DePaul Duels with Arkansas on Saturday
12/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
LAS VEGAS -- The DePaul women's basketball team begins the Duel in Desert Tournament on Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. (PST) game with Arkansas. The three-day tournament, held at UNLV's Cox Pavilion, will see the Blue Demons tangle with either No. 10/6 Florida State or UT-San Antonio on Sunday while championship play is scheduled for Monday. All of DePaul's games can be seen live on FCS broadband pay-per-view website, www.B2TV.com with Brenda VanLengen calling the action.
The Blue Demons and Razorbacks are meeting for the third time, but for the first time in 16 seasons. With the series knotted at one game apiece this is the first contest on a neutral floor for the two programs. Arkansas won the 1993 meeting 80-68, while the Blue Demons won in Lincoln Park in 1992, 71-47.
DePaul (7-3) looks to rebound after a 96-60 loss at No. 2/2 Stanford on Dec. 13. The Blue Demons shot just below 33 percent in the loss while Keisha Hampton led DePaul with 19 points. Hampton averages 13.4 points per game this season, while the sophomore is shooting .381 (8-for-21) from behind the arc to lead the team. Junior forward Felicia Chester paces the Blue Demons down low with 7.0 rebounds per game while freshman Katherine Harry follows with 6.3 boards per contest.
Arkansas (6-3) is also looking for a win after it has dropped two of its last three games. The Razorbacks enter the tournament after falling in Evanston to Northwestern 67-55 on Dec. 17. Arkansas is led by Charity Ford, who averages 12.0 points per game while Ashley Daniels grabs 6.1 boards per game.
Following the Duel Desert and the Holiday break in the schedule; the Blue Demons close out the nonconference portion of their schedule at Illinois State on Dec. 28 before opening BIG EAST Conference action at Rutgers on Jan. 2.
Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul is 640-376 (.630) all-time... the 2009-10 campaign is the 36th season of women's basketball at DePaul University... DePaul has made at least 200 3-pointers in a season the last 10 seasons... since the start of the 2003-04 season (201 games), the Blue Demons have held 64.2 percent of their opponents to less than 70 points (129-of-201)... in that span, DePaul is 111-18 (.860) when holding opponents to less than 70 points... DePaul has held seven of its 10 opponents to less than 70 points this season... in the last five-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 115-50 (.697)... in the last 54 home games against conference opponents, DePaul has posted 44 victories... over the last nine-plus seasons (295 games), DePaul has scored at least 80 points in 105 games... the Blue Demons hold a 100-5 (.952) record in those games... in the same span, DePaul is 42-1, including 40 straight wins, when scoring at least 90 points.
What is a Razorback: Arkansas enters Saturday's game with a 6-3 record and has dropped two of its last three games... both losses were on the road, an overtime loss at Oklahoma (87-86) and at Northwestern (67-55)... three players average double-digits while Charity Ford has a team-best 12.0 ppg, while C'eira Ricketts follows with 11.1 and Lyndsay Harris contributes 10.2... Ashley Daniels has a team-best 6.1 rpg... head coach Tom Collen is in his first season at Arkansas.
The Series: The DePaul/Arkansas series is tied a one game apiece... the two teams played in December during the 1992 and 1993 seasons on their home courts... each program won their respective game on their home court... Arkansas won the last series game 80-68 on Dec. 8, while DePaul won a 71-47 game on Dec. 18, 1992.
Against the Southeastern Conference: DePaul has faced a SEC team 56 times and holds a 13-43 record in those games... of those 56 games, 18 have been against Tennessee while nine have been against Auburn.
It could happen: The game is No. 1017 in DePaul women's basketball history... head coach Doug Bruno will coach in his 699 career game at DePaul... Sam Quigley needs 16 points to reach the 600 career points and two rebounds to reach the 200 career rebound mark... Keisha Hampton needs 22 points and Felicia Chester needs 10 to reach 500 career points... Quigley could start her 47th consecutive game.
Stanford Recap: DePaul shot just 24 percent in the first half... shot 49 percent in the second half to finish with a 33 percent (23-for-70)... Keisha Hampton led the Blue Demons with 19 points... it is the second time this season, Hampton has led the Blue Demons... Maureen Mulchrone had a career day, the sophomore had five points and three rebounds... Sam Quigley led the Blue Demons with five assists... it is the sixth consecutive game the junior has led DePaul in assists... Sam Quigley started her 45th consecutive game... the longest active streak on the team... Katherine Harry led DePaul with nine rebounds... the freshman also added 12 points... Allowed 90-points for the first time since since a 102-68 loss vs. Tennessee on Jan. 2, 2008... Stanford's Jayne Appel had a season-low 11 points... she came into the game leading the Pac-10 with 20.5 ppg... handed DePaul is first 30+ point loss in 62 games... DePaul's last 30+ point loss was vs. Tennessee on Jan. 2, 2008... Stanford now leads the all-time series 1-0... DePaul is now 6-11 all-time against Pac-10
Looking Ahead: DePaul closes out its six game-road trip at Illinois State on Dec. 28 and heads to Rutgers for its BIG EAST Conference opener in Jan. 2. The Blue Demons return to McGrath Arena on Jan. 5 when they host National Runner-Up Louisville on Jan. 5.
