NEW YORK (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle where every possession carried outsized weight, the Marquette women’s basketball team exacted a measure of revenge Wednesday night, edging Saint John’s 56-55 in a Big East Conference thriller at Carnesecca Arena.

The Golden Eagles, who fell to the Red Storm by seven points just over three weeks ago in Milwaukee, flipped the script in the rematch by leveraging a disruptive defense and clutch late free throws to snap a two-game skid and improve to 12-7 overall. Saint John’s, which entered the contest with a 15-6 record, saw its two-game winning streak halted in a game where neither team led by more than six points.

The contest was a grind from the outset, defined by physical defense and offensive inefficiency. Marquette finished shooting just 36.2% from the field, while Saint John’s connected on 38.5% of its attempts. The Golden Eagles’ defensive pressure was pivotal, forcing 14 Red Storm turnovers and converting them into 20 points, a 12-point advantage in that critical category that ultimately decided the one-point game.

The most important sequence of the night unfolded in the final 23 seconds with Marquette clinging to a one-point lead. After Saint John’s Daniela Abies missed a layup and grabbed her own offensive rebound, she was fouled on the put-back attempt with 22 seconds remaining. Abies, however, missed the first of two free throws. Marquette’s Olivia Porter secured the defensive rebound on the second missed free throw and was immediately fouled.

At the line with the game in the balance, Porter missed her first attempt but calmly sank the second to push Marquette’s lead to 56-55. Saint John’s called a full timeout to advance the ball with 9 seconds left. The inbounds play went to Shaulana Wagner, whose turnaround jumper from the left block missed. Wagner grabbed her own rebound but in the ensuing scramble, her pass was stolen by Marquette’s Skylar Forbes as time expired, sealing the Golden Eagles’ victory.

The game featured 11 lead changes and was tied on eight occasions. Marquette built a 27-21 lead in the second quarter, its largest of the night, but Saint John’s responded with a 9-0 run to take a 30-27 advantage. The Red Storm carried a 30-27 lead into halftime and extended it to 38-32 midway through the third quarter following a driving layup from Brooke Moore.

Marquette chipped away, closing the third quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a Kennedi Perkins three-pointer, to take a 39-40 lead into the final period. The fourth quarter saw five more lead changes. A Lee Volker layup with 4:04 remaining gave Marquette a 51-49 edge, and the Golden Eagles would not trail again, despite the Red Storm pulling within a single point three times in the final two minutes.

Brooke Moore led all scorers for Saint John’s with 16 points, adding two steals and two blocks. Beautiful Waheed contributed 13 points, while Daniela Abies provided a significant spark off the bench with 10 points, including several key baskets in the paint. Kylie Lavelle anchored the Red Storm’s interior defense with four blocks.

For Marquette, the scoring was balanced. Lee Volker led the way with 11 points, while Skylar Forbes and Olivia Porter each added 12. Forbes filled the stat sheet with three blocks and three steals in 37 minutes, providing crucial rim protection. Porter dished out three assists and hit the decisive free throw. Jaidynn Mason facilitated the offense with four assists.

The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting, a 73-66 Saint John’s victory on Dec. 29 where the Red Storm shot 50% from the field. This time, Marquette’s defense held firm, particularly in limiting second-chance opportunities despite Saint John’s holding a slight 28-26 edge in points in the paint.

With the win, Marquette moves to 3-4 in the Big East. Saint John’s falls to 4-3 in conference play. An announced crowd of 528 at Carnesecca Arena witnessed the tense finish.

Marquette travels to face Butler on Sunday. Saint John’s will look to rebound at home against Villanova on Saturday.