DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Travels to Dartmouth For Tournament
12/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Game #11
#19/18 DePaul (8-2) vs. Valparaiso (5-4)
Blue Sky Restaurant Classic
Leede Arena - Hanover, N.H.
Dec. 29, 2004 - 5:00 p.m. EST
DePaul vs. Dartmouth/Richmond
Dec. 30, 2004 - 5:00/7:00 p.m. EST (Consolation/Championship)
Game Notes
Internet Audio (Valparaiso broadcast)
CHICAGO - The DePaul Blue Demons play at the Blue Sky Restaurant Classic this week in Hanover, N.H. The two-day tournament has the Blue Demons taking on Valparaiso with the winner and loser meeting Richmond and host Dartmouth in Thursday’s consolation and championship games. It is the second trip in a week to the Northeast for DePaul as they traveled to New Jersey for a 86-61 win over Saint Peter’s last Tuesday. The two games wrap-up six straight games away from Chicago to close the calender year of 2004.
DePaul enters the game at 8-2 and stands at No. 19 in the latest Associated Press poll. The Blue Demons were placed at No. 18 in last week’s USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches’ top 25. The coaches’ poll will be released on Tuesday afternoon. Valparaiso stands at 5-4 heading into Wednesday’s action. Dartmouth enters the tourney with a 3-4 record while Richmond is one of six teams in the nation without a loss at 8-0.
Following the Blue Sky Classic, the Blue Demons return to the DePaul Athletic Center for their final regular-season non-conference game of the season. DePaul hosts Holy Cross on Sunday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. The Blue Demons open Conference USA action on Jan. 9 at Marquette on ESPN2.
Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul is averaging 88.1 points per game... through games of Dec. 20, the Blue Demons are ranked among the nation’s top ten in six statistical categories... DePaul is first in scoring, second in rebound margin, third in assists per game, sixth in three-point field goals per game, seventh in steals per game and eighth in scoring margin... as an AP-ranked team, the Blue Demons are 1-20 all-time when playing other AP-ranked teams... Jenni Dant played in her 100th career game at Northern Illinois and has started the last 72 contests... at Tennessee, Khara Smith became the sixth player in school history with 1,200 career points and 700 career rebounds... the 16 rebounds by Erin Carney against Loyola on Dec. 6 were the most by a freshman since Veronica Ross’ 17 boards at Cleveland State on Mar. 2, 1987... Carney, born May 9, 1986, was 10 months old when Ross accomplished the feat... Khara Smith has nearly posted a triple-double in two games this season... she totaled 23 points, 17 rebounds and seven steals against UW-Milwaukee and 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against USC... the last player to record a triple-double is Diana Vines with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 steals at Notre Dame on Jan. 24, 1989... dating back to last season (40 games), the team has scored at least 90 points in 16 games and owns a 31-9 record (.775)... DePaul has scored at least 50 points in a half seven times this season... at least four players have scored in double-figures in seven of the nine games... it happened in 17 games in 2003-04... five players have reached double-figures twice... DePaul is victorious in 17 of the last 22 regular season C-USA games... over the last two-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 33-1 at home with the lone loss coming in overtime to then-No. 2 Tennessee in December 2003... in those 34 games, DePaul is 31-1 at the DePaul Athletic Center and 2-0 at the Allstate Arena... the average margin of victory during that run is 25.1 points per game... the 96 points against Murray State was the program’s second-highest total for the season’s first game.
Checking on the Crusaders: Valparaiso enters the tournament at 5-4 after starting the season with a 1-3 record. The Crusaders have won four of the last five after dropping a 69-59 decision to Notre Dame on Nov. 30. Jenna Stangler leads the team with 16.4 points per game. Betsy Reitema averages 10.5 points and 11 steals while Tamra Braun averages 6.0 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per contest. Head coach Keith Freeman is in his 11th season as head coach at Valparaiso. He holds a 180-122 record with the Crusaders.
The Series: Wednesday is the 16th meeting between the two programs with the Blue Demons winning the previous 15 games. It is the second meeting on a neutral floor between the two programs with DePaul holding a 9-0 advantage in Chicago and 5-0 series lead in Valparaiso. A year ago, the Blue Demons defeated the Crusaders, 70-47, at the DePaul Athletic Center. Jenni Dant and Khara Smith scored 15 points each to lead DePaul. The Blue Demons are 32-4 all-time against teams from the Mid-Continent Conference.
