DePaul University Athletics
Women's Hoops Host UAB
1/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
No. 24 DePaul (12-4, 1-0) vs. UAB (5-9, 1-0)
Friday, Jan. 17, 2003- 7:00 p.m.
DePaul Athletic Center - Chicago, Illinois
Click here for the audio broadcast. Pre-game show begins at 6:40 p.m.
Demons and Blazers
The DePaul Blue Demons play their first home Conference USA game on Friday night against UAB. DePaul wraps up the C-USA weekend with a Sunday afternoon contest with visiting South Florida. Currently, the Blue Demons stand at No. 24 in the latest USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press rankings. It is their first appearance in the AP poll this season and the Blue Demons have been in the Coaches top 25 since Dec. 23.
DePaul has won nine of their last 11 and ended a five-game winning streak on a 76-57 loss at No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday. During the 11-game run, the squad has knocked off a pair of top 25 teams in Notre Dame and George Washington. In home games, the Blue Demons are winning by an average of 21.3 points per game.
The UAB Lady Blazers stand at 5-9 following a 73-71 win on Sunday in the league opener against South Florida. DePaul leads the all-time series, 12-5, and are 8-1 in Chicago. Last season, the Blue Demons won, 60-46 in Birmingham. Tuesday’s game will be the first this season for DePaul in which they are ranked in both polls.
Both games this weekend and all remaining Conference USA games can be heard live at www.depaulbluedemons.com. Jeff Friedman is in his second season providing all the action and will be joined by Kathryn Statz for games at the DePaul Athletic Center.
Out of the Blocks
DePaul’s 12-4 record over the first 16 games is among the top starts in program history. The record is the best beginning since the 1996-97 squad began with a mark of 12-4. In 29 seasons, just six teams have started with a record of 12-4 or better. Two teams started 14-2 and two others began with a 13-3 record. The 96-97 version lost their 17th game to drop to 12-5. A victory against UAB would move this season’s team into a group of five teams to win at least 13 of the first 17 games.
Noting the Blue Demons
With a win against the Lady Blazers, the Blue Demons would be off to their best start since going 14-3 to open the 1994-95 campaign... the current record of 12-4 matches the 1996-97 club that was the last DePaul team to play in the NCAA Tournament... dating back to last season, the Blue Demons have won seven of their last nine televised games (5-1 in ‘01-02, 2-1 in ‘02-03)... DePaul’s roster features seven of the 11 players as either freshmen or sophomores... four players are averaging at least 10.4 points per game... Khara Smith’s five double-doubles leads the Blue Demons and is tied for second in Conference USA... Khara and her cousin, Charlene, have earned C-USA Player of the Week honors... Doug Bruno has used six different lineups... DePaul is 27-7 all-time at the DePaul Athletic Center... they play five of nine January games at home... the Blue Demons have started eight of the 15 games with a three-pointer... the club has made 112 three’s this season while opponents have attempted 189... DePaul opened the Montana State game with five consecutive treys and has hit at least 10 three’s in four games... the season-opening five-game road trip was the longest to start the season in program history... 1980-81 campaign opened with four straight road games... the Northern Illinois game on Dec. 18 was the first appearance since 1996 at the Allstate Arena... the program is 19-4 all-time in Rosemont... after defeating Southern Illinois, DePaul is 21-8 all-time in season openers... Doug Bruno is 12-5 in first games.
Checking on UAB
UAB enters the game at 5-9 overall and 1-0 in Conference USA action. The Lady Blazers opened league play last weekend with a 73-71 win over South Florida. Junior Natasha Thomas leads the club with 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Her six double-doubles lead Conference USA. She is joined in double-figures by Michelle Smith and Chantell Thomas with 15.7 and 10.2 points per contest, respectively.
A year ago, UAB posted a 12-16 record and 4-10 mark in C-USA play. Head coach Jeannie Milling is in her 16th season with the Lady Blazers and holds a 253-201 record. Overall, she hold a 414-311 career record with prior stops at Spring Hill and Georgia Southern.
The Series
DePaul leads the all-time series, 12-5. In Chicago, the Blue Demons have won eight of nine matchups. DePaul has won five of the last six contests and seven of nine. A year ago, the Blue Demons posted a 60-46 win in Birmingham as Lenae Williams, Jamie Smith and Jenni Dant all scored in double-figures.
Demon Doings
Notes following DePaul’s 76-57 loss at No. 5 Tennessee on Jan. 14:
- Khara Smith posted her fifth double-double of the season with game high’s of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
- The loss snapped a season-high five-game win streak.
