The vibe was that it was going to be great right from the jump. Brighton got out to a quick 5-0 lead but it did not last long. Brighton lead by 5 for the better part of the first half of the first quarter, but Marquette surged down the back half. Outscoring Brighton 8-3 down the stretch, the Redettes tied the game up heading into the second quarter 11-11.
Points were as rare as gold in the 2nd quarter. There were only 11 points scored between two teams in a quarter where defense dominated. Brighton lead 16-13 when Marquette’s Chloe Hale got a steal and a layup and was followed up by an Ellie Hicks basket to give Marquette a 17-16 halftime lead.
The third quarter belonged to the Bulldogs. After Sara Iwanicki scored to get things started for Marquette, Brighton used a strong defense and good ball movement on offense to build a small lead on the Redettes. After the Iwanicki basket, Brighton outscored Marquette 12-6 to close out the third quarter and lead 28-25 heading into the final 8 minutes.
The 4th quarter came with a flurry of great plays. With Brighton striking first and leading by 5, the Redettes needed someone to step up. That’s where Marquette senior Amber Huebner stepped in. Huebner recorded two straight “and-1” plays, capitalizing on her extra free throw each time. Marquette went from down 5, to up 1 in a matter of two possessions.
The teams traded baskets back and forth down the stretch as the Redettes tried to keep the Bulldogs at bay. With under a minute left and the Redettes up 2 with the ball, the Bulldogs fouled Chloe Hale and she went down with an injury. Ellie Hicks had to step in for her at the free throw line, where she sank 2 to seal the victory for Marquette.
The Marquette Redettes basketball team start their season 2-0. They travel to Gladstone this Tuesday to take on the host Braves.
LISTEN – FULL GAME – Marquette Redettes defeat the Brighton Bulldogs 39-38