Marquette University Athletics
Women's Basketball Set to Open Season with Drake
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Upcoming Game
Nov. 22 vs. Drake, 2 p.m., U.S. Cellular Arena
For the first time since the 2001-02 season, Marquette will play its first game of the season at home. This year, the Golden Eagles meet Drake at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 22 at the U.S. Cellular Arena. This is the first of 14 regular season home games for Marquette, the most since the 1990-91 season when it played 15 at home.
Marquette will play five times at the U.S. Cellular Arena and once at Wisconsin Lutheran Field House before moving to its new home, the Al McGuire Center. MU will finish out its year at its on-campus facility with eight games. The new era begins on January 4 at 2 p.m. against Columbia.
Scouting Drake
The Golden Eagles and Drake meet in the season opener for both teams. Drake is coming off a 16-12 season. Last year was the first time in four seasons that Drake failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Drake is 18-11 all-time in season-opening contests, owning a 4-7 record on the road in those contests.
The Bulldogs? leading returning scorer is Linda Sayavongchanh, who scored 11.7 points per game in 2002-03. She was a 39.1 percent field goal shooter on the year last season. Sayavongchanh is expected to be a contributor off the bench for Drake this season. Maureen Head offered 8.1 points per game last season.
Head coach Amy Stephens is in her first game as the Bulldogs? head coach. She is the fifth head coach in the program?s history. She previously served as an assistant at Nebraska and was head coach for Neb.-Kearney for eight seasons, winning 82.1 percent of her games.
On the Air: The Marquette radio network will carry the Marquette/Drake game with Kent Sommerfeld calling the action. The flagship station of Marquette radio is WJYI 1340 AM in Milwaukee. The game can be heard live from a link on the Marquette website at www.gomarquette.com. Laura Leonard and Molly Nelson will broadcast the game for Drake radio on KPSZ AM 940 in Des Moines. The broadcast is also available on www.drakebulldogs.org.
Probable Starting Lineups
Marquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-8 So. 11.3 4.731 Kelly Schwerman G 5-9 Sr. 9.7 4.324 Danielle Kamm F 6-2 Fr. ? ?44 Crystal Weaver F 5-11 Sr. 5.5 5.934 Christina Quaye C 6-2 Fr. ? ?
Drake Ht Yr PPG RPG 3 Mandy Kappel G 5-6 Sr. 6.9 1.210 Allison Burchill G 5-11 Jr. 6.8 6.830 Nicole Denmon G 6-0 Jr. 6.0 1.415 Maureen Head F 6-1 Sr. 8.1 5.631 Martha Chaput F 6-1 Sr. 0.8 0.9
Series HistoryNov. 16, 1998 H L, 71-85Nov. 22, 1999 A L, 55-76
Drake leads, 2-0.In Milwaukee: Drake, 1-0.In Des Moines: Drake, 1-0.
Finishing Up the Preseason
The Golden Eagles concluded their two-game home exhibition slate perfectly defeating both Wisconsin AAU and the Netherlands National Team. Marquette upended Wisconsin AAU, 76-63. Kelly Schwerman scored a team-high 20 in the win over former collegiates from Wisconsin. MU downed Holland, 89-44, and were led by 16 points from Schwerman and 15 from Monica Frede off the bench. Marquette shot 63.0 percent against the Dutch.
2002-03 Recap
Marquette is coming off a successful 2002-03 season. The Golden Eagles were 16-14 and advanced to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Marquette returns three starters, Carolyn Kieger, Kelly Schwerman and Crystal Weaver. The Golden Eagles set school records for three-point shooting and free throw shooting in 2002-03. Schwerman set the single season three-point record for an individual and Kieger set the school record for free throw shooting.
Exhibition Season
The Golden Eagles also competed in a four-game exhibition tour of Italy last May. Playing some of the top teams in the country, MU went 3-1. The Golden Eagles? only loss came at the hands of Pool Comense, the champions of the top Italian league. On the trip, Kelly Schwerman led the returning players with 10.5 points per game. She tossed in 25 in a win over Italsoft Reyer, a tour best for any Marquette player. Marquette shot 43.8 percent on the trip.
Season Openers
Marquette has lost the last three season openers, two of which came against teams from Iowa. Two years ago, Marquette lost to seventh-ranked Iowa State at the U.S. Cellular Arena 68-50 and the year before, MU fell at Iowa, 70-57. The Hawkeyes ended up winning the Big Ten regular season crown that year. MU lost at Dayton last year, 80-62. All time, Marquette owns a 14-14 record in season opening games. In the Terri Mitchell era, the Golden Eagles are 3-4 in season openers, winning against Wis.- Milwaukee, Loyola (Ill.) and Iowa from the 1997-98 season to the 1999-2000 season. In addition to the three recent losses, MU lost Terri Mitchell?s first season opener, an 83-68 decision against Tennessee in Burlington, Vt.
