Golden Eagles, Green Wave Set for C-USA Battle
1/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Upcoming Games
Jan. 23 vs. Tulane; 7 p.m.; Al McGuire Center; Milwaukee
Jan. 25 vs. Southern Miss; 2 p.m. Al McGuire Center; Milwaukee
Winners of its last six home contests, Marquette will test the streak on Friday, January 23 against Tulane at 7 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center. Marquette is looking for its seventh home win in a row, its longest streak since the 1999-2000 season when it won all 13 home contests. Combined with the season before and the first two games of the following season, MU had a 23-game home winning streak.
The Golden Eagles are also looking to recover from its first C-USA setback of the season. Despite the loss, Marquette started the league slate at 3-1 and is in fifth place in the league standings, one game behind a group of four for first place. The last time MU started 3-1 in league play was in the 2001-02 season, when it followed an opening game loss with six wins in a row to start 6-1.
Scouting Tulane
Picked sixth in the Conference USA preseason poll, Tulane is off to a start that is not indicative of such a high league finish. The Green Wave have lost its first three C-USA games and come into the meeting with MU looking to get back on track.
Tulane is struggling as a whole over the course of the season. Owning a 7-9 mark at this point in the season is strange to head coach Lisa Stockton. In her 10 years at Tulane, she averages 22.7 wins and 8.3 losses per season. She owns a 211-84 mark at Tulane and a 274-111 career mark in 12 seasons.
The offense has been troublesome for the Green Wave this season. Tulane has only broken the 70 mark twice, and has been held to as low as 37 points by Louisiana Tech. Currently, the Green Wave average 59.4 points per game. The turnover numbers stand out. Tulane averages 19.5 turnovers per game.
Lakethia Hampton leads the way, scoring 13.2 points per game. She also grabs 7.9 boards per game to lead the team in that category. However, she is the most precarious with the ball, owning a team-best 55 turnovers. She hits a team best 47.6 percent. As a team, the Wave hit 39.1 percent and are just a 26.0 percent shooting team from behind the arc.
On the Air: The Marquette/Tulane game will be broadcast in Milwaukee on WJYI 1340 AM and simulcast on www.gomarquette.com with Kent Sommerfeld handling the call. Tim Grubbs will call the game for Tulane radio on www.tulanegreenwave.com.
Probable Starters
Marquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-6 So. 10.5 3.531 Kelly Schwerman G 5-9 Sr. 13.8 2.924 Danielle Kamm F 6-2 Fr. 7.5 5.632 Christina Quaye F 6-0 Fr. 7.5 5.644 Crystal Weaver C 5-11 Sr. 8.5 6.6Tulane Ht Yr PPG RPG11 Jami Montignino G 5-8 Fr. 2.7 1.212 Kelly Nadeau G 5-6 Sr. 9.5 2.424 Tymeka Moore G 5-9 Jr. 6.4 4.615 Tiffany Wilson F 5-11 Sr. 5.3 4.132 Lakethia Hampton F 6-0 Jr. 13.2 7.9Series history: Tulane leads, 6-4.
Always Willing to Help Out Others
Guard Carolyn Kieger set career highs in assists in back-to-back contests. She hit the 10 assist mark for the first time in her career, recording that total in a 60-40 win against USF on January 16. She recorded her first double-double of the season as a result, adding 12 points to that effort. She did one better in the next contest on January 18 against UAB. She had 11 in that outing, setting a new career standard.
In the National Rankings
Marquette is in the top 10 in turnovers per game in the NCAA Rankings. The Golden Eagles have committed 13.6 turnovers per game, the ninth lowest total in Division I, through games of January 19.
Two players are in the top 30 in national rankings. Kelly Schwerman is 19th in three-point field goals per game with 2.9. Carolyn Kieger is ranked 29th with 5.6 assists per game.
Home Sweet Home
The move to the Al McGuire Center has been beneficial for Marquette. The Golden Eagles rattled off wins in its first three games, extending its home win streak to six games. Marquette last won six games in a row at home was the 2001-02 season, when it ran the table, winning all 13 home games.
Strong Finish
Marquette used a 17-0 run against USF to take a three-point advantage and turn it into a 20-point victory. Marquette held the Bulls scoreless for the last 6:38 of the contest. In that time, MU forced five missed shots and five turnovers. The 17-0 run was the largest for Marquette this season.
Shouse's House
Against UAB, the inside belonged to center Sarah Shouse. The 6-foot-5 center set a career high with four blocks. Shouse is two blocks behind Crystal Weaver as the active Marquette blocks leader.
When 1 Equals 2
In its first three games in the Al McGuire Center, Marquette has had matching first and second half scoring totals. Against Columbia, Marquette scored 38 points in each half, winning 76-42. In a 62-54 win over Cincinnati, MU scored 31 points in each period. With 36 points in each half, Marquette downed Louisville, 72-58.