Possible Thursday Opponents: A meeting with either Dartmouth or Richmond will be the first for DePaul. The Blue Demons have played just one Ivy League opponent with a 94-48 win over Cornell on Jan. 5, 1985. DePaul is 17-15 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10. The most recent victory was a 83-46 win over George Washington in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
C-USA Players of the Week: DePaul’s Jenni Dant and Khara Smith have each earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors this season. Dant picked up the honor in the first week of the season while Smith was named the Player of the Week on Dec. 27.
Dant was named MVP of the Moran Realty Classic as the Blue Demons knocked off Murray State and USC at the DePaul Athletic Center. The senior scored a career-high 29 points in the championship game of the tournament to lead the Blue Demons. She also added three steals and two rebounds against the Women of Troy while going 10-for-10 from the free throw line. It is the second time in her career and just the eighth time in school history that a player has gone perfect from the free throw line with at least 10 attempts. Dant was 12-of-12 last season at Northern Illinois. On Friday, the senior guard played just 21 minutes in the win over Murray State and collected nine points, five assists and three steals. It is the first time in her career that Dant has been named the C-USA Player of the Week.
Smith won the weekly award for the seventh time in her career after totaling 32 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots at Saint Peter’s. The 32 points and five blocks were season-high’s while she also added two steals. Smith keyed DePaul’s 25-2 run in the second half with 10 points as she finished the game with her sixth double-double of the year.
Between the men’s and women’s basketball programs, a DePaul player has claimed C-USA’s weekly honor in five of the six weeks. Senior forward Quemont Greer has won the weekly award three times this season for DePaul’s men’s program.
Puttin’ It On the Board: The Blue Demons are keeping the scoreboard operators busy as they totaled 96, 99, 89, 118, 97 and 99 points in their first six games. In the last four games, the team is averaging 70.8 points per game and are 2-2 in that span. DePaul finished last season leading the nation in scoring with 84.4 points per game.
Since the start of last season, the Blue Demons have scored at least 90 points in 16 games and are 1-5 when being held to less than 70 points. On the flip side, the club is a combined 30-4 when scoring more than 70 points in a game.
Demon Doings: Notes following the 86-61 win at Saint Peter’s on Dec. 21:
- DePaul used a 25-2 run after falling behind in the second half. The Blue Demons trailed, 50-49, with 13:55 left before the run put DePaul ahead, 74-52, with just over seven minutes left in the game.
- The team tied the fifth-highest single-game total with nine blocked shots.
DePaul combined to shoot .630 in the second period after totaling a team percentage of .380 in the first half.
- Khara Smith posted a season scoring high for the second straight game with 32 points. She also added 13 rebounds, five blocked shots and two steals.
- Jenni Dant dished out a career-high 10 assists to go with 10 points for her first double-double of the season.
- Allie Quigley posted career high’s of 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds. The freshman was 5-of-9 from behind the three-point arc.
- Jarietta Benton scored eight points with five rebounds and three assists in her first career start.
- The Blue Demons are now 4-0 all-time against teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. It was the first meeting between Saint Peter’s and DePaul.
- The win was the 330th for Doug Bruno at DePaul.
Nice November: DePaul’s 5-0 record in the first month of the season marked the highest victory total in school history for November. Only one other time in DePaul 31 season’s have the Blue Demons played more than five games on November. The 2001-02 season started with six November games that saw the team post a 4-2 record. All-time, the program is 39-16 in November.
Streaking: Dating back to last season and in some cases, the last couple of seasons, the Blue Demons have put together various streaks. Listed below are some current active streaks heading into Tuesday’s game at Saint Peter’s:
- 15 consecutive wins at home
- 31 victories at home against unranked opponents
- 13 straight wins against opponents from Illinois and 27 of the last 28
- nine wins against unranked opponents
- 72 consecutive starts by Jenni Dant
- 20 straight games in double-figures for Khara Smith
Charlene Smith Out Indefinitely: DePaul guard Charlene Smith, who suffered an injury to her right knee early in Monday's game against Loyola-Chicago, is out indefinitely after an MRI on Tuesday revealed a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and a sprained MCL (medial collateral ligament).
