DePaul University Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Valparaiso on Friday
11/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Nov. 11, 2010
CHICAGO -- The DePaul women's basketball team begins its 2010-11 season by playing in the Preseason WNIT. The Blue Demons open the tournament against Valparaiso, at 7 p.m., Friday at McGrath Arena. Fans can follow all of the Preseason WNIT games for free on DePaul's BlueTube with Drew Olson calling the action live from courtside.
The Preseason WNIT is a 16-team tournament with first round games being played on Nov. 12 and 13th at various campus sites. The winner of the first round game between Valpo and DePaul plays the winner of Missouri State/Lamar on either Sunday, Nov. 14 or Monday, Nov. 15 with the semifinals and finals being played the next weekend.
This is DePaul's first appearance in the Preseason WNIT, while Valparaiso is making its second run at this preseason title.
• Checking on Exhibition Success: DePaul won both of its exhibitions games... defeating Northwood on Oct. 30, 112-52 and Illinois Wesleyan 72-57 on Nov. 7.... Keisha Hampton led DePaul with 17.5 points per game in exhibition action... Katherine (12.0) and Taylor Pikes (10.0) also averaged double figures during the exhibitions... Hampton also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game while Felicia Chester and Harry grabbed 6.0... Sam Quigley and China Threatt combined for 24 of DePaul 46 assists... Quigley had 14 and Threatt dished out 10... DePaul combined for 43 steals compared to just 20 for the opposition.
• Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul is 653-386 (.628) all-time... the 2010-11 campaign is the 37th season of women's basketball at DePaul University... since the start of the 2003-04 season (225 games), the Blue Demons have held 63.1 percent of their opponents to less than 70 points (142-of-225)... in that span, DePaul is 120-22 (.845) when holding opponents to less than 70 points... in that same time span, DePaul has scored 70 or more points in 152 games... DePaul is 130-22 (.855) when scoring 70 plus points... in the last six seasons (195 games), the Blue Demons are 136-59 (.697)... in the last 61 home games against conference opponents, DePaul has posted 49 victories... over the last nine-plus seasons (318 games), DePaul has scored at least 80 points in 106 games... the Blue Demons hold a 101-5 (.953) record in those games... in the same span, DePaul is 42-1, including 40 straight wins, when scoring at least 90 points.
• It Could Happen: Felicia Chester could play her 100th career game while Sam Quigley could play her 99th... Doug Bruno could win his 499 career coaching victory... Quigley could start her 70th consecutive game while Keisha Hampton could start her 67th... Quigley has dished out an assists in her last 63 games... Quigley needs two assists to tie for sixth with Jenni Dant (343) in DePaul's career record book... a DePaul win would be its 57th straight over an unranked non-conference opponent at home
• Season-Opening Notes: The Blue Demons are 27-9 all-time season openers and are 20-4 in season openers on their home floor... head coach Doug Bruno is 18-6 in the season's first game at DePaul... the Blue Demons have won their last three season openers... DePaul has won eight of its last nine season openers dating back to the 2001-02 season.
• What's Back: DePaul returns all five starters from its 2009-10 roster while the Blue Demons welcome back its entire bench minus Courtney Webb (2.4 ppg, 6.5 mpg)... the Blue Demons averaged 68.3 points per game while they shot .421 from the field... senior Deirdre Naughton returns to the Blue Demon bench after the NCAA granted her a sixth season on Aug. 9, 2010... Naughton went down in the fifth game of the 2009-10 season at Northwestern with a torn ACL... senior Sam Quigley, a 2009-10 finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award and a second-team All-BIG EAST performer... Quigley led the BIG EAST by playing 38.15 minutes per game which ranked third in the nation in 2009-10... Quigley ranked second in the BIG EAST with 5.1 assists per game and enters her senior season with 341 career assists which ranks No. 7 on DePaul's all-time list... Keisha Hampton, who led DePaul with 15.3 points per game during her sophomore campaign looks to continue her consecutive start run... entering her junior season, Hampton has started all 66 of DePaul's games in the last two seasons... Hampton has tallied 800 career points while her 68 blocks ties for the 12th on DePaul's all-time career list... an all-conference performer, Hampton is preseason All-BIG EAST selection this season... Felicia Chester ranked 16th in the league with 6.9 rebounds per game while her field goal percentage (.550) ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in 2009-10... Harry was a unanimous All-Freshman team selection after leading the Blue Demons with 7.9 rebounds per game... Anna Martin also returns to the starting lineup... Martin averaged 10.5 points per game while she registered a steal in 14 of DePaul's 16 conference games.
