Marquette University Athletics
Nationally Ranked Blue Demons Await Women's Basketball
1/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2003
Next Game
DePaul at Marquette
Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003
Noon; Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center
Coming off a loss to 19th ranked Wis.-Green Bay on Wednesday, Marquette will look to rebound taking on another nationally ranked opponent, 25th ranked DePaul. The Golden Eagles and Blue Demons, both tipping off their Conference USA schedule, will meet in a noon tip at the Bradley Center on Sunday, Jan. 12. This is the first of two meetings between the schools. They will play at DePaul in the season finale on March 2. DePaul is the only school Marquette will play twice during the 2002-03 season.
The Blue Demons (11-3) come into the contest having won four games in a row - all at home. DePaul is 8-1 in its last nine games, including wins over no. 8 Notre Dame and no. 21 George Washington. However, all of the victories have come at home, the loss came at Toledo and the other road game in the stretch was a narrow three point win at Valparaiso.
Something must give as Marquette seems to have played its best basketball on the road. The Golden Eagles (8-4) are just 2-3 at home this season and are 6-1 away from Milwaukee. Marquette is the middle of a four-game home stand, its longest of the season, which continues January 17 against South Florida (Wisconsin Lutheran Field House) and on January 19 against UAB (Bradley Center).
Scouting DePaul
DePaul, the 25th ranked team in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA top 25 poll, owns the best non-conference record among Conference USA schools as league play begins. The Blue Demons are 11-3 and have a 7-0 record at home. DePaul has struggled on opponents' home floor with a 2-2 record. Losses to Illinois and Toledo came on the road, while a three point road win over Valpariaso and a nine point road win over Southern Illinois were closer than expected.
What DePaul has done this year is impressive, however. The Blue Demons own a 2-1 record against nationally ranked teams, having defeated Notre Dame and George Washington, both at the DePaul Athletics Center.
DePaul has shown its athletic ability and has become a more well rounded team. Last year's all-everything senior Lenae Williams is missed, but her production has been spread out. Four DePaul players average over 10 points a game, led by sophomore forward Jenni Dant's 14.0 points per game. Junior Ashley Luke is at 11.2 per game and leads the team in assists. Two of the 10 point scorers come off the bench, Khara Smith (10.7) and Charlene Smith (10.2). Jamie Smith is the leading rebounder at 6.6 per game.
On the Air: The Marquette/DePaul game can be heard in Milwaukee on WISN 1130 AM and on the internet at www.gomarquette.com with Kent Sommerfeld and Kareeda Chones calling the action. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.depaulbluedemons.com with Jeff Friedman handling the call.
Possible Starting LineupsMarquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-8 Fr. 11.7 4.5 12 Katie O'Grady G 5-8 Jr. 7.9 2.4 22 Katie Alsdurf G 6-0 So. 12.0 3.3 44 Crystal Weaver F 5-11 Jr. 6.8 6.4 21 Rachel Klug C 6-0 Sr. 16.3 7.0
DePaul Ht Yr PPG RPG 3 Laura Sobieszcyk G 5-9 Sr. 5.5 3.4 44 Ashley Luke G 5-5 Jr. 11.2 1.8 21 Sarah Kustok F 5-10 Jr. 6.9 4.9 32 Jenni Dant F 5-10 So. 14.0 3.7 40 Jamie Smith C 6-4 Sr. 7.0 6.6
Series History
DePaul leads, 23-15. In Milwaukee, MU leads, 11-6. In Chicago, DePaul leads 18-5.
No Place Like Home
Marquette is hoping a change of home venue will help improve the difference it seemingly has between home and road games. MU is just 2-3 at home this year, while it is 6-1 away from Milwaukee, owning a six game win streak on the road. However, Marquette will not play at its usual confines, the U.S. Cellular Arena, for the next three games. Marquette has two games at the Bradley Center and one at Wisconsin Lutheran Field House. All-time, Marquette is 23-13 at the Bradley Center and is 1-0 at the WLC Field House. MU has won its last 10 at the Bradley Center and has not lost there since an 80-60 setback on Feb. 11, 1996.
Currently, Marquette is hitting 42.2 percent at home, 35.7 percent from three point range and is 75.3 percent from the line. Away from Milwaukee, MU is hitting 45.3 percent, 41.1 percent of its threes and is shooting 77.6 percent from the line.
Off to a Hot Start
Marquette owns a 8-4 record after 12 games and through its non-conference season. The Golden Eagles are off to their best start since an 9-3 mark in the 1999-2000 season. The Golden Eagles are in the midst of a difficult five game string which includes games with Notre Dame, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Wis.-Green Bay and DePaul. Notre Dame was ranked 13th in both polls at game time. Wis.-Green Bay is currently ranked 19th in the AP poll. DePaul is ranked 25th in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA top 25.
