DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Tumble in C-USA Opener
3/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Boxscore
FORT WORTH, Texas – With the first two meetings this season being decided by a total of three points, Marquette knocked off the 20th-ranked Blue Demons, 74-70, in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament. The game was back-and-forth the entire afternoon as the score was tied seven times and the lead changed hands on 14 occasions.
DePaul jumped out to a 10-4 lead as four different players scored to open the game. Following a Marquette bucket, Khara Smith’s three-footer opened the scoring for DePaul. She was followed by a Charlene Smith basket, a three-pointer by Ashley Luke and an uncontested lay-up by Jenni Dant.
Charlene Smith’s three-point play with 9:31 left in the first half improved DePaul’s lead to 24-13. Marquette came right back and scored five straight points forcing Doug Bruno to call a time out.
The Golden Eagles continued their run and knotted the score at 31-31 on a three-point play by Crystal Weaver with 3:32 left in the first stanza. Jasmine McCullough scored on the Golden Eagles’ next possession for their first lead of the game.
DePaul (22-6) regained the lead on a Khara Smith jumper before Marquette scored the final basket of the half with the scored tied at 35-35.
Back-to-back three’s by Luke and Sarah Kustok opened the second half for the Blue Demons. After building a 43-39 advantage on two Luke free throws, Marquette reeled off five straight points to take a one-point lead with just over 15 minutes left in the game.
The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes until Charlene Smith sliced through the lane for a lay-up to give DePaul a 50-49 lead. In the short span, the lead changed four times.
Charlene Smith’s third straight basket put DePaul up five points, but once again Marquette (21-8) stormed back. Katie O’Grady’s baseline lay-up with just over eight minutes left in the game tied the score at 56-56.
Over the final eight minutes, DePaul led by as many as four with five minutes to go in the game. A pair of free throws by Luke pushed the Blue Demon lead to 63-59. Kieger scored the next four points on two free throws and a lay-up to bring Marquette back from behind.
The Blue Demons took their final lead of the game when Charlene Smith hit a short jumper in the lane to make the score 66-65 with 2:20 left in regulation.
On Marquette’s next possession, Weaver hit a jumper that was followed by two free throws by O’Grady. Charlene Smith answered with a driving lay-up to cut the deficit to one point, but the Blue Demons could get no closer.
Marquette’s lead grew to five points on a pair of Christina Quaye free throws before Dant hit a jumper and Kieger knocked down a free throw for the 74-70 final.
Charlene Smith led four players in double-figures with 20 points, five assists and three steals. Luke added 16 points on four three-pointers with three assists. Dant scored 15 with five rebounds while Khara Smith chipped in 13 points and eight boards.
The Blue Demons await an NCAA Tournament bid with a 22-6 record. The NCAA will announce the pairings on Sunday, Mar. 14. DePaul University is holding a Selection Sunday party at the DePaul Student Center in Lincoln Park.
