Blue Demons and Lady Vols Tangle on Wednesday
12/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Game #9
DePaul (8-0) vs. #2 Tennessee (5-0)
Dec. 17, 2003 - 7 p.m.
DePaul Athletic Center - Chicago, Ill.
Game Notes
Internet Audio (pre-game show begins at 6:40 p.m.)
CHICAGO - The DePaul women’s basketball team plays at the DePaul Athletic for the first time since Dec. 4 on Wednesday evening against the No. 2 Tennessee Lady Vols. The two teams tipoff at 7 p.m. in Lincoln Park.
Both teams enter the game undefeated - two of just 12 teams nationally - with DePaul at 8-0 and Tennessee standing at 5-0. The Blue Demons lead the nation in scoring and steals with 95.8 points and 18.6 steals per game. In their last three games, the Lady Vols have knocked off top 25 teams Louisiana Tech, Rutgers and Stanford.
The Tennessee game can be heard live at www.depaulbluedemons.com. Jeff Friedman is in his third season on the headset for the DePaul and will describe at least 21 games this season on DePaul’s official athletics website. A 20-minute pre-game show will precede each broadcast and a post-game show will wrap things up after every game. Kathryn Statz will join Friedman for Wednesday’s game as color commentator.
Noting the Blue Demons: The 2003-04 campaign is the 30th season of women’s basketball at DePaul University... Jenni Dant (21) and Sarah Kustok (22) are celebrating their birthdays on Wednesday... the Blue Demons have won the last three games by 41, 46 and 45 points... at least four players have scored in double-figures in seven of eight games... DePaul’s eight-game win streak to open the season is the longest since a nine-gamer from Feb. 4-Mar. 2, 1996... since that streak, the club has put together four five-game streaks and seven four-gamers, but never a six or more consecutive wins until this season... the Blue Demons lead the country in steals per game and scoring... Dant is ranked second in steals per game and Kustok is fifth in three-point field goal percentage... the 30.8 average margin of victory is fourth in the nation... the victory at Holy Cross was the 500th in the program’s history... a win would give the club just the second 9-0 start in the program’s history... the 1985-86 squad produced the best start in school history at 9-0... the club has 149 steals through eight games while forcing 221 turnovers... in six of eight games, an opposing player has committed at least nine turnovers... at Holy Cross, DePaul trailed at halftime for the first time this season... at the free throw line, DePaul has made 126 free shots while opponents have attempted 118... with Sunday’s win at the Allstate, the Blue Demons are 20-4 all-time in Rosemont... 100 years ago today, the Wright Brothers completed the first machine-powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
Two of Twelve: DePaul’s 8-0 record makes them one of 12 teams in the country that have not lost a game this season. Wednesday’s opponent, Tennessee, is also undefeated at 5-0. Of the 12 teams, eight are ranked in the top 25’s. Joining the Blue Demons and Lady Vols as undefeated teams are: Arkansas State, Connecticut, Idaho, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, Oklahoma, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech.
Checking on the Lady Vols: Tennessee enters the game at 5-0 after posting a 70-66 overtime win at Stanford on Sunday. Tennessee is in the midst of a three-game, eight-day road trip from Palo Alto, Calif. to Chicago to Norman, Okla. Junior Shyra Ely leads the club with 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest while Shanna Zolman adds 14.6 points per game. Head coach Pat Summitt is in her 30th season as head coach at Tennessee and holds a 826-163 career record.
The series: Wednesday is the 14th all-time meeting between the two programs with the Lady Vols winning the previous 13 games. This will be the seventh meeting in Chicago and the second at the DePaul Athletic Center. A year ago in Knoxville, the Lady Vols jumped out to a 43-18 lead in the 76-57 decision over DePaul. Khara Smith scored 18 points with 11 rebounds while Charlene Smith added 11 points for DePaul. Ashley Robinson led three Tennessee players in double-figures with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul’s 102-57 win at Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 14:
- The eight-game winning streak is the longest since a nine-gamer from Feb. 4 to Mar. 2, 1996.
- Six players reached double-figures led by Jenni Dant with 23 points.
