DePaul University Athletics
20th-ranked Blue Demons Travel to Saint Louis
1/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
#20 DePaul (14-4, 3-0 C-USA) at Saint Louis (10-8, 1-2 C-USA)
Friday, January 24 - 7:00 p.m.
Bauman-Eberhardt Center (2,200) - St. Louis, Missouri
For internet broadcast, click here. Pre-game show begins at 6:40 p.m.
Demons and Billikens
The DePaul Blue Demons play the first of two weekend road games at Saint Louis on Friday night. DePaul wraps up the trip with a Sunday afternoon game at Memphis. Currently, the Blue Demons stand at No. 20 in the latest USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25 and are 25th in the Associated Press rankings. The Coaches poll ranking is the highest this season in either poll.
DePaul has won seven of the last eight, 11 of 13, and 12 of 15. In home games, the Blue Demons are winning by an average of 19.0 points per game. On the road, the club sports a 3-3 record.
The Saint Louis Billikens stand at 10-8 overall and 1-2 in C-USA play following a pair of defeats last weekend at Tulane and Southern Miss. DePaul leads the all-time series, 20-5, and have posted victories in eight of 10 contests in St. Louis. Last season, the Billikens knocked off the Blue Demons, 50-48, at the DePaul Athletic Center.
Friday’s game 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.
Among the Best
DePaul’s 14-4 record over the first 18 games is among the top records in program history. The record is the best beginning since the 1994-95 squad began with a mark of 15-3. In 29 seasons, just five teams have started with a record of 14-4 or better. The 1978-79 team started 16-2 while two teams began 15-3. The 14-4 start this season matches the 1986-87 campaign. A victory against Saint Louis would move this season’s team into a group of five teams to win at least 15 of the first 19 games.
Noting the Blue Demons
With a win against the Billikens, the Blue Demons would be off to their best start since going 15-3 to open the 1994-95 campaign... the current record of 14-4 is one game better than 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 9.8 points per game... Khara Smith’s five double-doubles leads the Blue Demons and is tied for fourth 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 29-7 all-time at the DePaul Athletic Center... they play five of nine January games at home... the Blue Demons have started nine of the 18 games with a three-pointer... the club has made 128 three’s this season while opponents have attempted 204... the single-season school record is 230 set last year... DePaul opened the Montana State game with five consecutive treys and has hit at least 10 three’s in five 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... he is nine wins shy of his 300th career victory at DePaul.
Demon Doings
Notes following DePaul’s 63-57 win over South Florida on Jan. 19:
- Khara Smith is averaging 23.0 points and shooting .778 (28-36) from the field in three Conference USA games. She has led the club in scoring in each of the last four contests.
- The Blue Demons have won three straight and four of five against the Bulls.
- DePaul is now 11-0 when leading at halftime and 13-1 when shooting 40 percent or better.
- Jenni Dant tallied her team-high fourth game of at least 20 points.
- DePaul has now hit a three-pointer in 193 consecutive games.
- The home record stands at 9-0 this season (8-0 DePaul Athletic Center; 1-0 Allstate Arena).
Times Two
For the second consecutive week, 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 up four places to No. 20. The four-spot jump was the biggest move the in poll by any ranked team.
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. The Blue Demons are 25th in the AP poll for the second straight week.
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.
Bowling for Bruno
No, DePaul head coach Doug Bruno is not a bowling fan or movie buff, but he is within range of his 300th win with the Blue Demons. Entering this weekend, he holds 291 career victories with DePaul and could eclipse the 300-win plateau later this season. In his 17th season with the Blue Demons, he stands at 291-192.
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 last 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.
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 nearly 35 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.
More Family Fun
DePaul assistant Maggie Dixon and her brother, Jamie, share a unique distinction among college basketball coaches. The sister-brother combination are both coaching at programs ranked in the top 25. Jamie, the associate head coach at Pittsburgh, has the Panthers ranked second in both polls while Maggie’s Blue Demons are 20th in the Coaches Poll and 25th in the AP rankings.
Nothing but the Best
The Blue Demons once again play one of toughest schedules in the nation and have posted a 2-2 record 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, Louisville and Tulane.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc
In 18 games, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 138 points from three-point range. So far, DePaul is 128-389 (.329) from behind the arc while opponents are 826-204 (.402). The squad is averaging 7.1 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 783 (7.2/gm) three’s compared to 380 (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 29-7 (.806) home record over 36 games. In their 29th season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 272-87 (.758). 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 enters the weekend ranked fourth with a .703 (246-350) 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 also 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.
