Marquette University Athletics
Women's Basketball Set for Season-Ending Road Trip
2/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2003
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Upcoming Games
Marquette at Louisville
Cardinal Arena, Louisville, Ky.
Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. EST
Marquette at Cincinnati
Shoemaker Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m. EST
Marquette and Louisville will face off in a key Conference USA contest on Friday, Feb. 21 at Cardinal Arena in Louisville. Marquette (13-10, 5-6 C-USA) trails Louisville (14-9, 5-5 C-USA) by half a game in the league standings. Marquette is in a trio of teams tied for eighth place, while Louisville is a part of a pack of three a half game ahead. Top of the pack or bottom of the is potentially at stake. With a half game separating fifth place from 10th place, a lot is riding on the game.
Marquette is looking to end a three-game losing slide to Louisville. MU has not beaten the Cardinals since Feb. 13, 2000, when it posted a a 60-49 win at Louisville. Louisville's streak comes after Marquette owned a four-game win streak in the series. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. EST at the Cardinal Arena on Louisville's campus. MU follows up that game with a contest at Cincinnati on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m EST.
Scouting Louisville
Louisville got off to a quick start in Conference USA, posting wins against two of the predicted top teams in the league, TCU and Houston. After a strange setback to UAB, Louisville again pulled off a trio of wins, one of which was Tulane. After the 5-2 league start, it all came crashing to a halt with another strange setback to East Carolina. Losses to Charlotte and Cincinnati, the later a double overtime heartbreaker, have the Cardinals reeling at 5-5.
Like Marquette, Louisville is in a position of sink or swim. A good string to close out the season could have the Cards as high as a five seed. A quartet of losses and some bad fortune in other games and UofL might have a double digit seed.
The Cardinals are paced by senior Lori Nero. A short-timer for Louisville, Nero transferred to UofL after leaving Auburn to give birth to her daughter, Legend. After sitting out the first four games per NCAA transfer rules, Nero is at the top of Louisville's stats, leading the team with 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
The Cards also rely heavily on point guard Sara Nord. Nord is second on the team with 14.6 points per game and she averages an unbelievable 7.1 assists per game. The starting five also has senior forward Amanda Wolke, a 10.5 points per game contributor.
On the Air: The Marquette/Louisville game can be heard in Louisville on WTMT 620 AM with Jim Kelch handling play-by-play. The game is available on the internet at www.uoflsports.com.
Possible Starting LineupsMarquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-8 Fr. 11.5 4.5 31 Kelly Schwerman G 5-9 Jr. 8.3 2.4 22 Katie Alsdurf F 6-0 So. 11.5 3.1 44 Crystal Weaver F 5-11 Jr. 6.0 6.1 21 Rachel Klug C 6-0 Sr. 14.2 6.4
Louisville Ht Yr PPG RPG 10 Kim Graham G 6-0 Jr. 4.8 2.9 14 Sara Nord G 5-4 Jr. 14.6 4.5 34 Amanda Wolke F 6-1 Sr. 10.5 4.5 41 Nina Simotes F 6-0 So. 6.1 2.3 44 Lori Nero C 6-2 Sr. 17.2 9.3
Series History
Louisville leads, 7-5.
In Milwaukee: Louisville leads, 3-2.
In Loiusville: Louisville leads, 4-3.
Scouting Cincinnati
Cincinnati was a scant two points away from having a 13 game win streak earlier this year. Were it not for a two point loss to Kentucky, the Bearcats would have had the run instead of a four game followed by a nine-game streak.
Nonetheless, the nine game streak abruptly came to an end earlier this month when Tulane handed UC its first loss since December 31. Charlotte felt compelled to offer the Bearcats its first two-game losing streak of the year.
UC has recovered, although not in as glorious fashion as hoped. A 14-point win over East Carolina preceded a double overtime escape at Louisville.
Cincinnati is not very deep. Only seven players average more than 10 minutes. In the double overtime win over Louisville, Cincinnati had all five of its starters play 39 or more minutes. K.B. Sharp played all 50. Two bench players combined for 20 minutes.
