Blue Demons Open BIG EAST Play Against Rutgers
12/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
#18/20 DePaul (5-1) vs. #19/21 Rutgers (2-3)
Dec. 7, 2006 - 7 p.m.
McGrath Arena - Chicago, Ill.
Game Notes: DePaul | Opponent Information: Rutgers
Internet Audio: DePaul | Live Stats: Demons Live
CHICAGO - DePaul begins the second season of BIG EAST play with Rutgers at McGrath Arena. The Blue Demons finished third in the inaugural season last year and posted an 11-5 record in conference play. Rutgers stands as the only BIG EAST program to hold the Blue Demons without a victory in the all-time series. The Scarlet Knights knocked off DePaul, 67-57, in the first all-time meeting last season.
The Blue Demons enter the game at 5-1 with five straight wins. DePaul stands at 18th in this week’s AP poll and No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25. Rutgers is slotted at No. 19 in the writer’s poll and No. 21 in the coaches rankings.
Following Thursday’s action, DePaul is off until next Wednesday when Northwestern makes the short trip from Evanston. A Noon tipoff sees DePaul hosting students from the Chicagoland area for a field trip. No tickets are available as a total of 37 schools will be represented at McGrath Arena on Wednesday.
Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul’s three road opponents this season have a combined .847 home-court winning percentage since the start of the 1998-99 season... Oklahoma is 90-19 (.826) in that span at the Lloyd Noble Center while UW-Green Bay is 81-11 (.880) at the Phoenix Sports Center and Missouri State is 116-22 (.841) at Hammons Student Center... in the four of the five wins, opponents have scored less than 70 points... since the start of the 2003-04 season (101 games), the Blue Demons have held 69 percent of their opponents to less than 70 points (70-of-101)... in that span, DePaul is 64-6 (.914) when holding opponents to less than 70 points... four players have scored in double-figures in three of the six games this season... DePaul has knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in a game on two occasions... the 2005-06 squad combined for at least 10 three’s in three games... the Blue Demons have been ranked in each of the last 59 ESPN/USA Today polls and the last 42 AP top 25’s... in the last two-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 58-13 (.817)... in the last 29 home games against conference opponents, DePaul has posted 28 victories (.966 winning pct.)... DePaul is one of 19 programs that have reached postseason play in at least 15 of the last 18 seasons... they are also one of 14 teams to reach at least the second round in each of the last three NCAA Championships... joining the Blue Demons on the list of 14 second-round regulars are Baylor, Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Stanford, Tennessee and Vanderbilt... the 2005-06 season was the first year that DePaul didn’t score 100 points in a game since the 1999-00 season... the Blue Demons have won seven consecutive regular-season tournaments... over the last six-plus seasons (194 games), DePaul has scored at least 80 points in 70 games... the Blue Demons hold a 67-3 record in those games... in the 33rd season of play at DePaul, the women’s basketball program is 576-339.
Opponent 7 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers, ranked No. 19 in this week’s AP poll and No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25, begins BIG EAST action with a 2-3 overall record. The Scarlet Knights dropped a 85-45 decision to No. 4/4 Duke on Monday in the Jimmy V Classic. Epiphanny Prince leads the team with 16.4 points per game while Kia Vaughn adds 12.2 points and 10.4 boards per game. Rutgers was picked to finish second in the preseason BIG EAST coaches poll after winning each of the last two regular-season titles. Head coach C. Vivian Stringer is in her 12th season at Rutgers and holds a 232-119 record with the Scarlet Knights.
The Series - Rutgers leads 1-0: Thursday is just the second meeting between the two programs with Scarlet Knights taking the initial game last season. No. 9/9 Rutgers took a 67-57 decision over No. 13/11 DePaul in Piscataway, N.J. Allie Quigley led the Blue Demons with 16 points while Cappie Pondexter led a 17-7 run to close the game and finish with 27 points. Rutgers stands as the only BIG EAST program that DePaul does not have a victory against.
Conference-Opening Notes: DePaul started the 2005-06 BIG EAST campaign as well on Dec. 7... the Blue Demons dropped a 79-77 loss in overtime at USF... DePaul has lost two straight conference starters... prior to last season’s defeat at USF, the Blue Demons dropped a 63-57 decision at Marquette on Jan. 9, 2005... in 10 seasons of Conference USA action, the program was 6-4 in the league opener... during that span, Marquette was the first conference opponent on eight occasions.
It Could Happen: A win would give the Blue Demons one of the top nine starts in school history... a win would also even the series with Rutgers at 1-1... Rutgers is the only BIG EAST program to hold DePaul without a victory in the all-time series... the game is No. 599 at DePaul for Doug Bruno... Allie Quigley needs one three-pointer for 150 in her career... with three three’s, she moves into sixth all-time at DePaul... Jenna Rubino needs one rebound for No. 400 in her career... 11 points by Caprice Smith give her 600 career points.
