Marquette University Athletics
Golden Eagles Fly Northwest for Great Alaska Shootout
11/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2001
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Just hours after a loss to seventh-ranked Iowa State in the season opener, the Marquette women's basketball team boarded a plane and headed to Anchorage, Alaska, for the inaugural Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Formerly the Northern Lights Invitational, the name has changed to mirror the men's tournament, of which the Golden Eagles' men's squad is also participating.
Three of the four teams are taking part in both the men's and women's draw at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. Marquette's first round opponent, Iowa, is the only women's team without a men's team to accompany it.
Marquette is in its second trip to the tournament hosted by Alaska Anchorage. MU played in the Northern Lights Invitational in 1992, then at the end of the season. MU went 1-2 in that event.
Heading into this week's tournament, head coach Terri Mitchell remains one win away from her 100th career victory. Only one other MU women's coach has reached that plateau, Tat Shiely, with 111 wins.
About Iowa
While Marquette opened its season on Saturday, Iowa begins its 2001-02 campaign in Alaska against the Golden Eagles. Iowa is coming off one of its most successful seasons in which it won the Big Ten tournament title, went 21-10, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Hawkeyes are led by Lindsey Meder, a 5-8 senior guard. A year ago, she averaged 16.9 points per game. Meder scored 13 and 25 points in exhibition contests prior to the season opener. Last year, Meder scored 10 points to help the Hawkeyes to a 70-57 win over Marquette in the season opener for both teams. Iowa and Marquette have met one other time with the Golden Eagles proving victorious in the season opener in the 1999-2000 season, 69-64, in Milwaukee.
About Alaska Anchorage
Alaska Anchorage is 1-1 heading into the Shootout, remarkably splitting games on back-to-back nights against the same opponent, Christian Heritage. The Seawolves lost their season opener by 17 (68-51) before turning around 24 hours later to win by 13 (67-54), in a 30 point swing. Tanya Nizich scored 14 in both contests. The difference was 14 points by Bell Jordan. She scored eight in the first game.
A Division II school, Alaska Anchorage will take on Division I opponents for the only time this season. A member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, UAA regularly competes with teams from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
About Gonzaga
Gonzaga struggled in 2000-01 to a 5-23 mark. Four starters return with an eye on improving that mark. Jessica Malone led the West Coast Conference in scoring a year ago with an 18.8 points per game, complementing her scoring with 7.4 rebounds per contest. Malone proved her shooting ability, scoring 29 in an exhibition win over Seattle Pacific before the regular season opened up. Gonzaga ended a 16 game losing streak with a win over Idaho State in the second game of the season.
Mitchell Seeks Milestones in 2001-02
Head coach Terri Mitchell claimed her 99th career victory in a 76-65 win over Charlotte in the second to last game of the season last year. Mitchell needs just one win this season to reach the 100 mark. Only one coach in MU women's basketball history has won as many games. Tat Shiely won 111 games in 11 seasons with Marquette.
Mitchell will become the seventh MU coach in the five team sports to reach 100 wins. Mitchell looks to join men's basketball coaches Bill Chandler (193-198), Al McGuire (295-80), Hank Raymonds (126-50) and Mike Deane (100-55), men's soccer coach Steve Adlard (106-80-17, current), as well as Shiley who won 380 times in volleyball and 111 times in women's basketball. Additionally, Mitchell will coach her 150th game in her career in the second round of the Great Alaska Shootout.
Mitchell became the second winningest coach in Marquette history against Saint Louis last season with her 95th win of her career, passing Jim Jabir who won 94 games in six seasons. With 13 wins in 2001-02, Mitchell will move into first place all-time at Marquette.
Mitchell is also the winningest coach in terms of percentage. In her five seasons, Marquette has won 67.3 percent of its games.
Nothing is as Dependable as KJ
Senior guard Kristi Johnson (Holmen, Wis.) is one element that Marquette can count on game in, game out. In her four seasons, Johnson has not only played, but started in every game of her career. Heading into the 2001-02 season, she had started and played in 87 contests. With one start this season, her career totals are 88 in both categories.