- After going 0-for-5 in the first half, the Blue Demons came back and were 6-of-12 from three-point range.
- DePaul has now hit a three-pointer in 191 consecutive games.
- The Tennessee game was the last non-conference contest of the season.
- The 18 first-half points by the Blue Demons was a season low for the first half.
Times Two
For the first time this season, the Blue Demons find themselves ranked in both the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25 and Associated Press Top 25. In the Coaches poll, DePaul moved back up to No. 24 and dropping to the 25th slot the week before. They have been in the top 25 since Dec. 23.
DePaul is in the AP poll for the first time since Jan. 20, 1997. The No. 25 ranking on that date was the program’s final national recognition until the appearance in Dec.
Over the span of three seasons, from 1994-97, DePaul was in and out of the top 25’s. They were ranked as high as 15th in the first two AP polls of the 1995-96 season. The Blue Demons first national ranking was Feb. 29, 1988, when the team was 20th in the AP poll.
Streaking
The Blue Demons five-game win streak from Dec. 18, 2002-Jan. 14, 2003 was the longest since putting together a five-gamer from Jan. 31-Feb. 16, 1997. Prior to the recent run, the team won four consecutive games eight times. In each of the last three seasons, DePaul tallied a pair of four-gamers only to lose in the fifth game each time.
Smith’s Named C-USA Players of the Week
Cousins Khara and Charlene Smith have each claimed Conference USA Player of the Week honors this season. Khara, a redshirt freshman, was named the league’s Player of the Week following her double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds at Southern Illinois in the season opener. The 6-2 forward scored 12 points in the second half and grabbed eight boards to lead DePaul in the come-from-behind win. She also added five steals while playing just 24 minutes.
Charlene picked up the honor this week after leading the Blue Demons to a pair of wins over Illinois-Chicago and Marquette. For the week, she averaged 17 points, six rebounds and five steals while shooting .682 from the field. Against the Flames, she dropped in a career-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field.
DePaul is the only league team to win the honor twice this season. Lenae Williams was named C-USA Player of the Week twice last season for DePaul.
All in the Family
Cousins Charlene and Khara Smith have provided a spark to the DePaul offense this season. The two former standouts at Proviso West High School have combined for just over 30 percent of the scoring and rebounding for the Blue Demons this season. Khara has tallied a team-high five double-doubles while Charlene is among team leaders in assists and steals. Both have been named the Conference USA Player of the Week this season.
Nothing but the Best
The Blue Demons once again play one of toughest schedules in the nation and have posted a 2-2 records against teams ranked in the top 25 at tipoff. In Hawaii, the Blue Demons lost to then-No. 11 North Carolina. In Dec., they defeated No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 21 George Washington. In Jan., the Blue Demons traveled to Knoxville and lost to No. 5 Tennessee. The Conference USA slate includes top 25 programs Cincinnati, Houston, TCU and Tulane.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc
In 16 games, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 117 points from three-point range. So far, DePaul is 112-348 (.322) from behind the arc while opponents are 73-189 (.386). The squad is averaging 7.0 three’s per game while the opposition is making 4.6 treys per contest.
Including this season and the last three years, the squad has made 767 (7.2/gm) three’s compared to 371 (3.5/gm) for the opposition.
In ‘01-02, the Blue Demons averaged over four more three-point field goals per game than their opponents. As a team, the Blue Demons made 230 three’s compared to just 105 for the opposition. The team total was ranked first on the single-season chart and the team three-point percentage of .353 is third.
Home Cookin’
In just over two seasons, the DePaul Athletic Center has proven itself as one of the toughest venues in the Midwest. The Blue Demons have posted a 27-7 (.794) home record over 34 games. In their 29th season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 270-87 (.756). Over 26 seasons at Alumni Hall, the women’s basketball program won over 75 percent of their games with a 242-80 all-time record. At the Allstate Arena, the women’s program has posted an all-time record of 19-4.
Giving to Charity
The Blue Demons consistently rank among Conference USA leaders and this season is no different. The squad currently ranks fourth with a .695 (219-315) season percentage. At Illinois, the Blue Demons posted a season-best .850 (17-20) percentage from the line and against Northern Illinois went 25-for-30 (.833).
DePaul was a combined 384-520 (.738) from the free throw line last season to rank first among Conference USA schools for the second straight season. The mark was also the second-best single-season percentage in league history. Over the final 15 contests, the squad shot a combined .770 (217-282).