UC is also not very deep in scoring. After its top four, the numbers drop. However, the Bearcats still score 74.7 points per game. Debbie Merrill leads the squad at 18.1 per game. She also grabs 8.0 boards. Valerie King, the team's only three point threat, scores 16.7 per game.
On the Air: The Marquette/Cincinnati game can be heard over the internet at www.bearcast.uc.edu. The play-by-play broadcaster has not been set.
Probable Starting LineupCincinnati Ht Yr PPG RPG 32 K.B. Sharp G 5-9 Sr. 12.7 5.9 34 Valerie King G 5-10 Jr. 16.7 2.7 4 Carolyn Alexander F 5-10 Sr. 10.8 6.3 33 Brittani Young F 5-11 Jr. 4.2 4.2 31 Debbie Merrill C 6-3 So. 18.1 8.0
Series History
Marquette leads, 14-6.
In Milwaukee: MU leads, 7-4.
In Cincinnati: MU leads, 8-1.
Avoiding the Second Half
Marquette was bit by a touch of a poor second half shooting bug in its 70-58 loss to Charlotte on Feb. 16. Marquette had a seven point lead going into the break, but MU didn't hit a bucket until the 14:55 mark. MU shot a respectable 45 percent in that period, but Charlotte hit at a 53.6 percent clip to score 49 points and steal the win from MU.
Marquette had been having good performances and poor ones on alternating weekends throughout the C-USA season. In weekends with two games, Marquette has not posted two second halves in the same weekend above 40 percent in shooting percentage. MU was 43.3 percent in the second half against South Florida but fell to 36.7 against UAB. MU started off slow against Memphis, hitting 30.8 percent before improving to 41.4 percent against Saint Louis. The Golden Eagles struggled against TCU to an 18.4 percent second half, but rebounded for a 44.4 percent half against Houston. MU flourished against Tulane, hitting 50 percent in the second stanza, but plummeted to 33.3 against Southern Miss. MU was 54.3 percent in the second half against East Carolina. The string was broken with the 45.0 percent against Charlotte.
Well Balanced, All Around Performance
Seemingly everyone contributed in some way in Marquette's 84-68 win over East Carolina. Despite the obvious 18 points from sophomore Katie Alsdurf (Forest Lake, Minn.) and 14 from senior Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.), other players got involved in many ways. Junior Kelly Schwerman (Waukesha, Wis.) set a season high with four assists. Sophomore Lesley Juedes (Ripon, Wis.) may have been just 1-for-7 from the floor, but she came up big pulling down a career-best nine rebounds. Senior Rashida Gales (Burnsville, Minn.) had an all-around good game. She tossed in a season high 11 points and also provided a season high two blocked shots.
Golden Eagles Get Votes
After a win against Tulane and a loss to Southern Miss on Feb. 7 and 9, Marquette received votes in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA College Basketball Top 25. Marquette was awarded two points. It was the first time this season that Marquette has received any sort of recognition in either major national poll. The last time Marquette received votes was the poll of Jan. 29, 2002, in which it received six points. MU received five points in the first poll of the season in 2001-02, issued Nov. 5, and three points in the Jan. 14, 2002 poll. The last time Marquette was ranked in either poll was 24th in both polls on Feb. 28, 2000.
Just Missed
Marquette had valiant come-from-behind effort slip away in an 82-79 overtime loss to Southern Miss. MU led at the half by one, despite a 56.5 percent shooting half by the Lady Eagles. Southern Miss led by as many as nine in the second half before MU's run which gave it the lead by one with 5:51 left. USM regained the lead, but Marquette tied to force overtime. The Lady Eagles were 9-of-12 from the line in the OT for the win. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) set a career high with 23 points in the loss.
Forcing the Turnovers
Marquette forced 27 turnovers to Tulane in a 59-47 win. In doing so, MU recorded 16 steals. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger and sophomore forward Katie Alsdurf had six steals in the game. The pair combined for 11 turnovers against South Florida earlier in the season, with Alsdurf securing six and Kieger grabbing five.
