DePaul University Athletics
Smith's Double-Double Leads Blue Demons Into Semifinals
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 12/11 DePaul women’s basketball team moved on to the semifinals of the 2005 Conference USA Tournament with a 78-55 win over Memphis in the first quarterfinal on Friday. Khara Smith led DePaul with her 20th double-double of the season on 23 points and 15 rebounds.
The Blue Demons scored the first seven points of the game, holding Memphis without a field goal over the first 4:10. DePaul forced three Memphis turnovers while limiting the Tigers to 0-of-4 shooting from the field.
Three DePaul turnovers followed by three consecutive Memphis buckets cut the lead to 9-7 with just under 14 minutes left in the first half. Following a DePaul miss, Victoria Crawford’s three-point play pushed the Tigers ahead at 10-9 with 13:08 left on the clock.
Claudette Towers found Khara Smith for a breakaway lay-up off a Jenna Rubino steal to snap a four-minute scoring drought. On the next two DePaul possessions, Smith hit a short jumper followed by a reverse baseline lay-up by Rubino to give the Blue Demons a 15-13 advantage.
Crawford kept Memphis (13-16) in the game with free throws and short jumpers. Her driving jumper pulled the Tigers to within a point at 20-19 before Allie Quigley hit a three-pointer followed by three straight buckets by Smith for an eight-point DePaul advantage.
The remainder of the first half was even and ended with Smith’s eighth field goal with 35 seconds left. The junior finished the first half with 16 points, nine rebounds while making all eight of her field goal attempts as DePaul took a 35-28 halftime lead.
DePaul (25-3) hit six of their first 10 shots in the second half and took an 11-point lead on a driving lay-up by Rubino forcing Memphis to call a time out with 16:10 left in game.
A three-point play by Dant at 15:14 started a run of eight straight free throws by DePaul without a field goal over the next seven minutes. The field goal deficiency ended when Rubino drove in the lane and found a wide open Smith under the basket for a 61-46 lead.
The last of three straight baskets by Caprice Smith gave DePaul a 72-51 advantage with just over four minutes left in the game. In just over a minute, the freshman scored seven points on a pair of inside baskets and a three-pointer.
Smith knocked down DePaul’s final jumper with 35 seconds left for the largest lead of the game at 78-53. Megan Gooch ended the scoring for Memphis on their final possession for the 78-55 final.
Khara Smith posted game highs with the 23 points, 15 rebounds and five steals. Dant added 14 points and four assists while Quigley totaled 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. Caprice Smith rounded out the scoring with 11 points and four boards while Erin Carney grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds.
DePaul moves on to play TCU in the first semifinal on Saturday afternoon. The Horned Frogs advanced with a 65-57 win over USF on Friday. Earlier this season, the Blue Demons topped TCU, 84-81, in overtime at the DePaul Athletic Center.