Charity Stripe Success: DePaul ranks third the country with a .809 free throw percentage... Drexel leads the country with a .839 (83-for-99) while Marist is second with a .823 (135-164) percentage... the Blue Demons are 131-of-161 from the free throw line this season while Sam Quigley leads the team with a .892 (33-for-37)... Quigley's free throw percentage ranks 34th in the country and tops the BIG EAST... DePaul started the season with a 17-for-18 (.944) effort against Central Michigan... shot under .800 in just four games this season... nine Blue Demons have recorded a 1.000 free throw percentage (min. 2 attempts)... Quigley leads the team with four perfect games while Felicia Chester and Keisha Hampton each have three perfect games from the line... Hampton leads the team with a 7-for-7 effort against Central Michigan.
Nice Pass: Sam Quigley entered this week ranked No. 19 in the country in assist to turnover ratio... the junior leads the Blue Demons with 53 assists while she has turned over the ball just 22 times for a 2.4 assist to turnover ratio... Quigley has led the Blue Demons in assists seven times and has a career- best seven assists three times this season... Quigley also ranks 38th in the country with 5.3 assists per game... she has had an assist in her last 39 games.
Naughton Out: Deirdre Naughton will miss the remainder of the 2009-10 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee. Naughton, who entered the Northwestern game averaging 17.5 points per game this season, injured her knee in the first half of No. 15/21 DePaul's 59-55 loss to the Wildcats on Nov. 24. "Deirdre Naughton has been the heart and soul of this basketball team," Blue Demons head coach Doug Bruno said. "To lose her for the season is a devastating blow to this team. Every team in the nation at one time or another has been forced to deal with the adversity of injuries. Losing Deirdre Naughton will test the metal of this year's ballclub and we do expect every member of our team to step up in her absence." Naughton, was named to the preseason Wade Watch and was a Naismith Trophy and John R. Wooden candidate prior to the 2009-10 season. A second team All-BIG EAST Conference selection and Associated Press All-American honorable mention as a junior, Naughton has scored 1,470 points in her career. She played her freshman season at Wake Forest in 2005-06 before transferring to DePaul.
Martin Moments: Since getting her first collegiate start at Northern Illinois on Nov. 28, Anna Martin has made huge impact... the freshman has averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds the last four games... against Northern Illinois Martin led DePaul with eight rebounds, while she had a career-high 19 points against Green Bay... Martin leads the Blue Demons with 12 3-pointers and is shooting .889 (8-for-9) from the free throw line in 10 games.
Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against in-state opponents. Over the last 62 games against Chicago State, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 60 victories. DePaul's 36-game winning streak against programs from the state of Illinois came to an end when Northwestern defeated the Blue Demons 59-55 in Evanston on Nov. 24. Prior to the loss at Northwestern, the last loss to a state program was on Dec. 4, 2002, when Illinois defeated the Blue Demons in Champaign by a 71-67 score. During the 61-game stretch, two losses were at Illinois with the last home loss to an in-state program was on Nov. 20, 1998, against Northwestern. The Wildcats defeated the Blue Demons at Alumni Hall by a score of 62-61 and then most recently at Welsh-Ryan Arena in 2009.
Coach Doug Bruno Court: Beginning in the 2010-11 season, the Blue Demons will play their home games at McGrath Arena on Coach Doug Bruno Court. DePaul's Director of Athletics, Jean Lenti Ponsetto made the announcement on Nov. 16. The 2010-11 season will also mark Coach Bruno's 25th season at DePaul while he is also on track to record his 500th career win that season.
LPTV: DePaul has partnered with LPTV and will play four games on that station. LPTV is one of Chicago's Public television stations and broadcasted DePaul's win over San Diego and UIC. The Blue Demons games with BIG EAST Conference foes, Connecticut and West Virginia will also be carried on LPTV. DePaul is 2-0 when playing on LPTV.
BIG EAST Predictions: DePaul was picked to finish the BIG EAST Conference regular season in third while Deirdre Naughton and Keisha Hampton were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team in a vote of the league's 16 head coaches. DePaul and Louisville gathered the same number of points to finish in a tie for third behind preseason favorite Connecticut and Notre Dame.
Home Cookin': Through nine-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 112-19 (.855) record in the arena's 131 games. DePaul's .848 winning percentage entering the 2009-10 season ranks ninth among all active arenas and 11th all-time.