Smith was injured just 5:08 into game on Monday evening at the DePaul Athletic Center against Loyola-Chicago. Smith is averaging 11.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, and is a candidate for the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award. The preseason All-Conference USA honoree started all six games this season after averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest in 30 starts as a junior.
Sweet Home Chicago: The Blue Demons started the 2004-05 campaign with six straight home games at the DePaul Athletic Center. They went a perfect 6-0 to start the season before going on the road for six straight home games. It was the second-longest homestand to start a season in the program’s history. The 1996-97 season started with eight consecutive home games that saw the Blue Demons post a 7-1 record. The 1985-86 season started with five straight home games and six of the first seven in Chicago. The Blue Demons return to the DePaul Athletic Center on Jan. 2 against Holy Cross.
Sudden Impact: Ranked by some as one of the top recruiting classes last year, DePaul’s three freshmen have made an immediate impact on the program. In their first 10 games, the trio of Erin Carney, Allie Quigley and Caprice Smith have combined to average 25.2 points, 13.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Quigley is third on the team with 13.8 points and second with 31 assists while Smith is averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and shooting .429 from three-point range. Carney has started nine games for the Blue Demons and is second on the team with 7.9 rebounds per game to go with 6.4 points per contest. She tallied her first double-double against Loyola with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
Carney’s 16 boards were the most by a DePaul freshman since Veronica Ross’ 17 rebounds at Cleveland State on Mar. 2, 1987. Earlier this season, Quigley dropped in 21 points against USC for the first 20-point game by a DePaul rookie since Jenni Dant’s 22 points against Louisville on Feb. 15, 2002. It’s also the second freshman 20-point game since Lenae Williams’ 22-point effort at Houston on Jan. 24, 1999. She recently added a 24-point effort with five three-pointers, five rebounds and eight assists at Saint Peter’s.
Home Cookin’: In four-plus seasons, the DePaul Athletic Center has proven itself as one of the toughest venues in the Midwest. The Blue Demons have posted a 52-8 record in the arena’s first 60 games. In their 31st season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 296-88 (.771). 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.
In 30 seasons of women’s basketball at DePaul University there have been 13 streaks of at least 10 straight home victories. The longest streak was a 20-game run from Feb. 4, 1978 to Feb. 19, 1979. The 18-gamer that ended last season was the second-longest streak in school history followed by a 15-game home court win streak from Mar. 5, 1994 to Feb. 26, 1995. Over the last two years, the team is 33-1 at home with the lone loss coming in overtime to Tennessee on Dec. 17, 2003. Maybe more impressive is that the Blue Demons average margin of victory during the run is 25.1 points per game.
The current 15-game winning streak is just the fourth home streak in school history of at least 15 games and was DePaul’s 31st straight home victory over an unranked opponent. During the 31-game streak over unranked opponents, there have been 29 victories at the DePaul Athletic Center and two wins at the Allstate Arena. Tulane handed DePaul their last home loss to an unranked team on Mar. 2, 2002, with a 88-83 decision in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament at the DePaul Athletic Center.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc: The DePaul women’s basketball program has turned the three-point field goal into a potent offensive weapon. As a team, DePaul has made at least one three-pointer in 247 consecutive games. Since the start of the 2001-02 season, the club has knocked down 756 trifectas compared to just 382 for the opposition. The Blue Demons set new single-season records with 230 in 2001-02 and 233 in 2002-03. Over the last five years, the team has totaled at least 200 three-pointers in each season.
In 10 games this season, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 117 points from three-point range (11.7 ppg). DePaul is 78-207 (.377) from behind the arc while opponents are 39-134 (.291). The squad averages 7.8 three’s per game while the opposition makes 3.9 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 four seasons, DePaul finished either first or second in the league in free throw percentage. A year ago, the Blue Demons were second with a .724 (480-663) team mark. 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.
Through 10 games in 2004, the team is shooting a Conference USA-best .728 from the line. DePaul is a combined 155-of-213 from the charity stripe.