O'Grady Has Career Day Against Houston
Knowing Houston phenom Chandi Jones was going to get her points, Marquette would need to neutralize the rest of the team for a shot at victory. While MU was able to do that, what wasn't expected was the performance from junior guard Katie O'Grady (Chicago, Ill.). O'Grady had a career performance, scoring a career-high 29 points and grabbing a career-best six rebounds. She was one free throw short of tying the school record for free throws made in a game. Her 13-for-14 performance was also one shy of MU's record for perfection. Had she made her final free throw to go 14-for-14, she would have tied the school record in that category as well.
O'Grady's 29 point performance came off the bench. She has become the first player off the bench after starting the first 13 games of the season. Since moving to a role as a reserve, O'Grady has hit 40 percent of her shots and averages 9.5 points per game. It took her a while to get adjusted to the role, scoring just six points in the first three outings, but she responded with 10, 12 and 29 points in the next three. She followed with 13 against Tulane, marking the first time in her career she scored 10 or more on three consecutive occasions.
Golden Eagles Successful From Free Throw Line
Marquette is most successful when it gets to the free throw line. The Golden Eagles are hitting a robust 77.8 percent this year, but the team has success when it gets to the line most often. Against Houston, Marquette shot a season high 44 free throws, taking five more free shots than shots from the field. In its 12 wins, Marquette has shot 281 free throws (21.6 per game), while only taking 191 (19.1 per game) in its losses. MU opponents have shot fewer attempts in MU's wins, but have gone to the line more in the losses. The continuing theme seems to be just getting to the line. Marquette is shooting virtually the same percentage in wins (78.3 percent) as it is in losses (77.0 percent).
No Place Like Home
Fortunately for Marquette, there is no place like home. The road has been much kinder to the Golden Eagles. MU finished 5-7 in Milwaukee, going 4-5 at the U.S. Cellular Arena, 0-2 at the Bradley Center and 1-0 at Wisconsin Lutheran. MU's loss at the Bradley Center to DePaul on January 12 stopped a 10-game, seven season win streak at that building. The last time Marquette lost five or more at home for a season was the 2000-01 season. MU was 9-7 at home that year, including a 1-1 record in the Conference USA Tournament. Prior to its first loss at home that season, Marquette owned a 23-game home win streak. Since the streak ended, MU has gone 20-18 at home.
Marquette finished the year hitting 39.6 percent at home, 33.3 percent from three point range and is 75.7 percent from the line. The Golden Eagles average 64.1 points per game at home. Away from Milwaukee, MU is hitting 43.5 percent, 39.7 percent of its threes and is shooting 79.4 percent from the line. MU averages 73.3 points per game on the road.
Alsdurf Key In Win Over SLU
Sophomore forward Katie Alsdurf (Forest Lake, Minn.) didn't get into a rhythm until late in MU's 68-65 overtime win over Saint Louis, but when she did, she made every point count. Alsdurf's first points came with 11:34 in the second half - a three pointer. That bucket tied the game for the first time. A three with 2:47 in regulation tied the game for the fourth time and a running layup with 12 seconds tied the game a fifth time. In overtime, Alsdurf hit a pair of free throws and a three-pointer in MU's 15 point barrage.
Waking Up in the Extra Session
Against Saint Louis, Marquette's five-minute overtime period was nearly as productive as its second half. MU scored 15 in the extra session after just 21 points in the previous 20 minutes. In the overtime, MU missed just one shot, going 4-of-5 from the floor, hitting a three pointer and making 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Marquette is 2-1 in overtime games this year. MU defeated Georgia State, 79-75 in double OT earlier in the year. Likewise, MU's production was up from the second half. Marquette scored 22 in the 10 extra minutes against GSU, compared to 23 in the previous 20. Marquette is 14-of-29 (48.3 percent) in overtime this season from the floor. The Golden Eagles are 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) from the line this season in overtime as well. MU has outscored opponents 47-43 in overtimes this year.
