DePaul Overpowers Loyola-Chicago
12/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - It was a complete team effort as the No. 21/23 DePaul women's basketball team topped local-rival Loyola-Chicago 73-30, Sunday at McGrath Arena.
Every available Blue Demon contributed with at least two points and a single rebound, while it was freshman Katherine Harry who came off the bench to lead four Blue Demons in double-figures. Harry tied a season-high with 16 points while Anna Martin and Felicia Chester each had 12 and Keisha Hampton added 11. Chester grabbed a team-high seven boards.
DePaul forced Loyola to commit 28 turnovers, while stingy defense disrupted the Ramblers as they shot just 28 percent (13-for-47) in the game. The Ramblers 16 points in the first half and 14 in the second combined for the fewest points ever scored at McGrath Arena. In 36 seasons of women's basketball at DePaul, the Blue Demons have held just eight opponents to 30 or fewer points while the last time was Jan. 31, 1983 against Western Illinois.
The Blue Demon controlled the tempo of the game from the tip and jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. Chester's putback with 8:52 left in half gave the Blue Demons a 19-9 advantage.
In the final eight plus minutes of the half, six different Blue Demons fueled a 15-5 run as DePaul went to the locker room with 34-16 lead.
The second half saw the Blue Demons take their first 30-point lead on Taylor Pikes' 3-pointer with 8:53 left to play. Pikes, who was playing in just her second game of the season, finished with seven points and three rebounds.
The Blue Demons shot a season-best 50 percent (31-for-62) for the game while 21 of their 31 made shots came with an assist. Quigley led DePaul and tied a career-high with seven assists, while the junior's four steals was a season-high.
DePaul returns to action at Stanford on Dec. 13. The Blue Demons game with the Cardinals begins a six-game road trip. UNLV hosts the Duel in the Desert Dec. 19-21, while DePaul plays at Illinois State on Dec. 28, before opening BIG EAST Conference play at Rutgers on Jan. 2.
Notes: DePaul held Loyola to a McGrath Arena record-low 30 points... the last time the Blue Demons allowed 30 points was a 53-30 victory over Western Illinois on Jan. 31, 1983... the Blue Demons have held the opposition to 30 points or less on eight occasions (six times in the 1970's, once in the 1980's, and tonight)... the fewest points ever allowed was on Jan. 21, 1975 when DePaul defeated Mundelein 62-17... the Blue Demons shot a season-high .500 (31-for-62)... Anna Martin has recorded double-digit in all four starts... Sam Quigley grabbed her 200th career rebound today; she had three boards today... Quigley started in her 44th consecutive game-- the longest active streak... Keisha Hampton eclipsed double-digit point totals for the fourth-straight game and has reached the plateau in seven of DePaul's nine contests.... Quigley had a season-high four steals... DePaul is 640-375 (.631) all time... DePaul extends its series lead against the Ramblers to 33-9. The Blue Demons have won the last 16 straight meetings and 22 or the last 24. The last time Loyola won was on Dec. 12, 1993, when they claimed a 68-64 victory... DePaul is now 122-31 against schools from the Horizon League.