Preseason Picks: Prior to the start of the season, the Conference USA coaches picked the Blue Demons to win the C-USA Championship. The coaches also named junior forward Khara Smith the league’s preseason Player of the Year. DePaul was followed by TCU, Houston, Louisville and Marquette.
Senior Charlene Smith joined her cousin on the league’s preseason All-Conference team after earning second team All-CUSA honors after last season. The Smith’s were joined by Houston’s Sancho Lyttle, Sandora Irvin of TCU, Jazz Covington from Louisville and Jessica Dickson of USF.
Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against opponents from the state of Illinois. Over the last 28 games against Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 27 victories. In 2004-05 against Northwestern, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois, the club was a perfect 5-0. This season, the club tallied wins over Northwestern, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola-Chicago and Northern Illinois.
The Illini snapped a 14-game winning streak against state opponents for DePaul with the 71-67 decision on Dec. 4, 2002. In addition to the 14-game streak ended during the 2002-03 season, DePaul has won 33 of the last 35 games against state opponents. Currently, the Blue Demons have 13 straight wins over Illinois schools following this season’s victories over Northwestern, UIC, Loyola-Chicago and Northern Illinois.
Khara Smith Named to Wooden, Wade and Naismith Award Preseason Lists: DePaul junior Khara Smith has been named to the preseason lists for three of women’s basketball’s national player of the year awards. She is one of 30 players nominated for the Wooden Award and 31 student-athletes for the Wade Trophy. A year ago, Smith was one of 16 semifinalists for the inaugural Women’s Wooden Award. She is also one of 50 nominees for the Naismith Award. Smith was one of five players named a first team preseason All-American by Lindy’s and a second-teamer by Athlon Sports. She was joined on the Lindy’s first team by Seimone Augustus of LSU, Janel McCarville of Minnesota, Notre Dame’s Jacqueline Batteast and Kendra Wecker of Kansas State.
Recapping the Moran Realty Classic: The Blue Demons captured their fourth straight Moran Realty Classic title with wins over Murray State and Southern California. DePaul opened the tournament with a 96-58 win over the Racers and a 99-77 victory over USC in the championship game. Jenni Dant was named tournament MVP after a career-high 29 points in the championship game. She was joined by teammates Allie Quigley and Khara Smith on the All-Tournament team.
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 ESPN Network twice with games at Marquette on Jan. 9 and against TCU on Feb. 13. FSN Chicago is set to televise the Jan. 30 game against USF at the DePaul Athletic Center. The C-USA TV Network will televise the regular-season finale on Feb. 27 against Marquette. The Blue Demons are just one of 12 women’s basketball programs in the country scheduled to appear on the ESPN network multiple times this season.
Nothing but the Best: The 2004-05 schedule features 12 possible opponents that played in the postseason a year ago. Among the dozen are six teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last March. The Blue Demons take on Purdue, Tennessee and Valparaiso in non-conference action while playing Conference USA opponents Houston, Marquette and TCU. A year ago, Conference USA sent nine teams to postseason action. Houston, Marquette and TCU joined the Blue Demons in the NCAA Tournament while Charlotte, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis and USF played in the WNIT. A potential opponent at the Blue Sky Classic at Dartmouth is WNIT semifinalist Richmond.
Final C-USA Season: The 2004-05 season is the 10th and final campaign for the Blue Demons in Conference USA. DePaul enters the BIG EAST Conference beginning next season with fellow C-USA members Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and USF. The 16-team lineup for the 2005-06 BIG EAST consists of Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia. The recently approved scheduling format consists of each team playing each opponent once with one repeat opponent. The top 12 teams qualify for the BIG EAST Tournament at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn. BIG EAST women’s teams have won the last five NCAA titles.
Looking Ahead: The DePaul coaching staff signed Erin Cattell to a National Letter of Intent during the fall signing period. She is the first recruit of the BIG EAST Conference era of women's basketball at DePaul. Cattell, a 6-1 forward, led Sandburg High School, to a 23-10 record as a junior. She averaged just over 14 points with seven rebounds per game during the 2003-04 campaign while shooting over 85 percent from the free throw line. The Orland Park, Ill., native was named a third team All-State honoree by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and earned All-Area honors from the Chicago Sun-Times.