- Khara Smith notched her sixth double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
- The Blue Demons reached 50 points in half for the sixth time in eight games.
- Jarietta Benton’s free throw gave DePaul 100 points for the second straight game, third time this season and 27th time in program history.
- DePaul outscored Southern Illinois, 44-9, in points off turnovers.
- The program is now 20-4 all-time at the Allstate Arena.
- The win was the seventh straight against teams from the state of Illinois and the 21st in the last 22 meetings.
In the Rankings: In the second edition of the NCAA statistics, the Blue Demons rank among the nation’s leaders in a variety of categories. Through games of Nov. 15, DePaul leads the nation in steals and scoring offense, rank fourth in scoring margin and fifth in three-point field goals per game. The club also ranks 10th in turnover and 12th in assists per game. Junior Jenni Dant is second in the nation steals per game while Sarah Kustok is fifth in three-point field goal percentage.
In the C-USA rankings for games through Dec. 14, DePaul ranks first in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point field goals per game, assists, steals, turnover margin and assist/turnover ratio. Khara Smith is second among league players in rebounding while Dant and Kustok lead the league in steals and three-point field goal percentage, respectively. Ashley Luke is tied for second in three-point field goals per game and Charlene Smith is fourth in field goal percentage.
Puttin’ It On the Board: The Blue Demons have kept the scoreboard operators busy as they have registered 94, 109, 82, 89, 86, 98, 106 and 102 points in their first eight games this season. The 766 combined points are the highest total to start the season in program history.
Home Cookin’: In four seasons, the DePaul Athletic Center has proven itself as one of the toughest venues in the Midwest. The Blue Demons have posted a 37-7 (.841) home record over 44 games. In their 30th season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 281-87 (.764). 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 20-4. DePaul returned to Rosemont this season with a 102-57 win over Southern Illinois on Dec. 14.
Currently, the Blue Demons hold one of the longest home-court winning streaks in the country. DePaul is tied for fifth at 18 consecutive home court victories. Connecticut leads the country with a 67-game home court winning streak and is followed by UC Santa Barbara with 27 straight home victories.
All in the Family: Cousins Charlene and Khara Smith have been an offensive force since joining the club a year ago. Khara, a sophomore, has six double-doubles in eight games this season and averages team-high’s of 18.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Charlene, a junior, is second on the club with 17.3 points per game and is second on the team with 26 steals. The two have combined for 38 percent of the scoring in eight games this season.
Swarming: Despite all of the offensive numbers, the DePaul defense has been devastating to their opponents. Through eight games, the Blue Demons have made 149 steals while forcing 221 turnovers. DePaul has converted the 221 mishaps into 262 points (32.8 ppg). At Northwestern, DePaul took advantage of 30 Wildcat turnovers for 39 points and used 27 Holy Cross mistakes to generate 39 points. In back-to-back games, the Blue Demons outscored Illinois-Chicago, 43-6, and Southern Illinois, 44-9, in points off turnovers.
Khara Smith Named C-USA Player of the Week: Sophomore forward Khara Smith was named the Conference USA Player of the Week after leading the Blue Demons to wins over Northwestern, Illinois and Holy Cross last week. In the three wins, she tallied two double-doubles while averaging 22.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. She is the first DePaul player to earn the weekly honor this season. As a freshman, she was named player of the week on two occasions.
Smith started the week with 18 points, six boards and four assists in DePaul’s 82-57 win over at Northwestern. She followed that up with 24 points, 13 boards and three blocked shots against Illinois. Smith saved her best game for last as she tallied career-high’s of 26 points and 16 rebounds in DePaul’s 86-73 win at Holy Cross. Twenty of the 26 points came in the second half against the Crusaders. For the week, she posted a .571 field goal percentage with eight steals and eight assists.
Preseason Picks: Prior to the start of the season, the Conference USA coaches picked the Blue Demons to finish second behind preseason favorite TCU. The Horned Frogs earned the league’s automatic bid by winning the C-USA Tournament in Memphis after starting as the fifth seed. Charlotte, who won the league regular season title a year ago, was picked fourth just behind Cincinnati. DePaul posted a 10-4 record to earn the third seed in the 2003 conference tourney.
