Preview: Marquette Golden Eagles at Seton Hall Pirates

NEWARK, N.J. (Interstat) — A pivotal Big East women’s basketball matchup featuring two teams riding winning streaks and sporting identical records will tip off Wednesday when the Marquette Golden Eagles visit the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center.

Both teams enter with 11-5 overall records and momentum from conference victories last Thursday. Marquette handled Creighton 67-49 at home, while Seton Hall earned a 58-48 road win at Providence.

The Golden Eagles have won three straight, largely fueled by the explosive scoring of guard Olivia Porter. She poured in a season-high 23 points in 32 minutes against Creighton, highlighting a recent surge. Over her last six games, Porter is averaging 9.3 points and 3.5 assists, but her offensive outburst last time out signals a rising threat.

Seton Hall counters with its own standout in Jordana Codio. The guard has been a consistent scorer, reaching double figures in four of her last five contests. She led the Pirates with 17 points in the win at Providence and is averaging 12.2 points over that five-game stretch. Her defensive presence, with multiple blocks in three recent games, will be key against Marquette’s backcourt.

The matchup pits two of the conference’s middle-tier teams looking to solidify their standings. Marquette’s recent success includes an 85-69 victory over Villanova on Jan. 4. Seton Hall, meanwhile, has won four of its last five, with the lone loss a 48-84 defeat at then-Connecticut on Jan. 3.

Beyond the star guards, both teams rely on balanced contributions. For Marquette, Halle Vice and Jaidynn Mason each added 10 points against Creighton. Seton Hall saw Shailyn Pinkney score 14 and Zahara Bishop dish four assists alongside 10 points in the Providence win.

Wednesday’s contest is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs this season. They are scheduled to meet again in Milwaukee on Feb. 11.

The winner will claim an early advantage in the conference race and push above .500 in Big East play, while the loser will face a quick reset with a challenging league schedule ahead.