On the Road, Again, and Again, and Again . . .
Marquette hits the road for its first of five straight games away from the U.S. Cellular Arena or Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center. The Golden Eagles visit Anchorage for a two-game tournament and then head Wis.-Milwaukee and Michigan before meeting Michigan State in a neutral site contest in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Golden Eagles next play at home on Dec. 5 against intrastate rival Wisconsin at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
Rebounding is Key
Marquette was outrebounded by Iowa State in the season opener and suffered defeat. Last season, Marquette outrebounded its opponents 20 of 29 times. In Terri Mitchell's five previous seasons, Marquette has led Conference USA in rebounding four times.
Scheduling the Nation's Elite
The Golden Eagles look to take on some of the country's best teams this season. Marquette jumps into their tough schedule feet first with games against Iowa State and Iowa. Iowa State finished ranked eighth in the AP poll and Iowa finished 16th. Both look to be highly ranked this season.
In all, 17 of MU's 27 opponents advanced to postseason play last year - 11 played in the NCAA Tournament and six went to the WNIT. On the schedule for 2001-02, Marquette meets defending champion Notre Dame. The Golden Eagles also meet with Iowa State, who advanced to the Elite Eight. Saint Mary's, Iowa, TCU, Michigan and Colorado State are MU's opponents this season who advanced to the second round last season.
Last year's schedule included 14 home contests, games with five NCAA tournament teams - Notre Dame, Brigham Young, Michigan, UAB, and Tulane - from the previous year, and the Conference USA Postseason tournament. Marquette faced the most difficult non conference schedule of any team in C-USA.
Marquette had the 21st-ranked non-conference schedule according to the The Collegiate Basketball News Women's RPI College Basketball Ratings. Marquette non-conference opponents finished 215-119 (.664) and had an average RPI of 78.7.
In all, 14 of Marquette's 22 opponents advanced to the postseason, with seven each in the NCAA and WNIT. Notre Dame won the national title, four others won their first round NCAA game. Seven opponents went to the WNIT, with three going to the second round and one (UAB) advancing to the quarterfinals.
Defense is Best
Marquette was 12-3 in games in which it held its opponents to 60 or fewer points and 1-13 in games in which it allowed 61 or more points during the 2000-01 season. In its wins, Marquette held its opponents to as low as 31 points (against Saint Louis) and allowed as many as 65 (to Charlotte). Twice last season, Marquette held its opponents to 35 or fewer. In its 12 wins, Marquette allowed its opponents to score just 54.7 points per game.
Preseason C-USA Poll
Tulane has been chosen by the 14 C-USA head coaches to win the 2001-02 regular season title. UAB's Deanna Jackson, who is poised to become Conference USA's career scoring and rebounding leader this season, has been selected by the coaches to repeat as Player of the Year.
Marquette is picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll by the conference coaches. Last season, Marquette was 8-8 in conference play and finished in a seventh place tie with DePaul.
Hearing the Golden Eagles
All Marquette women's basketball home games and select road games can be heard on the radio or at the Marquette athletics web site. WJYI 1340 AM will broadcast eight contests while WISN 1130 AM will carry seven contests. One game, the second round of the Great Alaska Shootout, is up in the air. Should MU play in the consolation, that game can be heard on the internet at www.gomarquette.com. If MU is in the championship game, that can be heard on WJYI. All the action can be heard beginning five minutes before tip. Play-by-play broadcaster Kent Sommerfeld and analyst Kareeda Chones, a former MU basketball player, bring you all the action.
The Terri Mitchell Show
Saturdays on WISN 1130 AM, The Terri Mitchell Show will air. Kent Sommerfeld and Terri Mitchell will preview upcoming games, feature players and talk everything that is going in with Marquette women's basketball. A complete list of times will be released at a later date.
On the Web
All of Marquette women's basketball information will be available on the official website of Marquette athletics, www.gomarquette.com. Notes, stories, features, recaps and radio broadcasts can be accessed by pointing your browser to www.gomarquette.com.