In 2000-01, the Blue Demons led Conference USA with a .716 overall mark from the free throw line. In league play, DePaul shot .733 and were 241-326 (.739) over their last 19 games.
Preseason Picks
In the annual Conference USA Preseason Poll, chosen by the league’s 14 coaches, the Blue Demons are picked to finish seventh. Prior to last season, Bruno’s squad was picked seventh, but entered the league tournament as the fourth seed. Houston’s Chandi Jones was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year and joined on the preseason all-league team by Sandora Irvin (TCU), Valerie King (Cincinnati), Teana McKiver (Tulane) and Sara Nord (Louisville).
TV Time
At least five games will be televised this season, including three on the Conference USA Television Network. DePaul will appear on the league network in games against TCU and Marquette and at Louisville. The Charlotte game on Feb. 14 will be televised on FOX Sports Net Chicago. The C-USA Network will broadcast the tournament semifinals while the championship game will be carried live from The Pyramid in Memphis on ESPN2, Mar. 9.
So far this season, DePaul has posted a 2-1 record on television. The club defeated Notre Dame and Valparaiso while falling to Tennessee.
Against the Top 10 at the DePaul Athletic Center
The month of December means top 10 teams at the DePaul Athletic Center. On Dec. 11, the Blue Demons toppled eighth-ranked Notre Dame, 75-59, for the first top 10 victory in the three-year old DePaul Athletic Center. A year ago, the Blue Demons entertained No. 7 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee in the span of three days. The Boilermakers escaped the Athletic Center with a 63-61 win after trailing, 30-22, at halftime. Two days later, the Blue Demons trailed the Lady Vols by eight with just over seven minutes left before Tennessee went on a late run to seal the victory, 80-66.
Prior to the Notre Dame victory, DePaul’s last win over a top 10 opponent was Dec. 14, 1996, when the Blue Demons toppled No. 3 Louisiana Tech, 70-67, in Alumni Hall.
Tourney Wraps
The Blue Demons played in a pair of tournaments earlier this season winning two of three games at the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu and winning the Moran Realty Classic in Chicago.
After a tourney-opening loss to No. 11 North Carolina in Hawai’i, the Blue Demons bounced back and claimed fifth place in the eight-team event. DePaul defeated Fordham, 92-73, and Denver, 55-44, in the consolation bracket.
Sophomore forward Jenni Dant was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the Blue Demons with 13 points and five rebounds per game. She joined a host of the nation’s top players as a member of the eight-player squad. In a rematch of last year’s national championship game, Connecticut defeated Oklahoma. UConn’s Diana Taurasi was named the tourney’s MVP.
DePaul opened the home portion of the schedule by winning the Moran Realty Classic. Convincingly, the Blue Demons posted wins over Loyola-Chicago, 87-59, on Friday and Montana State, 85-55, in the championship game. Redshirt freshman Khara Smith was named MVP and joined Charlene Smith and Ashley Luke on the All-Tournament team.
State Streak Ends
The Blue Demons streak of 14 consecutive victories against opponents from the state of Illinois ended on Dec. 4, 2003 at Illinois. With the wins over Illinois-Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons are 5-1 this season. Last season, DePaul knocked off Illinois, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois and Northwestern. In 2000-01, the club went a perfect 6-0 against state programs.
Prior to the loss at Illinois, DePaul’s last loss was Dec. 10, 1999, when Illinois posted a 74-64 win over the Blue Demons in Champaign.
DePaul has won 24 of the last 26 contests with state schools. Over the stretch of 25 games, DePaul has defeated Loyola and Northern Illinois five times, Illinois-Chicago four times, and Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois three times each. They have also knocked off Chicago State once. The lone two losses are to Illinois in Champaign.
Looking Ahead
DePaul signed two players to a National Letter of Intent in the early signing period. Both newcomers next season are from the Chicago area. Head coach Doug Bruno signed 5-9 guard Ciara (pronounced Sierra) Johnson from Trinity High School and 6-1 guard Jenna Rubino out of Lincoln-Way East.
Entering her senior season at Trinity, Johnson was rated by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 10 Underrated Players in the state of Illinois. As a junior, she averaged 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Rubino returns for her senior year at Lincoln Way-East after averaging 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game a year ago. Prior to this season, she was named to the “Tremendous 26” which recognizes the top 13 girls and boys players in Illinois.