Marquette's 8-3 beginning marked the third best start in school history, second to a 9-2 mark in 1999-2000 and 1997-98.
Similar Beginnings
Marquette begins the Conference USA schedule in similar fashion to the 2001-02 season. This year, MU opens up with DePaul, South Florida and UAB. Last season, Marquette played the same three teams in the same order, however the South Florida and UAB games were on the road. Last year, Marquette opened up the conference season 6-1 after an opening game loss to DePaul, 64-60, at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
Still At the Top
Through 12 games, Marquette is making the most of its free throw attempts. The Golden Eagles are 181-of-236 from the line this year, hitting a C-USA best 76.7 percent. Despite a recent drought in which MU hit just 50 percent each against Wis.-Green Bay (5-of-10) and Wisconsin (8-of-16), Marquette is still well above its totals from last year. In 2001-02, Marquette was 70.8 percent from the line. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) leads the team and the conference with 87.2 percent. Twice this season has a player gone 10-for-10 from the line. Senior center Rachel Klug shot that against Saint Francis (Pa.) as part of a 26-point effort. Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) went 10-for-10 against Georgia State, scoring 16. Six times this season has Marquette hit over an 80 percent clip from the charity stripe, with a season high of 90.9 percent coming against Chicago State and Iowa State.
HItting the Wall
Marquette felt the effects of playing four games in nine days against quality opponents, losing to 19th ranked Wis.-Green Bay in the final game of the set, 58-47. Head coach Terri Mitchell said her team was suffering from a lack of time off in the short span and two players - Carolyn Kieger and Katie Alsdurf - were suffering from the flu. The team was given a day off on Thursday to rest before returning to preparations for DePaul.
UWGB's Defense Contains MU's Long-Range Shot
In the six outings prior to Marquette's contest with Wis.-Green Bay, the Golden Eagles had been riding an incredible wave of accurate three-point shootings. From the La Salle contest on Dec. 16 through the Wisconsin game on Jan. 5, Marquette shot above the 35.0 percent mark in each game. UWGB stuck to Marquette defensively and held the Golden Eagles to a 23.5 percent night from three-point range. Prior to the mini-slump against UWGB, Marquette posted a school record 72.7 percent from behind the three-point range, hitting 8-of-11 against Wisconsin. MU broke one of the longer standing records on the books as the previous mark of 71.4 stood since February 15, 1992.
The Golden Eagles continued its hot shooting against Iowa State, making 46.2 percent of attempted threes, going 6-of-13. MU shot 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from three point range against Notre Dame. Against Sacred Heart, Marquette hit 54.5 percent (6-of-11). The Golden Eagles hit 10-of-23 threes against Virginia Commonwealth (43.5 percent) and started the string with a 7-of-19 outing against La Salle (36.8). In the last six games, Marquette is 46-of-89 from behind the arc for a 51.6 percentage. Leading the pack is freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) who is a Conference USA best 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) on the year. For the season, Marquette is hitting 39.2 percent from behind the arc.
Juedes' Perfection Comes to an End
Sophomore forward Lesley Juedes (Ripon, Wis.) was on her way to becoming Marquette's most accurate three point shooter, at least in terms of duration. Through nearly one and a half seasons, Juedes had not missed a free throw, making her first two this season and all 13 attempts last year. However, a 1-for-2 performance against Wis.-Green Bay dropped her from the ranks of perfect. Her career mark of 94.1 (16-of-17) is still impressive, however she needs many more attempts to qualify for Marquette's career marks list.
Klug Becomes MU's Most Accurate Senior forward Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.) has moved into the top spot among Marquette's most accurate field goal shooters. Klug has hit 271-of-480 shots for her career for 56.5 percent. Lisa Oldenburg, Marquette's previous leader, hit 54.0 percent of her field goals from 1997-2000. Coming into this season, Klug was a 53.1 percent field goal shooter, but lacked enough attempts to qualify. The minimum number of attempts to make the list is 400.
Kieger on Pace to be MU's Best Single Season Three Point Shooter
Currently at 58.6 percent (17-of-29), freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) is on pace to shatter MU's single season mark. That total is held by Kristen Maskala, who hit 40.4 percent of her threes in the 1991-92 season. The minimum attempts to qualify is 50. Once she qualifies for that mark, she would also be eligible to be on the all-time list. Kristi Johnson is the career leader at 39.2 percent from 1998-2002.