Schwerman Gets Involved in Many Ways
Since moving into the starting lineup against South Florida, junior guard Kelly Schwerman (Waukesha, Wis.) has added a number of things to the Marquette arsenal. She scored 10 points against South Florida. Against Memphis, she set a career high with nine rebounds and tied season bests, leading the team with three assists and two blocked shots. She added 13 points in Marquette's 68-65 win over Saint Louis and had 13 in the loss to Charlotte. Since becoming a starter, Schwerman is 24-for-54 (44.4 percent) from the field and is averaging 8.6 points per game.
To The Line ... Katie O'Grady, Shooting Two
Junior guard Katie O'Grady (Chicago, Ill.) is at her best when she gets to the free throw line. Seven of her career 12 games with 10 or more points have come when she has shot six or more free throws in the game. Her career best 29 point game against Houston came when she shot 14 free throws, going 13-of-14. Two other times in her career has she shot 10 or more free throws. She was 9-of-12 in a C-USA Tournament win against Charlotte in her freshman year. She had 15 that game. She scored 12 points against Saint Louis last season, going 10-of-10 from the line.
C-USA Opponents Get Defensive
After jumping out to a blistering start, C-USA teams have put the clamps on the Marquette offense. Through its first 12 games, all non-conference, Marquette averaged 71.5 points per game. Since the conference season has begun, opponents have clamped down on Marquette, allowing just 64.5 points per game, a drop of 7.0 points per game. Marquette's shooting is down as well, hitting just 37.2 percent in Conference USA games as opposed to 40.8 in all games. The Golden Eagles are allowing 65.5 points per game and a 39.0 shooting percentage to its opponents in C-USA play.
Record Road Win Streak Comes to an End
Prior to its loss to Memphis on Jan. 24, Marquette had 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. Marquette is currently 8-3 away from Milwaukee this year.
Kieger on Pace to be MU's Best Single Season Three Point Shooter
Currently at 41.2 percent (21-of-51), freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) is on pace to better 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 for the career total is 50. Now that she has eclipsed that mark, she is also be eligible to be on the all-time list. Kristi Johnson is the career leader at 39.2 percent from 1998-2002.
Kieger also on Pace to Set Free Throw Precision Mark
Not only is she money from 19-feet-9, she's also exceptional from 15-feet. Freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) is set to break Marquette's single season free throw percentage mark. Through 23 games, Kieger is hitting 87.5 percent from the line (84-of-96). The current free throw mark is held by Kristin Maskala in 1993-94 when she was 116-of-137 from the line for 84.7 percent.
Senior center Rachel Klug (Cedar Grove, Wis.) is also on pace to join the single season leaders. Her season total of 82.4 percent would place her third.
Doing What's Needed to Win
Marquette held South Florida to a season low 41 points in its 62-41 win. MU held the Bulls to 18 points in the first half, a low for a half in either half for the season. Two players stepped up defensively in the MU win, setting then career highs in steals. Carolyn Kieger had five steals and Katie Alsdurf had six steals. Marquette forced a season high 30 turnovers to the Bulls in the win.
Among the Best in the Nation
Marquette, the nation's sixth best free throw shooting team heading into the Louisville contest, got off to a great start from the line against Memphis. MU started 17-for-17 before finishing 25-of-28 from the line. MU had a mini-slump heading into the Memphis game. Combined, MU shot 22-of-37 from the line (59.5 percent) against UAB and South Florida to drop from 76.8 percent to 75.0 percent on the season. MU has improved to 77.8 percent, the league's best total.
Through 23 games, MU is 367-of-472 from the line this year. Despite its earlier drought, which also included 50 percent performances 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 is second in the conference with 87.7 percent. That total is the 24th best in the nation.
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. Katie O'Grady (Chicago, Ill.) was one free throw away from adding to that perfect group. She hit her first 13 against Houston, before missing her last to go 13-of-14. Klug also went 8-of-8 against DePaul. Twelve 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.
The Alsdurf Factor
Sophomore Katie Alsdurf (Forest Lake, Minn.) 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 11.1 points per game, coming off a team high 18 against Notre Dame, 16 against Iowa State and 15 against South Florida. Only four times this season has she had fewer than 10 points, including back-to-back outings against TCU and Houston in which she did not score.
