DePaul Cruises to Win Over Loyola
12/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Boxscore
CHICAGO – Playing their first game of the season as a ranked team, the DePaul Blue Demons scored early and often in a 101-63 win over Loyola-Chicago on Tuesday afternoon at the Joseph J. Gentile Center in Rogers Park. DePaul entered the game ranked 22nd in the AP poll and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA top 25.
Four players reached double-figures as the Blue Demons jumped out to a 40-6 lead over the first 12 minutes. Khara Smith scored 22 of her game-high 24 points in the first half with DePaul (11-1) leading, 56-23, at intermission.
The club shot a blistering .632 from the field in the first half while holding Loyola (4-6) to a combined .286 field goal percentage. DePaul’s 56 first-half points marked the eighth time this season that they have scored at least 50 points in a half.
In the second half, the lead was never smaller than 32 points while Jarietta Benton’s jumper gave the Blue Demons their largest lead of the game, 86-37, with nine minutes left in the game.
Smith tallied her eighth double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Charlene Smith added 20 points and six boards while Ashley Luke scored 13 points with six assists. Jenni Dant chipped in 10 points with four assists and four steals. For the game, the team combined to shoot .500 (40-of-80) from the field.
The team wraps up the month of December with a 9-1 record that saw them play 10 games in 20 days from Dec. 4-23. Tuesday’s win was also the 100th in DePaul history in the month of December.
DePaul wraps up the non-conference portion of the regular season with a Jan. 3 game at Northern Illinois. Tipoff with the Huskies is set for 7:05 p.m. in Dekalb to start the 2004 calender.
The Blue Demons open Conference USA play on Friday, Jan. 9, against Louisville at the DePaul Athletic Center. Cincinnati comes to Chicago for a Sunday afternoon game on Jan. 11 that will be nationally televised on ESPN2.