A School Record Six in a Row Away from Milwaukee
While technically MU's game with Chicago State was a neutral site game, Marquette has won six games in a row away from its homes in Milwaukee, marking the first time in school history that such a feat has happened. Marquette had won five in a row four previous times, 1997-98 and once each from 1991-92 to 1993-94. The Golden Eagles will put their six-game road win streak on the line with its next road game at Memphis on January 24.
Upping the Ante
Head coach Terri Mitchell promised that her team was going to be more active this year and take more opportunities. She has held true to her promise. Through 12 games, Marquette is averaging 71.5 points per game. Last year through 12 games, MU was scoring 61.5 points per game. The last time Marquette averaged 70 or more through 12 games was during the 1998-1999 season season (72.8 ppg). The last time Marquette had a higher per game average through 12 games was in the 1994-95 season when MU scored 79.4 points per game.
The Golden Eagles are improving statistically as well. Last season, Marquette was 10th in the C-USA in scoring. This season, MU is currently third.
Familiarity of the Starters
The Marquette starting lineup has remained consistent all season. The quintet of guards Carolyn Kieger and Katie O'Grady, center Rachel Klug and forwards Katie Alsdurf and Crystal Weaver have been on the court at the opening tip of each game. Last year, Marquette had used five different starting lineups by the 11th game and used eight during the course of the year.
December 16 Means 91 Points
Marquette's 91 points in a 91-78 win over La Salle on December 16 was the highest output since MU's 91-63 win over Dayton, exactly one year ago to the date. In Marquette women's basketball history, those are the only two games ever played on December 16.
Five Game Win Streak Comes to an End
With a 75-68 loss to Notre Dame, Marquette had a season long win streak come to an end at five. The last time Marquette won five in a row was last season, when the Golden Eagles won six games in a row in Conference USA play. In the 1999-2000 season, Marquette won eight in a row and had three five game win streaks. The 1997-98 season was the highlight of all win streaks, as MU won 13 in a row. In history, Marquette has won five in a row 20 times.
Counting on Klug
Senior center Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.) has had one of the best starts in recent Marquette history. Klug has scored in double figures in seven of MU's 10 games, scoring 16 or more points in all but one of those double figure games. She has had only two outings of less than 10, scoring five against Dayton and six while in foul trouble against Chicago State.
She has five 20-plus point efforts on the season. With a 20-point effort against La Salle, it marked the eighth time in Klug's career she scored 20 or more points and she has now been over the 10-point mark 31 times in her career. Against Georgia State, she also recorded her fourth career double double with 11 rebounds to go with her 20 points. Klug set another career high on January 2 against Iowa State, as she scored 28 points. This season, she has two double doubles, nine games with 10 or more points and two with more than 10 rebounds.
One Assist Away
Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) had one of the best all-around games in Marquette history against La Salle. Kieger seemed to be around the ball constantly, was accurate with her shot and unselfish with her game. She was one assist away from a triple-double. She finished the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. While game-by-game records are incomplete before 1980, it seems as if there has never been a triple double recorded in MU women's basketball history.
Against Sacred Heart, Kieger tied her career high with nine assists. She was much farther away from the triple double in that contest however as she had seven points and five rebounds.
The Alsdurf Factor
Sophomore Katie Alsdurf (Forest Lake, Minn.) has moved into second on the team in scoring thanks to a couple of games in which she led the team in scoring. Alsdurf is currently at 12.0 points per game, coming off a team high 18 against Notre Dame and 16 against Iowa State. She has quickly become one of the most dependable scorers on the team. Only twice this season has she had fewer than 10 points.
When Schwerman Hits 10 or More
Five times this season has junior sixth player Kelly Schwerman (Waukesha, Wis.) hit scored 10 or more points. Each time, Marquette came away with a win. Against Wisconsin, Schwerman scored 13 off the bench against the team that recruited her. Schwerman scored 12 off the bench against Chicago State and tossed in 10 against Georgia State. She scored 12 against La Salle and followed that up with a career high of 17 against Virginia Commonwealth. Schwerman is fourth on the team in scoring with 8.4 points per game. She is second on the team in three-point percentage, with a total of 46.2, and she is practically unstoppable from the free throw line, hitting 82.4 percent of her attempts. Last season, Marquette was 5-0 when Schwerman came off the bench for 10 or more points. Combined with this year's total, Marquette is 10-0 when Schwerman comes off the bench to score 10 or more.