Perimeter Defenses Get Better
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. MU rebounded to shoot 35.3 percent against DePaul, but fell to 23.1 against South Florida and hit just 27.3 percent against UAB. MU shot a miserable 1-of-12 (8.3 percent) against Memphis and struggled to a 2-for16 clip against TCU. 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 their 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 those six games, Marquette was 46-of-89 from behind the arc for a 51.6 percentage. Leading the pack is freshman guard Carolyn Kieger (Roseville, Minn.) who is making 21-of-51 (51.2 percent) on the year. For the season, Marquette is hitting 35.8 percent from behind the arc.
Stepping Up
Sophomore forward Lesley Juedes (Ripon, Wis.) tied a career best against DePaul with 11 points. She came off the bench for 17 minutes and hit 3-of-4 of her three point attempts and went 4-of-8 from the field. She had 11 one other time in her career, last season at Alaska. She also posted seven points off the bench against Memphis and she set a career high with nine rebounds against East Carolina.
Dropping Below 70 for the First Time This Season
Head coach Terri Mitchell promised that her team was going to be more active this year and take more opportunities. She held true to her promise. Through 13 games, Marquette averaged 70.4 points per game. Last year through 13 games, MU was scoring 61.1 points per game. The last time Marquette averaged 70 or more through 13 games was during the 1998-1999 season season (72.7 ppg). However, Marquette fell below the 70 points per game mark for the first time this year after the South Florida game. MU is currently scoring 68.1 points per game.
Familiarity of the Starters
The Marquette starting lineup remained consistent for the first 13 games season. The quintet of guards Carolyn Kieger and Katie O'Grady, center Rachel Klug and forwards Katie Alsdurf and Crystal Weaver had been on the court at the opening tip of each game through that point. Last year, Marquette had used five different starting lineups by the 13th game and used eight during the course of the year. Kelly Schwerman moved into the starting lineup replacing O'Grady against South Florida. She scored nine points in her season starting debut. Katie Alsdurf volunteered to step out of the starting lineup so Rashida Gales could start on senior day.
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.
The Hot Start
Marquette owns an 8-4 non-conference record. 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.
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 16 of MU's 19 games, scoring 15 or more points 10 times. She has had only three outings of less than 10, scoring five against Dayton, six while in foul trouble against Chicago State and nine against South Florida.
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 38 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 three double doubles, 11 games with 14 or more points and three 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.
When Schwerman Hits 10 or More off the Bench
Five times this season has junior Kelly Schwerman (Waukesha, Wis.) hit scored 10 or more points off the bench. Each time, Marquette came away with a win. Against Wisconsin, Schwerman scored 13 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 41.5, 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. She did score 11 against UAB in the 68-54 loss, but that was in a starting effort. Marquette is 1-3 when Schwerman scores 10 and is in the starting lineup.
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 (35) amongst MU players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. She is solid on her shot, making 45.2 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-for-5 from the floor. She returned to the double-figure scoring column with an 11 point performance against Houston.
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.
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 373-370 (50.2 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 4.6 assists per game. At the 4.6 assist per game mark, she would average 118 assists in the regular season, placing her second on MU's all-time single season freshman assist leaders.
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.
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 89th in the RPI provided by Palm Sports Resources and its strength of schedule is ranked 83rd. Wis.-Green Bay is the highest ranked team in the RPI that MU has faced this year. The Phoenix were ranked 26th and are now 39th. Notre Dame is currently ranked 26th. DePaul is 36th.
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.).
Juedes' Perfection Comes to an End
Sophomore forward Lesley Juedes (Ripon, Wis.) was on her way to becoming Marquette's most accurate free throw 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 86.2 (25-of-29) is still impressive, however she needs many more attempts to qualify for Marquette's career marks list.
It's Crowded In Here
Marquette's home attendance is on the rise. The Golden Eagles are averaging 1,391 fans per game through 12 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 i