• What's New: DePaul welcomes Jasmine Penny and Kelsey Reynolds this season... Penny is a 6-1 forward from Logansport, Indiana... led Indiana's North Central Conference with 24.5 points and 2.0 blocks per game during her senior season... Penny became Logansport's all-time leading scorer in girl's basketball and was named to the Indiana All-Star team and was a third-team Indiana Associated Press All-State selection... Kelsey Reynolds will sit out the 2010-11 season after transferring from Boston College... the sophomore will have three seasons of eligibility left after averaging 1.2 points and 8.7 minutes per game during her freshman season.
• Who, When and Where: Eight of the Blue Demons 28 scheduled opponents played in the NCAA Championship in 2010... DePaul hosts 16 games at McGrath Arena, and travels to 12 road contests... the Blue Demons will not play on a neutral floor until the BIG EAST Championship, March 4-8... DePaul opens the 2010-11 season with the Preseason WNIT and host Valparaiso in the opening round on Nov. 12... the Preseason WNIT second round, semifinals and championship game sites and dates are to be determined... DePaul is scheduled to play eight home and eight road BIG EAST Conference games this season... the Blue Demons will play Marquette twice (Feb. 12 in Chicago and Feb. 26 in Milwaukee).
• Regular Season Tournament History: DePaul is 71-26 all-time in regular season tournaments dating back to 1980-81 season... the Blue Demons have played in 44 regular-season tournaments and won 24... finished in second eight times... DePaul plays in the Preseason WNIT (Nov. 12-21) and hosts the Maggie Dixon Classic (Nov. 26-27) this season.
• BIG EAST Conference Preseason Picks: The Blue Demons were picked to finish sixth in the conference by the league's 16 coaches... defending National Champion Connecticut was picked to win the BIG EAST, while West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame and St. John's were picked to finished ahead of DePaul... of the five teams picked to finish in front of DePaul, the Blue Demons host West Virginia (Jan. 30), Georgetown (Feb. 20) and Notre Dame (Feb. 28) at McGrath Arena... DePaul travels to St. John's (Jan. 8) and Connecticut (Feb. 5) for games this season.
• Preseason All-BIG EAST: Junior Keisha Hampton was named to the league's preseason team... she was also a preseason selection in 2009-10... Hampton is a two-time All-BIG EAST performer, earning All-Freshman honors in 2008-09 and second-team accolades as a sophomore... Sam Quigley and Deirdre Naughton were Preseason Honorable Mention picks... this is the first preseason league team selection for Quigley, while Naughton was selected prior to the 2009-10 and was an honorable mention pick prior to the 2008-09.
• Preseason Wade Watch Top 30: Senior guard Deirdre Naughton's name appears on 2010 Preaseason Wade Watch Top 30 list again this season... also made the preseason 2009-10 list... Naughton enters the 2010-11 season with 1,470 career points (1,051 at DePaul and 419 at Wake Forest), and a career .430 field goal percentage... in her two seasons at DePaul, Naughton has averaged 15.3 points per game while her 124, 3-point field goals rank 12th on DePaul's all-time list... Naughton is one of five BIG EAST Conference players to appear on the top 30 list.
• Naismith Preseason Watch List: Keisha Hampton became one of 50 Division I student-athletes to be named to the Naismith Watch List on Nov. 10... Hampton enters her junior season with 800 career points and has started every game since coming to Lincoln Park in 2008-09... Hampton is a preseason All-BIG EAST performer and earned All-Freshman honors in 2008-09 and was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection last season.
• Home Cookin': Through nine 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 118-21 (.849) record in the arena's 139 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 382-105 (.784). 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 96-14 at home with five 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 20.1 points per game.