O'Grady Hits Her Stride
In the first 20 minutes against Chicago State, junior guard Katie O'Grady (Chicago, Ill.) played what was perhaps the best basketball she has played in college. In the first half against the Cougars, O'Grady was 5-of-6 and was was 4-of-5 from three point land to total 17 points. She added two in the second half to finish with 19 points to set a new career high. It was the third time she topped the 10 point barrier. Against Dayton, she was 7-for-10 from the floor and set a then career high with 17 points. Against UWM, she was effective, scoring 10 points, marking the first time in her career she has scored 10 or more in back to back games. For her career, O'Grady has six career 10 or more point outings, with three coming her freshman year.
Weaver Makes Presence Known
One of the quietest players in the Marquette lineup, junior forward Crystal Weaver (Kentwood, Mich.) has provided MU with several key contributions on the inside. Weaver is one of MU's smartest players and keeps the Golden Eagles out of trouble. She has the fewest amount of turnovers (11) amongst MU players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. She is solid on her shot, making 53.0 percent on the year. She has two double doubles, one of which came in a 12 point, 11 rebound effort against Iowa State in which she started the game 5-for5 from the floor.
Double Take
Marquette played its first double overtime game in two years on December 7 against Georgia State. MU had previously played two double overtime games in school history, losing both. Senior center Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.) scored MU's first eight points in the second overtime before fouling out, setting up the Golden Eagle victory. Three players in the game played more than 40 minutes - Klug with 43, junior forward Crystal Weaver (Kentwood, Mich.) in 42 and freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) with 41. In all, Marquette owns a 9-12 record in overtime games. In all, head coach Terri Mitchell is 6-3 in overtime games for her career.
Tournament Champions
For the first time since the 1999-2000 season, Marquette won a regular season tournament title. The Golden Eagles claimed the championship of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Invitational. MU won the OSU classic in November of 1999 in its last tourney win. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) was named the tournament's MVP. She averaged 15.5 points in the victories over Chicago State and Georgia State. She also had seven assists and seven rebounds in the win over Georgia State. Senior center Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.) was also named to the all-tournament team. She scored 20 against Georgia state and had six points in limited action due to foul trouble against Chicago State.
Moving Past the .500 Mark
Heading into the 2000-01 season, Marquette women's basketball owned a 346-346 all time record. With a .500 winning percentage all-time, the team last season did nothing to change that fact with a 14-14 record. Heading into this season MU had an all time record of 360-360, exactly .500. Currently, MU has cleared the .500 hurdle and has an all-time record in its 28th season of 368-364 (50.3 percent).
Spreading it Around
Freshman Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) had four assists in her collegiate debut. She continued to find open players against Wis.-Milwaukee, dishing a season high six assists. She improved her assist-to-turnover ratio against UWM, turning over the ball just twice against the Panthers. She then set a career high with seven against Georgia State. She bettered that mark with nine against La Salle and tied it against Sacred Heart. She averages 5.0 assists per game. At the 5.0 assist per game mark, she would average 130 assists in the regular season, placing her second on MU's all-time single season freshman assist leaders.
Strength of Schedule Always Difficult
Marquette owns the 43rd best overall and 52nd best non-conference schedule according to the Richie Summerville/WBCA preseason RPI release. The Golden Eagles have the fourth-toughest strength of schedule among C-USA teams according to the release. TCU has the nation's fourth most difficult schedule. Tulane is ranked 28th in the preseason strength of schedule and DePaul is 36th.
Marquette's 2002-03 schedule contains four teams ranked in the preseason USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25. Notre Dame was ranked 10th in that poll. Iowa State owned an ranking of 18. C-USA schools TCU and Cincinnati were ranked 19th and 21st respectively.
Currently, Marquette is ranked 73rd in the RPI provided by Palm Sports Resources and its strength of schedule is ranked 131st. However, MU has a tough stretch ahead with Wis.-Green Bay (8-2), and DePaul (9-3) up next in the next two games. UWGB is the highest ranked team in the RPI that MU will have faced this year. The Phoenix are ranked 28th. Notre Dame was the previous high at 41.
Balanced Attack
Against Wis.-Milwaukee, all 12 players played and no single MU player played more than 27 minutes. In addition, 11 of the 12 players scored and 10 hit field goals. All but one player grabbed a rebound as well. Eight players logged assists and seven different players grabbed a steal in the 73-53 victory.
Against Sacred Heart, 11 of the 12 Marquette players scored, including a season high of nine from freshman Dawneshia Smith (Milwaukee, Wis.). The same 11 players grabbed rebounds against the Pioneers. Eight players recorded assists, including nine from freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.).
