DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Welcomes Chicagoland Students for Field Trip Day
12/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - The DePaul Blue Demons begin the final month of 2008 with a Friday matinee against the Southern Illinois Salukis. Friday’s game is scheduled for a Noon start at McGrath Arena as the contest has been designated as “Field Trip Day” for Chicagoland elementary students. In addition to the normal live audio and live stat coverage of the game, a "Press Row Cam" will also be available to get a different view on the action. Live video will be available from courtside on Blue Tube.
Friday’s game starts a stretch of six games with five opponents from the state of Illinois. DePaul enters the Southern Illinois game with a 31-game winning streak against state schools. The Blue Demons also face Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 7), Northwestern (Dec. 14), Northern Illinois (Dec. 18) and UIC (Dec. 22) with the lone non-Illinois game at Missouri State on Dec. 10.
Following Friday’s action, DePaul travels to Loyola-Chicago for a Sunday start of 4 p.m. in Rogers Park. That game can be seen live locally on Lakeshore Public TV. The Blue Demons then travel to Springfield, Mo., for a Wednesday night contest at Missouri State before hosting Northwestern on Dec. 14.
Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul is 614-366 (.627) all-time... the 2008-09 campaign is the 35th season of women’s basketball at DePaul University... the Blue Demons have put together at least one 10-game winning streak in four of the last five campaigns... with a record-setting 252 three-pointers in 2007-08, DePaul has made at least 200 three’s in a season in nine straight years... since the start of the 2003-04 season (166 games), the Blue Demons have held 62.7 percent of their opponents to less than 70 points (104-of-166)... in that span, DePaul is 90-14 (.865) when holding opponents to less than 70 points... DePaul has held five of its first seven opponents to less than 70 this season... in the last three-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 71-34 (.676)... in the last 45 home games against conference opponents, DePaul has posted 37 victories... over the last eight-plus seasons (259 games), DePaul has scored at least 80 points in 96 games... the Blue Demons hold a 91-5 (.948) record in those games... in the same span, DePaul is 41-1, including 39 straight wins, when scoring at least 90 points... with two games in each of its three BIG EAST Tournaments, DePaul is just one of three teams to play in multiple conference tourney games... Connecticut and Pittsburgh have also played at least two games in each of the last three BIG EAST Championships... the Blue Demons are one of 17 programs nationally with six straight NCAA Championship appearances.
Opponent 8 - Southern Illinois Salukis: Southern Illinois stands at 2-2 following a pair of defeats against Florida and Hofstra last weekend... the Salukis dropped a 67-56 decision to the Gators and a 71-67 game to Hofstra in the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas... Katrina Swingler leads four players in double-figures with 16.0 points per game... she is followed by Olivia Lett with 15.5, Jasmine Gibson with 15.0 and Erica Smith with a 13.5 scoring average... Gibson averages a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game while Smith leads the club with 12 assists... Southern Illinois returns four players and two starters from last season’s 10-20 squad... head coach Dana Eikenberg is in her fifth season at Southern Illinois.
The Series - DePaul leads 7-3: Friday is the 11th meeting between the two programs... DePaul has claimed seven of the previous 10 games, including a perfect 4-0 record at home... Friday’s game is the first between the two at McGrath Arena... the Blue Demons opened last season with a 78-63 win in Carbondale on Nov. 10... DePaul has won six straight in the series.
Career Statistics vs. Southern Illinois
| Player | G-GS | FG-A | Pct. | 3P-A | Pct. | FT-A | Pct. | Reb. | Avg. | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Pts. | Avg. |
| Cattell | 1-0 | 1-2 | .500 | 0-1 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 |
| Chester | 1-0 | 0-2 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Medley | 1-0 | 0-0 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Naughton | 1-1 | 9-14 | .643 | 5-7 | .714 | 0-0 | .000 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| Pikes | 1-0 | 1-2 | .500 | 0-0 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 |
| Threatt | 1-0 | 2-4 | .500 | 1-2 | .500 | 2-4 | .500 | 2 | 2.0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7.0 |
| Williams | 1-1 | 5-10 | .500 | 0-0 | .000 | 3-4 | .750 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 13.0 |
Against the Missouri Valley Conference: DePaul is 33-10 all-time against programs from the Missouri Valley... the Salukis are the second of three opponents from the MVC on the 2008-09 schedule... the Blue Demons knocked off Illinois State, 80-68, on Nov. 28... they travel to Missouri State on Dec. 10.
Next - Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 7 in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood): DePaul takes the short trip up the CTA Red Line for a Sunday afternoon game at Loyola-Chicago... tipoff is 4 p.m. and the game be seen locally on Lakeshore Public TV... the Ramblers are 3-2 and travel to SIU-Edwardsville on Friday night... DePaul holds a 31-9 advantage in the all-time series and enters the game with 14 straight victories over the Ramblers.
Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against opponents from the state of Illinois. Over the last 46 games against Chicago State, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 45 victories. The 2007-08 schedule saw DePaul knock off Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, Chicago State, Northern Illinois and Northwestern.
DePaul has won 52 of the last 54 games against state opponents and currently holds a 31-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. During the 54-game stretch, both defeats have occurred at Illinois with the last home loss to an Illinois program on Nov. 20, 1998, against Northwestern. The Wildcats defeated the Blue Demons at Alumni Hall by a score of 62-61.
It Could Happen: A win would increase DePaul streak to 32 consecutive wins over opponents from Illinois... a win would be No. 420 for Doug Bruno at DePaul... a loss would give the Blue Demons three defeats in the first eight games of the season for the first time since 2000-01 season.
Demon Doings: Notes following the 88-67 loss at #9/12 Tennessee on Nov. 30:
- Sunday’s game was No. 980 in program history... the Blue Demons are 614-366 all-time.
- The Blue Demons have suffered two losses in their first seven games to start the season for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.
- DePaul didn’t win the opening tip for the first time this season, trailed at the half for the first time this season and was outrebounded for the first time.
- Deirdre Naughton registered her fifth career double-double and first of the season... her streak ended at 26 straight free throws made with a miss in the first half.
- China Threatt surpassed 400 career points.
- Natasha Williams played in her 90th career game (51 at Minnesota/38 at DePaul).
- Tennessee now leads the series, 18-0... the Lady Vols have won all nine meetings in Knoxville... DePaul drops to 13-41 all-time against SEC opponents.
BIG EAST Beast: Through three weeks of play, the 16 teams in the BIG EAST Conference hold an impressive .781 (82-23) winning percentage in non-conference play. This week’s ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll features four BIG EAST schools in the top 15 and the AP top 25 has five teams from league schools. Led by No. 1/1 Connecticut, Louisville stands No. 13 in the AP poll and in the No. 15 position in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Notre Dame sits at No. 11 in the AP rankings and at No. 8 in ESPN/USA Today, while Rutgers is No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Pittsburgh jumped into the AP poll at No. 24 and is receiving votes in the coaches’ poll.
Home Cookin’: Through eight-plus seasons, McGrath Arena - formerly known as the DePaul Athletic Center - has proven itself as one of the toughest venues in the nation. The Blue Demons have posted a 96-17 (.850) record in the arena’s 113 games. DePaul’s .846 winning percentage to enter the season ranked ninth among all active arenas and 11th all-time.
Now in the 35th season of women’s basketball at DePaul University, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 360-101 (.781). 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.
There have been 15 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 #5/4 Connecticut. The Blue Demons’ 11-game winning streak dating back to the 2006-07 season ended on Jan. 2 with the 102-68 loss to #3/3 Tennessee.
Over the last six-plus years, the team is 79-10 at home with four losses to teams ranked in the top five. DePaul lost in overtime to #2/2 Tennessee on Dec. 17, 2003, before the Connecticut loss in Jan. 2006. Tennessee, ranked third in both polls, served DePaul its fifth defeat last season on Jan. 2 before the 77-76 loss to #1/1 Connecticut on Mar. 1. Maybe more impressive is that the Blue Demons’ average margin of victory during that span is 23.1 points per game.
The Blue Demons have also posted 74 victories in the last 77 games over unranked opponents. West Virginia ended DePaul’s 58-game streak over unranked opponents with a 74-63 decision on Jan. 9, 2007 before Pittsburgh and Louisville handed the Blue Demons defeats last season. During the 58-game streak, there were 54 victories at McGrath Arena and four wins at the Allstate Arena.
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 Friday’s game against Southern Illinois:
- 113 consecutive games with a three-pointer
- 31 straight wins against opponents from Illinois, 44 of the last 45, and 52 wins in the last 54
- six straight NCAA Championship appearances
- nine seasons in-a-row with at least 200 three-pointers
Taking Advantage from Beyond the Arc: Since the start of the 2005-06 season, the club has knocked down 759 trifectas compared to just 519 for the opposition. With 10 three-pointers at Rutgers on Feb. 27 last season, the team clinched the ninth straight year with at least 200 three-pointers. An 0-for-8 showing against Houston on Feb. 11, 2005, ended DePaul’s streak with a three-pointer at 259 games. At the time, it was the nation’s seventh-longest active streak. Including the Houston game, the Blue Demons have tallied a three-pointer in 372 of the last 373 games. DePaul enters Friday’s game against Southern Illinois with a streak of 113 consecutive games with a three-pointer.
Through seven games in the 2008-09 campaign, the Blue Demons and their opponents have each totaled 35 three-pointers. DePaul’s 5.0 three’s per game is below the 7.9 three-point field goal average last season when the Blue Demons tallied a school-record 252 three’s in 32 games.