Junior Jenni Dant was named to the league’s preseason All-Conference team after earning second team All-CUSA honors after last season. Houston’s Chandi Jones was named the preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the league’s preseason team by Dant, Sandora Irvin of TCU and Cincinnati’s Valerie King and Debbie Merrill.
Against the State: The DePaul women’s basketball program has seen recent success against opponents from the state of Illinois. Over the last 22 games against Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 21 victories. In games this season against Northwestern, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago and Southern Illinois, the club is 4-0.
A year ago in Champaign, the Illini snapped a 14-game winning streak against state opponents for DePaul with the 71-67 decision on Dec. 4. In addition to the 14-game streak ended last year, DePaul has won 27 of the last 29 games against state opponents. Currently, the Blue Demons have seven straight wins over Illinois schools following the 102-57 victory over Southern Illinois on Dec. 14.
Eyeing 1,000: Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Jenni Dant could become the 18th player in DePaul basketball history to surpass the 1,000-point mark in her career. Through 69 career games, the junior has 889 points. She is averaging 17.0 points per game this season after leading the club in scoring at 14.4 (460 points) points per game a year ago. As a freshman, Dant tallied 293 points while averaging 10.1 points per contest. The most recent DePaul player to enter the 1,000-point club was Lenae Williams. She finished her four-year DePaul career ranked second all-time with 2,046 points.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc: The DePaul women’s basketball program has turned the three-point field goal into a potent offensive weapon. This season is no different as the Blue Demons return their top two sharpshooters from last season in Sarah Kustok and Ashley Luke. Kustok led Conference USA with a .445 three-point field goal percentage while Luke tied DePaul’s single-season record with 94 three’s last season. The duo’s 39 combined three’s are 10 more than all DePaul opponents combined.
As a team, DePaul has made at least one three-pointer in 215 consecutive games. Over the last four seasons the club has knocked down 733 trifectas compared to just 364 for the opposition. In the last two seasons, the Blue Demons have set new single-season records with 230 in 2001-02 and 233 in 2002-03.
In eight games this season, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 117 points from three-point range. DePaul is 68-187 (.364) from behind the arc while opponents are 29-99 (.293). The squad averages 8.5 three’s per game while the opposition makes 3.6 treys per contest.
Giving to Charity: Along with the accuracy from behind the arc, the Blue Demons also rank among the best in Conference USA from the free throw line. Over the last three seasons, DePaul has finished either first or second in the league in free throw percentage. The squad finished the 2002-03 campaign ranked second with a .718 (425-592) season percentage. Prior to finishing second, DePaul was a combined 384-520 (.738) from the free throw line in 2001-02 to rank first among Conference USA schools for the second straight season. In 2000-01, the Blue Demons led Conference USA with a .716 overall mark from the free throw line.
Through the first three games this season, the club struggled from the charity stripe with a combined .623 (43-69) percentage. However, in the last five games, the Blue Demons are a combined 83-for-114 (.728) from the line. In addition to the accuracy, the Blue Demons have attempted to use the theory of make more free throws than the opponents attempt to ensure success. DePaul has made 126 free shots while the opposition has attempted just 118.
Eyeing 300: With DePaul’s first win this season, DePaul head coach Doug Bruno earned his 300th victory with the Blue Demons. In his 18th season with the Blue Demons, he stands at 307-196. Along with being the winningest coach in DePaul women’s basketball history, Bruno has also tallied the most victories among Conference USA coaches at their respective schools. Laurie Pirtle is next with 260 wins at Cincinnati while Jeanne Milling has tallied 258 victories at UAB. Milling leads all C-USA coaches with 419 overall victories.
Nothing but the Best: The 2003-04 schedule features 13 opponents that played in the postseason a year ago. Among the 13 are 10 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last March. The Blue Demons take on Alabama State, Illinois, Tennessee and Valparaiso in non-conference action at the DePaul Athletic Center while traveling to Holy Cross and Manhattan. A year ago, Conference USA sent seven teams to postseason action. Charlotte, Cincinnati, TCU and Tulane joined the Blue Demons in the NCAA Tournament while Marquette and Saint Louis played in the WNIT.
