, knocking in 16.8 points per game.

Alisha Kebbe led the way for St. John's in rebounding over the team's two-game stretch, pulling down 9.0 boards per contest. Despite missing four games early in the season, Kebbe is still averaging 6.7 points per outing. The Philadelphia, native has been an all-around force for the Red Storm since joining the team in 2016. During her four seasons with the Johnnies, Kebbe has tallied a total 982 points and is just 18 shy of eclipsing the 1,000-point mark.

Despite the team's defeat at the hands of the Villanova Wildcats, Tiana England put forth a stellar effort, scoring 20-plus points for the first time this season. She finished the contest with a team-high 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting to go along with nine rebounds, six assists and one steal. On the season, England ranks third in the BIG EAST in assists, dishing out 4.9 dimes per game.

Friday will mark the 24th all-time meeting between St. John's and Marquette, with the Golden Eagles holding a 13-10 advantage. The Red Storm will look to secure its first win in Milwaukee since 2017, as the Red Storm is 4-7 all-time on the road against the Golden Eagles dating back to Dec. 6, 2005.

St. John's and Marquette last met in the BIG EAST Tournament a season ago, when the Golden Eagles ended the Johnnies' campaign with an 88-57 victory in the conference Quarterfinals. Prior to the two team's postseason meeting, the Golden Eagles and the Red Storm split the regular-season series. The Johnnies lone win over the Golden Eagles came on Feb. 15, 2019 as St. John's upset then-no. 8/7 Marquette, 81-74, for the program's first victory over a top-10 opponent in nearly a decade.

Marquette enters Friday's contest under the direction of first-year head coach Megan Duffy. Duffy is no stranger to St. John's, as she served as the program's assistant coach from 2009-12. Duffy coached alongside Joe Tartamella as he was an associate head coach at that time. The tandem of Tartamella and Duffy guided the Red Storm to a 77-28 record with a .733 winning percentage. The duo also helped the Johnnies to three-straight NCAA Tournaments, including the program's first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2012. Tartamella and Duffy combined for 10 wins against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes, including the dethronement of No. 2/2 UConn on Feb. 18, 2012.

After its contest with Marquette, St. John's will face its toughest test of conference play as the team travels to No. 15/17 DePaul on Sunday. The Johnnies and the Blue Demons will showdown at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 at McGrath Phillips Arena.

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Players Mentioned

Tiana England

Qadashah Hoppie

Alisha Kebbe

St. John's University Athletics