Sunday afternoon in Marquette’s pregame press release there was an interesting statistical breakdown that showed the Golden Eagles’ margin of victory or defeat in each game this season. Unfortunately, what it showed was that MU had been beaten by more than 10 points three times this year and only had one double-digit win of their own (at Division II member Alaska-Anchorage). For some teams, that may be a good enough excuse to give up and start getting ready for next season. But after demolishing Dayton, 91-63, and adding another double-digit win to its portfolio, Coach Terri Mitchell’s team showed that its tough non-conference slate has only provided confidence to a young group that is beginning to look more and more like C-USA title-contenders with each game it plays.

I was watching a couple minutes of second-half play in the Kentucky-Kentucky St. game the other day and saw quite a surprising stat- the Wildcats had made something like 15 of their first 17 shots in the second half and were shooting almost 90% from the field. That’s the kind of stat you don’t expect to see in college basketball these days, when most teams can’t even shoot 70% from the free throw line. But in the first half of Sunday afternoon’s game Marquette proved that if you get high-percentage shots, are patient on offense yet take advantage of fast-break opportunities, and just shoot the ball well, its something that can be accomplished by any good team.

About nine minutes into the game Marquette led 27-7. But what was even more impressive than the 20-point lead was the efficiency with which MU was putting its points on the board. Kristi Johnson and Katie Alsdurf each hit three-pointers, and Rachel Klug controlled the inside as the Golden Eagles hit 10 of their first 12 shots.

The rest of the half was much of the same. Marquette seemed to love the Bradley center rims, making 20 of 31 first-half shot attempts, including 4 of 7 threes. They also made 11 of 12 foul shots. Dayton, on the other hand, hit just 29.6% from the field. Almost half of the Flyers’ first-half shots (12) came from beyond the arc.

In the second half Dayton managed to trim six points off of its 55-22 halftime deficit, but never made any type of serious run. The Flyers, who now stand at 1-7 on the year, had good reason to struggle this afternoon. Two of their leading scorers, Stefanie Miller and Sarah Schloss, are out for the year with injuries, leaving UD with only eight players available. Marquette, on the other hand, played 12 players Sunday afternoon. Eleven of the twelve scored, and all twelve were able to get double-digit minutes as the Golden Eagles coasted to victory.

MU, now 4-5 on the year, travels south to face Arkansas St. this Wednesday. Game time is 7:00 p.m.