The Blue Demons have also posted 95 victories in the last 98 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.
• Coach Doug Bruno Court: Beginning in the 2010-11 season, the Blue Demons will play their home games at McGrath Arena on the Coach Doug Bruno Court... DePaul's Director of Athletics, Jean Lenti Ponsetto made the announcement on Nov. 16, 2009 and the court was formally dedicated on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010... the 2010-11 season marks Coach Bruno's 25th season at DePaul while he is also on track to record his 500th career win this season... Bruno enters 2010-11 with 458 collegiate wins and 40 wins as the head coach of the Chicago Hustle (WBL - Professional Team in Chicago)... Coach Bruno becomes just the fifth NCAA women's coach and just the third DI coach to have a court named in his honor... Bruno follows, Kay Yow from North Carolina State and Pat Summitt who has the court at Tennessee and Tennessee Martin named in her honor... Lin L. Laursen has "Larsen Court" at Central Arizona College (NJCAA) while there is the Pam Evans Smith Arena at Wittenberg University
• Lots and Lots of Games: Felicia Chester and Sam Quigley are both fifth you seniors... Chester has played in 99 career games and Quigley has appeared in 98... assistant director of basketball operation, Khara Smith played in a school-record 131 games in her career... if DePaul plays 33 games again this season (the Blue Demons played 33 in 2008-09 and in 2009-10) the pair is on track to break Smith's record.
•Raining 3s: Deirdre Naughton and Sam Quigley enter the 2010-11 season ranked in DePaul's top 13 for 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal attempts... Naughton begins the season with 124, 3-pointers on 375 attempts in a Blue Demon uniform which ranks her 12th in total 3 -point field goals and 10th in attempts... Quigley has 122 3-pointers on 372 attemps which ranks her 13th in field goals and 11th in attempts... Lenae Williams holds DePaul's record with 303 3-point field goals on 924 attempts.
• Dishing it Out: Sam Quigley enters her senior season with 341 career assists which ranks No. 7 on DePaul's all-time list... needs two more to move into a sixth place tie with Jenni Dant (2001-05)... Quigley needs 13 to tie Sally Anderson (1984-87) for fifth (354)... the younger Quigley needs to dish out 86 assists (427) to tie her sister, Allie Quigley (2004-08) for third all-time.
• Coaching on the same side, coaching separately: DePaul head coach Doug Bruno and Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma's teamed up this summer to help the USA National Team win Gold at the FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic on Oct. 3, 2010... Auriemma served as the team's head coach while Bruno was an assistant along with Jennifer Gillom of the WNBA Minnesota Lynx and Marynell Meadors of the Atlanta Dream.
• Taking Advantage from Beyond the Arc: Since the start of the 2005-06 season (163 games), the club has knocked down 1088 (6.7 per game) trifectas compared to just 820 (5.0 per game) 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, while they were also 0-11 against Arkansas... including the Houston, Northern Illinois and Arkansas games, the Blue Demons have tallied a three-pointer in 429 of the last 432 games... DePaul has made 200 or more free throw in 10 of its last 11 seasons... the 2009-10 team tallied 163 to end DePaul's streak at 10 seasons.
• Streaking: Dating back the last couple of seasons, the Blue Demons have put together various streaks. Listed below are some current active streaks heading into the 2010-11 season:
• 56 straight victories over unranked non-conference opponents at home
• Eight consecutive NCAA Championship appearances
• Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against in-state opponents... over the last 63 games against Chicago State, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 61 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, 2009... 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.
• Marching Along: DePaul made its eighth consecutive and the program's 15th NCAA Championship appearance in 2010... the Blue Demons were one of seven BIG EAST programs in the field of 64... the conference led all leagues along with the SEC with teams earning bids... the program is 7-15 (.318) all-time in NCAA Championship play...DePaul is one of 13 teams to appear in each of the last eight tournaments... joining the Blue Demons on the list of 13 teams with eight straight NCAA's are Connecticut, Duke, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stanford, Tennessee and Vanderbilt... the eight 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 4-9 entering in its last eight tournament appearances, including a 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance in San Antonio, Texas.