Demon Doings: Notes following the 78-57 win at Missouri State on Sunday afternoon:
- The win was No. 380 for Doug Bruno at DePaul.
- Caprice Smith totaled her 30th career game in double-figures.
- Allie Quigley moved into seventh all-time with her 149th career three-pointer. Her 4-of-5 effort from behind the arc is tied for sixth on the single-game three-point field goal percentage chart. She now holds six of the top 15 single-game three-point shooting performances in school history
- The Blue Demons have outrebounded their last five opponents.
- The game was the first this season that DePaul took more free throws than the opponent.
- DePaul now leads the series, 2-0. The Blue Demons are 2-0 this season against Missouri Valley Conference teams.
Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against opponents from the state of Illinois. Over the last 34 games against Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 33 victories. The Huskies represent the second of six in-state opponents this season. DePaul knocked off Illinois State to win the DePaul Invitational and host Northwestern on Dec. 13. The Northwestern game is followed by a Dec. 17 date at Illinois-Chicago, a Dec. 20 game against Loyola-Chicago in Puerto Rico and a Dec. 30 contest at Chicago State.
DePaul has won 40 of the last 42 games against state opponents and currently holds a 19-game winning streak against Illinois schools. The last loss to a state program was on Dec. 4, 2002, as Illinois defeated the Blue Demons in Champaign by a 71-67 score.
Seven Tourney Titles: DePaul has totaled seven straight regular-season tournament titles starting with the 2002 Moran Realty Classic. A year ago, the Blue Demons claimed the DePaul Invitational and Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic. DePaul also claimed the Moran Realty Classic (hosted by DePaul) in 2003 and 2004 and also earned championship hardware at Dartmouth’s Blue Sky Restaurant Classic in 2004. The most recent tourney championship was the 2006 DePaul Invitational with wins over Yale and Illinois State at McGrath Arena.
DePaul Invitational Recap: The Blue Demons knocked off Yale and Illinois State to claim the 2006 DePaul Invitational. On Friday night, DePaul opened up a 35-34 halftime lead with a 51-point second half against Yale. China Threatt came off the bench for a game-high 18 points to lead four players in double-figures as the Blue Demons defeated the Bulldogs, 86-60. The Blue Demons claimed the championship on the following evening with a 90-64 win over Illinois State. Allie Quigley dropped in 26 points along with eight assists as DePaul combined to shoot .529 from the field. Quigley was named the tourney MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Caprice Smith and Threatt.
Sweet in the Classroom and on the Court: In addition to making the program’s first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2005-06, the Blue Demons also accumulated the nation’s 11th-highest team grade-point average. DePaul’s team GPA of 3.361 placed them 11th in the country and was tops among the BIG EAST’s 16 women’s basketball programs. The No. 11 slot was the highest in program history, surpassing a No. 13 ranking for the 2000-01 season and No. 20 spot following the 1998-99 campaign. DePaul was the lone Sweet Sixteen program both on and off the court.
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 Thursday’s game against Rutgers:
- 57 straight victories at home against unranked opponents
- 48 consecutive games with a three-pointer
- 19 straight wins against opponents from Illinois and 33 of the last 34
- seven consecutive regular-season tournament championships
- four 20-win seasons in-a-row and four straight NCAA Championship appearances
- 71 consecutive starts for Jenna Rubino and 62 in-a-row for Allie Quigley
BIG EAST Preseason Picks: The league’s 16 coaches slated the Blue Demons at No. 3 in the BIG EAST preseason poll. DePaul was picked to finish fourth prior to the start of last season and took the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Championship with an 11-5 league record. Connecticut was selected as the favorite in 2006-07 with 11 first-place votes followed by Rutgers and DePaul. Junior guard Allie Quigley was one of 11 players named to the All-BIG EAST preseason team. USF’s Jessica Dickson was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
Home Cookin’: In six-plus seasons, the DePaul Athletic Center, now named McGrath Arena, has proven itself as one of the toughest venues in the nation. The Blue Demons have posted a 77-9 record in the arena’s first 86 games. Now in the 33rd season, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 341-93 (.786). 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 22-4.
In 30-plus seasons of women’s basketball at DePaul University there have been 13 streaks of at least 10 straight home victories. The longest streak was the 33-game run that started on Dec. 19, 2003 with a 99-63 win over Alabama State and ended on Jan. 28, 2006 with an 84-75 defeat to then-No. 5/4 Connecticut. The victory over Houston on Feb. 11, 2005, broke the former record of 20 games from Feb. 4, 1978-Feb. 19, 1979.
Over the last four-plus years, the team is 60-2 at home with the two losses to a pair of teams ranked in the top five. DePaul lost in overtime to then-No. 2 Tennessee on Dec. 17, 2003, before the Connecticut loss last season. Maybe more impressive is that the Blue Demons average margin of victory during that span is 23.6 points per game.
The Blue Demons have also posted 57 straight home victories over unranked opponents. During the 57-game streak over unranked opponents, there have been 53 victories at McGrath Arena and four 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.
