Marquette University Athletics
Women's Basketball Looks to Improve to 2-0
11/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
A pair of 1-0 teams will be looking to keep undefeated as Marquette and Evansville square off on Tuesday, November 26 at the U.S. Cellular Arena at 7 p.m. Marquette is coming off a three-point win over Drake last Saturday, while Evansville downed Austin Peay by 10 last Friday morning.
A win would move Marquette to 2-0, something it hasn?t been since the 1992-93 season. In that time frame, Marquette had won four season openers. The win over Drake was the first time the Golden Eagles had won the season opener since the 1999-2000 season.
Scouting Evansville
Evansville boasts a 1-0 record coming into the contest with Marquette. The Purple Aces came away with a 10-point win over Austin Peay in the season opener, last Friday morning. Jamie Gray led the way with 25 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Like Marquette, Evansville had to make a late run to secure its win. The Purple Aces were down 59-57 with under three minutes to play before going on a surge that pushed them to victory.
Gray?s 25 points was no surprise. The 6-1 senior has dominated the inside for Evansville, averaging 17.3 points and 11.9 boards per game last season. Megan Liffick, a sophomore guard, added 10.9 points per game last year.
Tricia Cullop brings three years of experience and a 40-46 record into the game with Marquette. Cullop is currently third all-time at UE in career winning percentage, and she ranks fourth all-time at UE for career coaching victories. She needs only 11 more victories to move into third place all-time on the career victories list.
On the Air: The Marquette radio network will carry the Marquette/Evansville game with Kent Sommerfeld and Kristi Johnson 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. Mike Crowley will be the play-by-play announcer for WUEV?s (91.5 FM, Evansville), which can also be heard on wuev.evansville.edu.
Possible Starting LineupsMarquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-8 So. 15.0 3.031 Kelly Schwerman G 5-9 Sr. 6.0 2.024 Danielle Kamm F 6-2 Fr. 8.0 6.044 Crystal Weaver F 5-11 Sr. 9.0 10.034 Christina Quaye C 6-2 Fr. 6.0 1.0Evansville Ht Yr PPG RPG 3 Alissa Kirby G 5-4 Jr. 6.0 3.0 10 Kendra Snyder G 5-11 Sr. 5.0 5.033 Jamie Gray C 6-1 Sr. 25.0 10.023 Megan Liffick F 5-10 Sr. 7.0 7.054 Olivia Grant F 5-10 So. 2.0 3.0
Series History
Evasnville leads, 1-5.
In Milwaukee: Evansville, 2-1.
In Evansville: Evansville, 3-0.
Coming up Big
Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger sank two of the biggest free throws of her career in the 60-57 win over Drake. Her two shots came with 8.7 seconds left, putting Marquette up by three. On the previous possession, she hit a running layup to regain the lead for Marquette. Kieger scored the final four points of the contest, while Marquette scored the last seven.
Shouse Shines in Season Openers
Sophomore center Sarah Shouse set a career best with seven points against Drake. She was 3-of-4 from the floor in her 11 minutes of action. Her previous career best was five points in the season opener last year against Dayton.
What Winning 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 previous 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 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. Marquette has four games left in the U.S. Cellular Arena and one at Wisconsin Lutheran Field House.
From Long Range
Last season, Marquette set a single season record for three-point percentage as a team, hitting 38.1. The team returned its top two long-range shooters from a year ago, guards Carolyn Kieger and Kelly Schwerman. Schwerman set the single season mark at 42.7 percent; Kieger trailed at 42.6. Against Drake, the team didn?t look like it?s old self, hitting just 1-of-15 (6.7 percent).
Long Ball Defense
Marquette shut down Drake for the first 20 minutes from beyond the three point arc. While giving up a very respectable 2-of-17 three pointers for the game, MU held Drake to 0-of-10 for the first half.
Double Digits on the Glass
Senior forward Crystal Weaver grabbed 10 boards against Drake. Last season, Weaver was Marquette?s top rebounder at 5.9 boards per game. She hit double figures in rebounds four times last year. She currently has five career 10+ rebound games.
Success From the Line
The Golden Eagles set a new mark last season from the free throw line, hitting 76.7 percent. That trend continued to begin the 2003-04 season. Marquette hit 75.8 percent from the line against Drake, dropping 25-of-33.
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.
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.
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.
Nov. 25 Evansville WJYIDec. 5 Iowa gomarquette.comDec. 7 Wagner WJUIDec. 14 Va. Commonwealth WJYIDec. 29 Dayton WJYIJan. 1 at Notre Dame WJYIJan. 4 Columbia WJYIJan. 6 at Wis.-Milwaukee WJYIJan. 9 Cincinnati WJYIJan. 11 Louisville WJYIJan. 23 Tulane WJYIJan. 23 Southern Miss WISN Feb. 8 at DePaul WJYIFeb. 13 Memphis gomarquette.comFeb. 15 Saint Louis WISNFeb. 29 DePaul WJYI
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.
Tues., Dec. 9 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Dec. 16 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Jan. 13 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Jan. 20 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Jan. 27 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Feb 3 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Feb 10 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Feb 17 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., Feb 24 7-7:30 p.m.Tues., March 2 7-7:30 p.m.
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.
