DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Hosts Maggie Dixon Classic
11/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Nov. 25, 2010
Game Notes - Northwestern State 
CHICAGO -- After playing two of its last three games away from McGrath Arena, the DePaul women's basketball team returns to Lincoln Park to host the Maggie Dixon Classic, Nov. 26-27. The Blue Demons welcome Northwestern State, Morgan State and Cal-Riverside for the two-day tournament which honors former DePaul assistant Coach Maggie Dixon. All of DePaul's games can be seen on BlueTube with Drew Olson calling the action live courtside.
The Classic begins on Friday with Morgan State and Cal-Riverside squaring off at 5 p.m. and the Blue Demons hit the court at 7 p.m. against Northwestern State. The winners of Friday's games play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, while the consolation game is scheduled for 5 p.m.
DePaul (4-1) is averaging 77.0 points per game behind 18.4 from junior forward Keisha Hampton. Hampton's 18.4 points ranks fourth among BIG EAST Conference student-athletes, while the junior has reached double-figures in all five of DePaul's games. Hampton tallied a season-best 27 points against Valparaiso, while she tallied a team-best 21 at UIC on Tuesday.
The Blue Demons used a nine, 3-pointers in their 87-66 win over UIC earlier this week, while DePaul leads the BIG EAST with its .394 (39-for-99) 3-point field goal percentage. Hampton leads DePaul with 10, 3-pointers while Sam Quigley, Felicia Chester, Deanna Ortiz, China Threatt and Maureen Mulchrone are all hitting over 40 percent from behind the arc.
Following the Maggie Dixon Classic, the Blue Demons host Illinois State on Dec. 1.
- Noting the Blue Demons: DePaul is 657-387 (.629) 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 (230 games), the Blue Demons have held 63.5 percent of their opponents to less than 70 points (146-of-230)... in that span, DePaul is 123-23 (.842) when holding opponents to less than 70 points... in that same time span, DePaul has scored 70 or more points in 156 games... DePaul is 134-22 (.859) when scoring 70 plus points... in the last six seasons (200 games), the Blue Demons are 140-60 (.700)... in the last 61 home games against conference opponents, DePaul has posted 49 victories... over the last nine-plus seasons (323 games), DePaul has scored at least 80 points in 109 games... the Blue Demons hold a 104-5 (.954) record in those games... in the same span, DePaul is 42-1, including 40 straight wins, when scoring at least 90 points.
- Opponent 6, Northwestern State: Enters Friday's game after topping Arkansas -Monticello 84-71... averaging 72.8 points per game while Trudy Armsteam leads Northwestern State with 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game... Jessica McPhail has a team-best 11 assists... shooting .406 from behind the 3-point line... Brittany Houston has nine 3-pointers while Meredith Graf has eight... Jennifer Graf is one of the youngest head coaches in DI at the age of 32... Graf is in her seventh season at the helm of the Lady Demon program.
- Blue Demons vs. Lady Demons: Northwestern State is making its second appearance at DePaul's annual tournament... the Lady Demons also play in the Moran Reality Classic in 2003... DePaul won that meeting 109-73.
- Against the Southland Conference: DePaul is 3-0 against school's from the Southland Confernce... DePaul is 1-0 against Northwestern State and boasts a 2-0 series advantage over Texas State.
- Looking back at UIC: DePaul shot a season-best, .571 (36-63) at UIC… scored a season-high 50 second half points… Keisha Hampton led DePaul with 21 points and led DePaul in scoring for the fourth time this season… Hampton has reached double-figures in every DePaul game this season… Felicia Chester led DePaul in rebounding for the third time… Anna Martin dished out a career-best seven assists… Doug Bruno won his 503rd career coaching victory… Felicia Chester played her 104th and Sam Quigley appeared her 103rd… Quigley started her 75th consecutive game while Hampton started her 71st… Quigley has dished out an assists in her last 68 games
- Looking ahead: Following the Maggie Dixon Classic, DePaul hosts Illinois State on "Chicagoland Field Trip Day"… the Blue Demons welcome over 3,000 grade school children from all over the Chicago region… the game is scheduled for a Noon tip-off.
- It Could Happen: Doug Bruno could win his 503rd career coaching victory… Felicia Chester could play her 105th career game while Sam Quigley could play her 104th… Quigley could start her 75th consecutive game while Keisha Hampton could start her 72nd… Quigley has dished out an assists in her last 68 games... Quigley has 363 assists and needs 16 to take over Barb Astaves for the fourth spot.
- Against the State: DePaul has seen recent success against in-state opponents… over the last 64 games against Chicago State, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Southern Illinois, the Blue Demons have posted 62 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... DePaul plays at UIC, Loyola and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville while it hosts Northwestern and Northern Illinois this season.
- Regular Season Tournament History: DePaul is 73-27 (.730) all-time in regular season tournaments dating back to 1980-81 season... the Blue Demons have played in 46 regular-season tournaments and won 24... finished in second nine times… DePaul took second in the Preseason WNIT and hosts the Maggie Dixon Classic (Nov. 26-27) this season.
- BIG EAST Scoring Drive: Keisha Hampton leads DePaul with 18.4 points per game which ranks fourth in the BIG EAST behind Maya Moore, Connecticut (27.0), Andrea Smith, USF (19.0) and Tiffany Hayes (19.0)… Hampton's .900 free throw percentage (18-20) ties for sixth in the conference… her .455 3-point field goal percentage ranks 11th while her 10 trifectas ranks sixth in the conference.
- BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll: Keisha Hampton was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Nov.22... in DePaul's first four games, led the Blue Demons with 17.8 points per game and a .895 (17-for-19) effort from the free throw line… Hampton's free throw with six second left against Florida sealed DePaul's victory… Hampton's 11 steals and eight 3-pointers ties for the most on the team… Hampton tallied a season-best 27 points (24 in the first half) against Valparaiso… named to the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament team.
- 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 120-21 (.851) record in the arena's 141 games. DePaul's .848 winning percentage entering the 2009-10 season ranks ninth among all active arenas and 11th all-time.
Beginning its 37th season of women's basketball at DePaul University, the Blue Demons have an all-time home court record of 384-105 (.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 98-14 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 97 victories in the last 100 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 currently has 460 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 104 career games and Quigley has appeared in 103... 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... Quigley currently has 129 3-pointers on 388 attempts which ranks her 12th in field goals and ninth in attempts... Naughton begins the season with 124, 3-pointers on 375 attempts in a Blue Demon uniform which ranks her 13th in total 3-point 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 currently has 363 career assists which ranks No. 5 on DePaul's all-time list… the younger Quigley needs to dish out 76 assists (427) to tie her sister, Allie Quigley (2004-08) for third all-time.
- 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).
- 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 (168 games), the club has knocked down 1127 (6.7 per game) trifectas compared to just 849 (5.05 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 in 2009 ended a 144 game streak with a 3-pointer, while they were also 0-11 against Arkansas also in 2009... including the Houston, Northern Illinois and Arkansas games, the Blue Demons have tallied a three-pointer in 433 of the last 436 games… DePaul has made 200 or more 3-pointers in 10 of its last 11 seasons… the 2009-10 team tallied 163 to end DePaul's streak at 10 seasons.
- 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 2010-11 season:
- 58 straight victories over unranked non-conference opponents at home
- Eight consecutive NCAA Championship appearances
- 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.