New Name, Same Gym: In July, the DePaul Athletic Center was renamed the Sullivan Athletic Center while the gymnasium was christened McGrath Arena. The Sullivan Athletic Center was named after former DePaul athletics director Gene Sullivan. McGrath Arena takes its name from Frank McGrath, legendary DePaul assistant men’s basketball coach and administrator.
1K Club: Allie Quigley became the newest member of DePaul’s 1,000-point club against Northern Illinois on Nov. 25. She enters the Rutgers game with 1,048 points to rank 17th all-time. Jenna Rubino is set to become the 21st player with 1,000 points as she has 972 points in 101 career games. The duo also ranks among the top five fastest players in DePaul history to reach 100 career three-pointers. Quigley hit her 100th career three-pointer in her 44th career game to rank third while Rubino knocked down her 100th three in the 80th game to rank as the fifth-fastest player to 100 trifectas. Following Quigley and Rubino, the next Blue Demon on the 1,000-point horizon is junior Caprice Smith with 589 career points.
Four Going on Five: DePaul is looking to make the program’s fifth straight NCAA Championship appearance and fifth consecutive season with at least 20 victories. Last season saw the Blue Demons reach the NCAA Regional Semifinals for the first time in school history. Entering the 33rd season in school history, DePaul has totaled 11 NCAA Championship appearances and 15 campaigns of at least 20 wins. A 20-win season in 2006-07 will match the program’s longest streak of five consecutive years of 20 victories set from 1985-90.
Sister Act: The DePaul roster features two sets of sisters in 2006-07. Sam Quigley joins the program this season for the roster’s second Quigley. Senior Rachael Carney and junior Erin Carney are in their second season together while Sam and junior Allie Quigley are playing together at the collegiate level for the first time. The two duos on the DePaul roster are two of 21 sets of sisters playing on a NCAA Division I team this season. DePaul is the only team in the country with two sets of sisters on the roster.
Taking Advantage From Beyond the Arc: Since the start of the 2003-04 season, the club has knocked down 717 trifectas compared to just 421 for the opposition. Over the last seven years, the team has totaled at least 200 three-pointers in each season. With a 0-for-8 showing against Houston on Feb. 11, 2005, DePaul’s streak of games with a three-pointer ended at 259 games. At the time, it was the nation’s seventh-longest active streak.
In six games this season, the Blue Demons have outscored their opponents by 57 points from three-point range (9.5 ppg). DePaul is 55-153 (.359) from behind the arc while opponents are a combined 36-102 (.353). The squad averages 9.2 three’s per game while the opposition makes 6.0 treys per contest.
At Oklahoma in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic, the Blue Demons used the experimental three-point distance of 20’6”. DePaul went 8-for-28 (.286) as a team. The Blue Demons have played in two events in the last two seasons where the experimental distance was used. At the 2005 Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, the team posted a combined .306 percentage from behind the extended arc on 15-of-49 shooting in the three games.
TV Time: The BIG EAST Conference totals 82 combined appearances this season with every game of the league tournament televised for the first time. DePaul is scheduled to make six regular-season television appearances starting at Oklahoma on ESPN2. The Blue Demons will also be seen on ESPNU, CSTV and the BIG EAST TV Network. All games on CSTV and the BIG EAST TV Network will be streamed live at www.bigeast.tv. The online schedule includes DePaul games at Villanova and Louisville and the regular-season finale at McGrath Arena against Notre Dame.
Looking Forward: The DePaul basketball program signed Taylor Pikes to a National Letter of Intent in the early signing period. Pikes joins the Blue Demons next season and is set to play her senior season at Martin Luther King High School in Chicago. Pikes, at 6’1”, can play both the guard and forward positions. She averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and two assists as a junior at King while earning second team All-State honors. Pikes also picked up All-City recognition and was named by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the city’s top six juniors last season. She was also recognized as one of Chicagoland’s top 50 players by the Chicago Tribune. Along with Pikes, the Blue Demons also have transfers Deirdre Naughton and Natasha Williams eligible next season. Both players are sitting out the 2006-07 campaign under NCAA transfer rules. Naughton was on the ACC All-Freshmen team after averaging 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game at Wake Forest last season. Williams played her first two collegiate seasons at Minnesota and averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 boards per contest as a sophomore in 2005-06.
Season-Opening Notes: Beginning the 33rd season of women’s basketball at DePaul University, the Blue Demons are 24-9 all-time in the first game. Prior to this year’s loss at Oklahoma, the Blue Demons won five straight season-openers from 2001-05. A year ago, the Blue Demons posted a 97-52 win over Harvard in the first round of the DePaul Invitational. The 45-point margin of victory was the second-highest season-opening advantage in school history. In DePaul’s first game in 1974, the Blue Demons posted a 62-17 win over Mundelein. Head coach Doug Bruno is 15-6 in the season’s first game at DePaul.