What the First Game Means
While not scientific proof of the measure of a season, the result of the first game can prove to be an indicator of the remainder of the season. In MU?s history it has won the opening game of the season 14 times and has had nine above .500 seasons following. It has also had five below .500 seasons after a season opening win.
Following a season opening loss, Marquette has had just four winning seasons, while having nine losing seasons and one .500 year. However, last year was the exception, rather than the rule. After losing to Dayton, Marquette posted a 16-14 season.
Moving to the Al
The 2003-04 season marks the end of Marquette women?s basketball at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Golden Eagles will play half the season at the Arena and move to the Al McGuire Center on January 4, 2004, in a game against Columbia.
Return to the Post-Season
Marquette made its eighth post-season appearance and the first in three seasons in 2002-03. The Golden Eagles had been in the NCAA Tournament six times and dave one previous NIT appearance. In Terri Mitchell?s tenure, Marquette had been to the post-season four previous times, all NCAA appearances. Marquette had one other appearance in the then-titled NWIT, winning a first round game over Northwestern State in 1992-93, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Arkansas State, and falling in the fourth-place game to Florida International. Marquette won its first postseason game since a victory over Clemson in 1996 when it beat Toledo in the first round of the WNIT.
They Can Shoot the Rock
Guards Carolyn Kieger and Kelly Schwerman become the no. 1 and no. 2 ranked single-season three-point shooters in Marquette history. The pair went back and forth all season, exchanging the lead in the last several games. Schwerman?s total of 42.7 percent bettered Kieger?s total by one tenth of a percentage point for the single season mark.
That?s Some Hot Shooting
Marquette had one of its best shooting seasons last year, and the Golden Eagles were accurate down the stretch. Marquette topped the 50-percent field goal mark in five of its last seven games and six of the last nine.
Among the Nation?s Best
The Golden Eagles as a team were in the top 15 in two statistical categories in NCAA Division I women?s basketball last season. Marquette was the top free throw shooting team in Conference USA. Its 76.7 shooting season, the best in school history, was the 12th best in the country. The Golden Eagles were also the nation?s 14th best three-point shooting team, hitting 38.1 percent of long-balls. That total was also the best in C-USA and the best in school history.
MU Sets Record Win Streak in 2002-03
Prior to its loss to Memphis on Jan. 24, 2003, Marquette had won six games in a row away from home, marking the first time in school history that such a feat has happened. Marquette had won five in a row four previous times, in 1997-98 and once each from 1991-92 to 1993-94. Marquette finished the year 10-5 on the road.
Strong in the Non-Conference
Marquette owned an 8-4 non-conference record in 2002-03. The Golden Eagles were off to their best start since an 9-3 mark in the 1999-2000 season. Marquette?s 8-4 beginning marked the third best start in school history, second to a 10-2 mark in 1999-2000 and 1997-98.
One Assist Away
Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger had one of the best all-around games in Marquette history against La Salle last season. 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 a triple double has never been recorded in MU women?s basketball history.
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 in 2001-02 with a 14-14 record. Heading into last season MU had an all time record of 360-360, exactly .500. MU has cleared the .500 hurdle and has an all-time record in its 28th season of 376-374 (50.1 percent).
Kieger Nationally Ranked from the Line
Guard Carolyn Kieger was the 17th best free throw shooter in the nation in 2002-03. Her average of 87.5 percent was the best single season performance in Marquette women?s basketball history.
Marquette Picked Eighth in Preseason C-USA Coaches Poll
TCU, which captured the 2003 C-USA Tournament title, and DePaul have both been chosen by the 14 C-USA head coaches to win the 2003-04 regular season title. Marquette, which finished in a tie for seventh last year, was selected to finish eighth in 2003-04.
After TCU and DePaul, Cincinnati was selected third, Charlotte fourth, Houston fifth, Tulane sixth and Louisville is seventh. Following MU in the eighth spot is Memphis, Saint Louis, East Carolina, Southern Miss, UAB and USF.
Golden Eagles to be Heard on WJYI and WISN
Every Marquette home game and select MU road games can be heard on WJYI 1340 AM or WISN 1130 AM. All contests can be heard on the world wide web via Marquette?s internet site at www.gomarquette.com. Thirteen MU telecasts will be carried on WJYI 1340 AM. In addition, two regular season broadcasts will be carried on WISN 1130.
The Terri Mitchell Show
Tuesday nights at 7 p.m., WJYI 1340 AM will carry ?The Terri Mitchell Show.? In its sixth 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 first show of the series will air on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. The show will air three times in the rest of November and December (Nov. 18, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16). Beginning January 13, the show will air weekly through March 2.
The Golden Eagles on TV
Currently, three Marquette games are scheduled to be aired on television. The Conference USA Television Network will team up with WMLW-Ch. 41 to carry two regular-season C-USA games. MU hosts Louisville at 1 p.m. on Jan. 11 in the first C-USA TV telecast. The Golden Eagles host DePaul on February 29 for a 2 p.m. start in the second C-USA broadcast of the year. MU and DePaul also meet on February 8 in a regional telecast on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. More television dates will be announced as the season progresses.