Preseason Picks, Part II: In the Athlon Sports preseason Top 25, the magazine slotted DePaul at No. 18. The Blue Demons are one of two Conference USA programs in the Top 25 as TCU was picked 22nd. The No. 18 ranking is DePaul’s highest preseason ranking by any magazine as the Blue Demons are coming off their 22-10 record and NCAA Tournament appearance a year ago.
Two-time defending National Champion Connecticut is Athlon’s preseason favorite. The Huskies are followed by Duke, Kansas State, Stanford and Texas. Tennessee, who the Blue Demons play at the DePaul Athletic Center in December, is ranked ninth.
Recapping the Moran Realty Classic: The Blue Demons captured their third straight Moran Realty Classic title with wins over UW-Milwaukee and Northwestern State. DePaul opened the tournament with a 94-62 win over the Panthers and a 109-73 victory over Northwestern State in the championship game.
On Friday against UW-Milwaukee, DePaul opened the game with a 14-2 run in the second half. The lead grew to as many as 32 points as 10 players scored and 12 grabbed at least one rebound. Ashley Luke led five players in double-figures with 18 points while Khara Smith added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Against the Lady Demons, records fell as the Blue Demons set a new DePaul Athletic Center record with 109 points. The club also tied the program’s single-game record with 15 three-pointers and set a new program mark with 39 three-point attempts. DePaul led by 27 points with 15 minutes left and held a game-high 42-point advantage with 6:06 left in the game. Jenni Dant led five players in double-figures with 19 points and was named co-MVP of the tournament with Charlene Smith. Khara Smith and Luke also earned All-Tournament honors.
TV Time: As always, the DePaul women’s basketball program will be featured multiple times on national television. This season, the Blue Demons are scheduled for at least five televised games. They will be on the C-USA Network twice with games at TCU on Feb. 22 and Marquette on Feb. 29. The Cincinnati matchup at the DePaul Athletic Center on Jan. 11 will be broadcasted on ESPN2 as will the Marquette game on Feb. 8. FOX Sports Net Chicago will televise the Tulane game on Jan. 25. The Blue Demons are just one of 14 women’s basketball programs in the country scheduled to appear on the ESPN network multiple times this season.
DePaul was no stranger to the cameras last season as 10 games were televised. The Blue Demons posted a 6-4 record in televised games last year and have won 11 of the last 16 televised games. Over the last two seasons, DePaul has won five of six games on C-USA TV including wins over Tulane, TCU, Marquette and Louisville.
Looking Ahead: The DePaul coaching staff signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country as Erin Carney, Allie Quigley and Caprice Smith signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Blue Demons starting next season. The trio makes up one of DePaul’s top recruiting classes in the program’s 30 years. Overall, Carney, Quigley and Smith are ranked as the nation’s 10th-best recruiting class by the Women’s Basketball News Service and No. 15 by the Blue Star Index.
Carney, a 6-1 forward, led the St. Francis Gladiators to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Michigan and Montana are the nation’s only states that play girls high school basketball in the fall. Carney averaged 19.0 points and 17.4 rebounds per game while leading the Glads to a 18-3 record. This season, she has put together game highs of 29 points and 25 rebounds in a game. She finished sixth in Michigan’s Miss Basketball voting and was Class C All-State honoree by the Associated Press.
Quigley, a three-sport standout, was an honorable mention All-American by Street and Smith in 2003 and is ranked No. 78 on Blue Star’s top 100 seniors. In addition to her honorable mention All-American honors, she also earned All-State mention by the Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune last season after averaging 28 points per game.
Smith, a 6-2 forward, led Trinity to the first Elite Eight appearance in school history last season while averaging 21.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She also shot .450 (54-120) from three-point range. Following her junior season, she received first team All-State honors from the Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette, Chicago Tribune and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. She is ranked No. 29 in the Blue Star Index Top 100 seniors and No. 50 by the All Start Girls Report.