Hard-nosed Schulte is Rising to the Occasion
12/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - After playing one of her best games of the season, there was only one thing missing that would have made this an absolutely memorable occasion.
If only Brooke Schulte's 19 points, six rebounds and connecting on three of four from behind the arc had helped No. 16/15 DePaul pull off an upset of No. 2/1 Notre Dame on Dec. 10 at a sold-out McGrath-Phillips Arena.
DePaul trailed by as much as nine in the first half before cutting the deficit to 33-27 by halftime. Schulte opened the third quarter with back-to-back threes and it was anybody's game.
"I was coming off screens, and I love doing that," Schulte said. "Once that first three-pointer fell, you get into a rhythm and a natural flow. I could feel it, and I was really into the adrenaline of the game. I was getting my confidence back and wasn't thinking about my shot. Sometimes, I tend to overthink things.
"I had been struggling a little offensively coming into the Notre Dame game, and what really helped was the positive energy from my teammates. I didn't go looking for shots, but they did a good job of finding me and setting me up for good looks. Jess and Ash (Ashton Millender) have been so good at encouraging me to keep shooting."
The Fighting Irish went up by five when Jacqui Grant scored and Kelly Campbell followed with a three. It was 38-38 in the middle of the third quarter when Notre Dame closed with a 14-4 run.
"You can't give your opponent a run like that," Schulte said. "But we remained persistent and kept coming at them. We know we can overcome a lead like that by focusing on one possession at a time and getting a score---a stop---a score---a stop. Next thing you know, we're right back in the game."
The Irish finished strong in the fourth quarter and came away with a 75-61 victory in a showdown that was much closer than the final score.
"Coach Doug Bruno had talked about the importance of being fearless coming into the game," Schulte said. "Come at them with all we have. We had the attitude of, why not us? In the ups and downs of the game, staying positive throughout helped us get everybody going.
"The first five minutes of every quarter is huge, and we came out from the opening tip with a quick and efficient start. That fires you up and gets your juices flowing. That start helped build better tenacity and set the tone for the rest of the game.
"The seniors took the lead and everybody else looked at each other during the game and said we can do this. We can make this upset happen. I remember looking at Jessica January and saying we can get this done. This is our last year here, so let's give it our all."
Despite coming up short, it was a good learning experience.
"This game showed us that we could play with top-ranked teams, and will prepare us for the rest of our nonconference season followed by the BIG EAST season," Schulte said. "We are a good team and have stuff to work on to get better. We're not close to our ceiling yet, and after we make those improvements, we can be really good."
DePaul is 6-3 with the losses to Connecticut, Notre Dame and Baylor---the top-ranked teams in the country.
"It's important to play good competition," Schulte said. "There's no such thing as a good loss, but you can build on it. You start doing the little things and get better to get the win next time you play a team like that."
Schulte has certainly risen to the occasion this season. Her two best games so far have come against Notre Dame and then-No. 11/18 Syracuse when she led the Blue Demons with 21 points in a 108-84 triumph in the third-place game of last month's Gulf Coast Classic.
"For me, it is all about doing a better job with the little things," Schulte said. "That means focusing on defense and rebounding. When I'm successful at that, the offense will come along.
"I'm better this year at not overthinking and just playing. When I first came here, I had to take a step back and realize that everyone here was the best player on their high school team. I had to be versatile and find another role.
"I concentrated on being a good defensive player, rebounder and getting the ball to my teammates. I was looking for the high-percentage scorers. As a junior, I wanted to hold my opponent below her average, not give up any second shots, prevent touches and be ready on help defense."
And now, the Blue Demons need the 5-foot, 9-inch guard to expand her game.
"As a senior, I'm looking to be a more aggressive scorer," Schulte said. "It's what coach had seen in me when I was being recruited.
"Jessica January is a phenomenal scorer no matter where she is on the floor. When teams start crowding her with double and triple-teams, I look to help her. She is great at drawing the defense to her and setting up the open player with a good shot. It's up to the rest of us to hit those open shots."
DePaul is on the road Thursday for an 8 p.m. game at Temple that will be televised by ESPNU.
