DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Wrap Up Road Schedule
2/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
DePaul (19-7, 8-3 C-USA) at Cincinnati (18-5, 8-2 C-USA)
Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. EST
Shoemaker Center - Cincinnati, Ohio
Click here for internet audio. The pre-game show begins 20 minutes before tipoff.
Demons and Bearcats
The DePaul Blue Demons begin their final Conference USA road swing with a Friday night contest at Cincinnati. The trip wraps up with a Sunday afternoon game at Louisville.
Following last weekend’s wins over Charlotte and East Carolina, DePaul has won 11 of the last 15 and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. In home games, the Blue Demons are 13-0 and winning by an average of 21.4 points per game. On the road, the club sports a 4-6 record.
Cincinnati enters Friday’s game in second place, just a half-game ahead of the Blue Demons. The Bearcats are 18-5 overall and 8-2 in league play. Last weekend, they won at Louisville, 73-66, in double overtime. DePaul leads the all-time series 16-9, but Cincinnati has won six of the last seven meetings.
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.
Noting the Blue Demons
With a win against the Bearcats, the Blue Demons would record 20 wins for the first time since the 1996-97 season... that club was the last DePaul team to play in the NCAA Tournament... twice in the program’s 29-year history has a team gone undefeated at home... DePaul is 13-0 at home this with one home game remaining... dating back to last season, the Blue Demons have won nine of their last 12 televised games (5-1 in ‘01-02, 4-2 in ‘02-03)... DePaul’s roster features seven of the 11 players as either freshmen or sophomores... four players are averaging at least 10.8 points per game... seven different players have led the club in scoring this season compared to just three last season... Khara Smith’s seven double-doubles leads the Blue Demons and are tied for fourth in Conference USA... cousins, Khara and Charlene Smith have earned C-USA Player of the Week honors... Doug Bruno has used six different lineups, but the same lineup for the last 17 games... DePaul is 33-7 all-time at the DePaul Athletic Center... over that same span, the team is 18-28 away from the Athletic Center... when the Blue Demons outscore their opponent, they are 19-0... the Blue Demons have started 12 of the 26 games with a three-pointer... the club has made 195 three’s this season while opponents have attempted 284... the single-season school record is 230 treys set last year... four players have at least 20 three-pointers... DePaul opened the Montana State game with five consecutive treys and has hit at least 10 three’s in seven games (7-0 in those games)... the 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... 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.
Bearcat Bits
The Cincinnati Bearcats enter Friday’s game with a 18-5 overall record and 8-2 mark in Conference USA action. Last weekend, they defeated Louisville, 73-66, in double overtime.
A year ago, Cincinnati posted a 27-5 overall record and a league mark of 11-3. They won the C-USA Tournament and advanced to the second of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Laurie Pirtle is in her 17th season at Cincinnati and holds a 249-237 record with the Bearcats. Debbie Merrill leads four players in double-figures with 18.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Valerie King adds 16.7 points per contest and leads the club with 69 three-pointers.
The Series
DePaul leads the all-time series, 16-9, but the Bearcats have taken six of the last seven meetings. DePaul hasn’t won a game at Cincinnati since a 80-72 decision on Jan. 12, 1997. Overall, the Bearcats have won six of 11 meetings in Cincinnati. A year ago, the Bearcats handed DePaul a 75-51 loss at the DePaul Athletic Center.
Demon Doings
Notes following DePaul’s 105-70 win against East Carolina on Feb. 16:
- The 105 points was the most since scoring 109 against Memphis on Feb. 22, 1996 (W, 109-88).
- The Blue Demons tallied at least 100 points for the second time in their last six games.
- DePaul shot a season-best .609 (14-23) from three-point range as well as a season-high 14 three’s. The three-point total matched the second-highest single-game total in program history (14 (2x), last at Michigan State, 3/14/02).
- Five players reached double-figures for the third time this season. The club is 3-0 when that happens.
White Uniforms or Blue Uniforms??
With a perfect 13-0 home record this season, the Blue Demons have won just four of 10 road games. Add that total to a 2-1 record on neutral floors and DePaul stands at 6-10 away from Chicago. In the 10 road games, the Blue Demons are shooting .399 compared to .496 on the home court. The club is averaging 20.6 more points per game at home while opponents are shooting a combined .428 in their own arenas. The club has two of their remaining three games away from the DePaul Athletic Center.
Smith’s Named C-USA Players of the Week
Three times this season a member of the Smith family from Chicago’s west side has earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors. Former Proviso West High School standouts, and cousins, Charlene and Khara have each claimed the honor this season.
Khara earned the recognition for the second time this year after leading the Blue Demons to wins over Houston and TCU. Against Houston, the redshirt freshman was a perfect 10-for-10 from the field in scoring 22 points with five rebounds and a pair of steals. She came back against TCU and notched her sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. For the week, she averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting .833 from the field.
Khara also claimed the league’s Player of the Week honors 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 Smith picked up the honor the week of Jan. 13 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.
Fun With Numbers
DePaul is 16-1 when leading at halftime... the lone loss was the 73-71 overtime defeat at Saint Louis... when scoring at least 70 points, the team has won 12 of 13 contests... when holding opponents to less than 70, the record is 17-3... the Blue Demons have won a game on five different days of the week... the best day is Saturday with a 4-0 record... on Friday, DePaul is 5-3 and holds a 7-2 ledger on Sunday’s... the only day without a winning record is Tuesday at 0-1... the Blue Demons haven’t played a game on Thursday this season... when at least three players score in double-figures, the team is 15-3... DePaul has made less than five three’s just once this season... twice this season opponents have not made a three-pointer in a game... DePaul has lost both games (at Memphis and at Southern Miss)... the Blue Demons have shot 40 percent or better from the field in 20 games this season while the opponents have managed it on 13 occasions.
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 Charlotte, Cincinnati and Tulane. Current non-conference opponents receiving votes include George Washington and Notre Dame.
In the Top 25
Throughout the season, the Blue Demons have been receiving votes for the two top 25’s. DePaul finally broke through and entered the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25 the week of Dec. 23. Following defeats on the road at Saint Louis and Memphis, the voters dropped DePaul from each of the weekly polls. Entering that weekend, the club stood at No. 20 in the Coaches poll and 25th in the Associated Press rankings.
DePaul was 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 were 25th in the AP poll for two weeks.
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.
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 Friday’s game, he holds 296 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 296-192.
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 while playing just over 20 percent of the minutes. Khara has tallied a team-high seven double-doubles while Charlene is among team leaders in assists and steals. Both have been named the Conference USA Player of the Week at least once this season.
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 33-7 (.825) home record over 40 games. In their 29th season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 276-87 (.760). 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.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc
In 26 games, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 294 points from three-point range. So far, DePaul is 195-540 (.361) from behind the arc while opponents are 97-284 (.342). The squad is averaging 7.5 three’s per game while the opposition is making 3.7 treys per contest.
Including this season and the last three years, the squad has made 850 (7.4/gm) three’s compared to 394 (3.4/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.
Giving to Charity
The Blue Demons consistently rank among Conference USA free throw leaders and this season is no different. The squad enters the game ranked second with a .717 (355-495) season percentage. Against Charlotte, the Blue Demons posted a season-best .947 (18-19) from the charity strip. Earlier this season, they shot .850 (17-20) at Illinois 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.
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 was 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 4-2 record on television. The club defeated Charlotte, Notre Dame, TCU and Valparaiso while falling at Tennessee and Saint Louis.
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.