It's Crowded In Here
Marquette's home attendance is on the rise. The Golden Eagles are averaging 1,699 fans per game through four games this season. MU was bolstered by two of its largest crowds ever. Against Saint Francis (Pa.) 1,937 fans came to watch. On December 31, Marquette set a regular season attendance record with 3,686 coming to watch the teams play. That crowd was also MU women's basketball's largest crowd at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Only one other time has Marquette had a larger crowd. That came in the 1995 Great Midwest Conference championship game when 3,879 people came to the Bradley Center for that game. Last season, an average of 1,443 attended each home game, with four of the top 15 crowds in school history occurring. MU is also a good draw on the road. The Golden Eagles played in front of 7,556 at Iowa State and played in front of 6,572 at Wisconsin.
The Freshman Factor
Two Marquette freshmen made a significant impact in the team's season opening contest against Dayton. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) started in her first career collegiate game. Kieger was 3-for-5 shooting on the day with eight points and four assists. Freshman center Sarah Shouse (Bowling Green, Ky.) spent 12 minutes on the floor and grabbed six rebounds, one shy of the team high. She went 2-for-5 with five points. In all, MU freshman played 52 of 200 minutes against Dayton, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. In all this season, the freshman have accounted for 21 percent of the total MU points.
Kieger Tabbed as "Freshman of Impact"
Carolyn Kieger was named as one of women's college basketball's "Freshmen of Impact" by Women's College Hoops.com (womenscollegehoops.com). She was listed as an honorable mention selection.
The publication states that Kieger "is a true point guard and could be the one to get Marquette back in the big dance." Players were selected as a "Freshman of Impact" based on the anticipated contribution that the student-athlete will make to her team as a first-year player. Kieger was selected as one of 39 newcomers out of nearly 1,000 NCAA Division I freshmen for this season.
Golden Eagles Ink Three in Fall Signing Period
Head women's basketball coach Terri Mitchell has announced the signing of three high school players to national letters of intent. The incoming freshman class includes Danielle Kamm from Saginaw, Mich.; Jasmine McCullough from St. Louis, Mo.; and Christina Quaye from Chicago, Ill. Kamm is a small forward for Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw, Mich. She averaged 20.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as a junior and was named to Street & Smith's High School All-America Team. McCullough is in her senior year at Rosary High School in St. Louis, Mo.. She averaged 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals last year as a junior and was named first-team all-state for the second straight year. Quaye is a power forward, playing her senior year, at Regina Dominican High School in Willamette, Ill. Last season, she scored 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as she was selected third-team all-state.
Marquette Picked Eighth in Preseason C-USA Coaches Poll
TCU, which captured the 2002 C-USA regular season title, and Cincinnati, which claimed the C-USA Tournament crown have both been chosen by the 14 C-USA head coaches to win the 2002-03 regular season title. Marquette, which finished eighth last season, was selected to finish in that same spot in 2002-03.
After TCU and Cincinnati, Tulane was selected third, Houston fourth, Louisville fifth, Charlotte sixth and DePaul is seventh. Following MU in the eighth spot is Memphis, South Florida, Saint Louis, UAB, Southern Miss and East Carolina.
Golden Eagles to be Heard on WRRD and WISN
Every Marquette home game and select MU road games can be heard on WRRD 540 AM or WISN 1130 AM. All contests can be heard on the world wide web via Marquette's internet site at www.gomarquette.com.
Six MU telecasts will be carried on WRRD 540 AM. WRRD - "The Word" - is a member of the Marquette radio network for the first time this season.
In addition, seven broadcasts will be carried on WISN 1130 AM. WISN boasts one of the strongest AM signals in southeast Wisconsin and is known for its sports coverage. Kent Sommerfeld is back for his third season as Marquette's play-by-play man. Former MU star Kareeda Chones is in her fifth season with the MU radio network.
The Terri Mitchell Show
Saturday afternoons, WISN 1130 AM will carry "The Terri Mitchell Show." In its fifth year, host Kent Sommerfeld and head coach Terri Mitchell will highlight the previous weeks' action, player features, interviews and a listener call in period. The next show of the series will air on January 18 at 3:05 p.m.
The Golden Eagles on TV
Currently, four more MU games are schedule to hit the airwaves for local broadcast. The C-USA Television Network will team up with WMLW-Ch. 41 to carry two regular-season C-USA games. MU hosts UAB at noon on Jan. 19. The Golden Eagles visit DePaul on March 2 for a 2 p.m. start. MU and TCU will be aired on Ch. 41 at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31. The MU/Charlotte game will air on ESPN2 in a regional telecast on Feb. 16 with the new start time of 3 p.m.