Beginning its 36th season of women's basketball at DePaul University, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 376-103 (.785). Over 26 seasons at Alumni Hall, the women's basketball program won over 75 percent of its 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, 2008 with the 102-68 loss to #3/3 Tennessee.
Over the last seven-plus years at McGrath Arena, the team is 91-12 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 before the 77-76 loss to #1/1 Connecticut on Mar. 1, 2008. Maybe more impressive is that the Blue Demons' average margin of victory during that span that 20.9 points per game.
The Blue Demons have also posted 89 victories in the last 92 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 in 2007-08. During the 58-game streak, there were 54 victories at McGrath Arena and four wins at the Allstate Arena.
Taking Advantage from Beyond the Arc: Since the start of the 2005-06 season (141 games), the club has knocked down 977 trifectas compared to just 697 for the opposition... with three 3-pointers against San Diego State at the NCAA Championship in San Diego, the team clinched the 10th straight year with at least 200 three-pointers... a 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... more recently, the Blue Demons 0-14 showing at Northern Illinois ended a 144 game streak with a 3-pointer... including the Houston and Northern Illinois games, the Blue Demons have tallied a three-pointer in 407 of the last 409 games.
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 the 2009-10 season:
- 56 straight victories over unranked non-conference opponents at home
- 10 seasons in-a-row with at least 200 three-pointers
- Seven consecutive NCAA Championship appearances
Maggie Dixon Recap: DePaul won the inaugural Maggie Dixon Classic in the Midwest with wins over Cornell and San Diego. Formally known as the DePaul Invitational, the Maggie Dixon Classic honors former Blue Demon assistant coach Maggie Dixon, who died on April 6, 2006 of an arrhythmia. Dixon's tragic death came three weeks after her first season as the head coach at Army which saw the Black Knights win the Patriot League Championship and make the program's first trip to the NCAA Championship. The Classic is the third tournament to be named after the former Blue Demon assistant and Army head coach. Jamie Dixon, the head coach at Pittsburgh hosts a tournament at Madison Square Garden, while San Diego, Dixon's alma mater also hosts a tournament in Dixon's name.
The Blue Demons defeated Cornell, 89-50 while the biggest story of the night was freshman Katherine Harry's 18 rebounds. Harry's 18 boards were the most by a Blue Demon player since Erin Carney grabbed 19 at Oklahoma. Deirdre Naughton scored 24 as the Blue Demons claimed the Championship with an 84-64 win over San Diego. Naughton earned MVP honors while Felicia Chester and Keisha Hampton were named to the All-Tournament team.
Who, When and Where: The Blue Demons open the 2009 season with four consecutive home games. The 2009-10 season began with an 86-76 victory over Central Michigan, followed by a 77-65 win over North Dakota State and a 89-50 victory over Cornell. The Maggie Dixon Classic brings Cornell, Tennessee State and Dixon's alma mater San Diego to Lincoln Park for the two-day tournament Nov. 20-21. The Blue Demons stay close with games at Northwestern, Northern Illinois and Green Bay before welcoming city of Chicago rivals UIC and Loyola-Chicago to McGrath Arena the beginning of December.
The Blue Demons become road warriors as they play at nationally-ranked Stanford before traveling to Las Vegas for the Duel in the Desert Dec. 19-21. DePaul closes out its nonconference schedule with a game at Illinois State on Dec. 28. The Blue Demons open their BIG EAST Season at NCAA Sweet Sixteen-participant Rutgers on Jan. 2 before welcoming National Runner-Up Louisville to McGrath Arena for a Jan. 5 showdown. With 14 BIG EAST schools receiving a postseason bid, every game against league opponent will be daunting. Besides the Cardinals, DePaul hosts National Champion Connecticut and NCAA tournament participants Pittsburgh and Villanova while WNIT qualifiers Marquette, St. John's and Syracuse visit Lincoln Park. Cincinnati also plays at McGrath Arena in January. After starting conference play at Rutgers, DePaul's other BIG EAST road games include Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, USF and West Virginia.
Marching Along: DePaul made its seventh consecutive and the program's 14th NCAA Championship appearance in 2009... Blue Demons were one of seven BIG EAST programs in the field of 64... the conference led all leagues along with the Big 12 with teams earning bids... the program is 7-14 (.333) all-time in NCAA Championship play... DePaul is one of 14 teams to appear in each of the last seven tournaments... joining the Blue Demons on the list of 14 teams with seven straight NCAA's are Connecticut, Duke, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, Tennessee and Vanderbilt... the seven straight appearances are a program record for consecutive NCAA's... DePaul earned four consecutive NCAA berths from 1990-93 followed by a three-year run from 1995-97... the program is 4-8 entering in its last seven tournament appearances, including a 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance in San Antonio, Texas.