ALTON — The Father McGivney Lady Griffins secured a key conference victory Thursday night, Dec. 18, 2025, defeating the Marquette Lady Explorers 38-28 in a defensive battle at Marquette.
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Marquette took an early lead, outscoring Father McGivney 11-8 in the first quarter. At halftime, the Lady Explorers trailed 19-17 after Allie Weiner sank a buzzer-beater shot.
“It's a tough place to win at and it was low scoring. Marquette played solid defense but I’m happy how our girls battled and got the win,” Father McGivney coach Jeff Oller said.
In the third quarter, Marquette’s Laila Davis hit another buzzer-beater, bringing the score to 26-24 in favor of Father McGivney going into the final period. The Lady Griffins then extended their lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring Marquette 12-4 to seal the win.
Father McGivney was led by Zoe Oller, who scored 15 points, and Elle Willenborg, who added seven.
Marquette’s top performers were Allie Weiner with 12 points and Delaney Ortmann with 10.
With the victory, Father McGivney improved to 9-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Marquette fell to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the conference.