Kamm Comes of Age
Freshman forward Danielle Kamm set a career best with 14 points against Louisville, breaking her previous high of 12 set at Toledo. Kamm hit 5-of-11 shots and also grabbed seven boards. Against UAB, Kamm scored 11 points.
Bench Gets into the Act
The Marquette bench scored a season-best 27 points against Columbia, led by eight from Efueko Osagie. MU also threw in 27 points off the pine against Louisville. Katie O'Grady had 15 points and Sarah Shouse had 10. Against Iowa, the Marquette bench scored 23 points against Iowa. All but one player found the scoring column. The bench was led by guard Katie O'Grady and forward Efueko Osagie who chipped in seven each off the bench. Marquette is averaging 16.2 points per game (275 points) off the bench this season. O'Grady set a season high for an MU player off the bench with 11 against Oakland before bettering that mark with 14 against Dayton. She topped double figures in back-to-back games with 11 against Notre Dame. Christina Quaye topped O'Grady's numbers with an 18 point game against Wis.-Milwaukee. She was the only bench player to score in that contest.
Perimeter Pressure
The Golden Eagle defense came out flying against Cincinnati. The frenetic pressure helped limit the Bearcats to 9.5 percent shooting from the three-point line (2-of-21). That marks the best three-point percentage defensive performance for Marquette since holding Tulane to 4.3 percent (1-of-23) on January 27, 2002. Marquette leads the league with an 18.3 mark in defensive three point shooting in league games.
Taking Care of the Glass
Heading into its matchup with Virginia Commonwealth, Marquette had outrebounded its opponent just once on the year. VCU came in averaging over 41 rebounds per game, but MU held the Rams to 34 boards and grabbed 41 of their own. Marquette had five players grab five boards or more during the contest. That was the first time since MU's first-round WNIT win against Toledo that it accomplished such a feat. Since the VCU contest, MU has owned a rebound advantage in eight of 10 contests, including plus-17 totals against Louisville and UAB. Marquette has nabbed 40+ rebounds in eight games this season, including the last three. Marquette's season-best performance was 56 boards against Oakland. It also grabbed 50 boards against UAB.
Golden Eagles Win at the Buzzer
Marquette is 13-4 in games that end with a buzzer ... Seriously, the Golden Eagles had a nail-biter of a contest at Wis.-Milwaukee. The game ended with a score of 58-55, however UWM had two shots to tie. After a first shot miss, UWM's second effort came with under a second remaining, but it had no chance to find the bottom of the net. Senior guard Kelly Schwerman recorded her fifth block of the season, and her biggest block of the year, swatting away the triple try at the buzzer.
Quaye Dominates When Coming off the Bench
Freshman forward Christina Quaye proved that she can be a capable player off the Marquette bench. Playing the second most minutes of her career, Quaye saw 28 minutes of action against Wis.-Milwaukee. She scored 18 points, all of MU's points off the bench, and had 10 rebounds. It was her first career double-double, Marquette's second double-double of the year, and the point and rebound totals were collegiate bests.
That's Offensive
Marquette grabbed 21 offensive boards against Wis.-Milwaukee and converted those into 23 second-chance points. It was the second time that MU had more than 20 offensive boards in a game this season. MU had 22 offensive caroms and 27 second chance points against Evansville. Marquette has had 18 or more offensive boards five times this season.
The Al McGuire Center Debuts
The waiting game finally paid off. Marquette had the opportunity to play at the Al McGuire Center for the first time, defeating Columbia, 76-42, in front of 1,788 on January 4, 2004. Kelly Schwerman scored the first competitive points in the building, hitting a three-point goal seven seconds into the contest. Senior guard Katie O'Grady scored 21 points to lead the way for MU.
O'Grady Rolling in Non-Conference Stretch
For the first time in her career, senior guard Katie O'Grady scored double figures in four consecutive games. She tossed in 21 points against Columbia to finalize the string. She scored 10 against Toledo, 14 against Dayton and 11 against Notre Dame to average 14.0 points per game in the stretch. As a result, she increased her scoring average from 6.0 per game to 8.7. Her average currently rests at 8.4 ppg.
Osagie Sets Career Bests Against Columbia
Sophomore forward Efueko Osagie had a big game on both ends of the court against Columbia. Playing a season high 17 minutes, she scored a career best eight points and recorded six steals. The six steals were the most for a Marquette player this season.
Everyone Gets Into the Act Against Columbia
All 13 Marquette players saw action in the first game at the Al McGuire Center, as Marquette defeated Columbia, 76-42. In the contest, only three players did not score and only one did not grab a rebound.
Shouse Earns first Start and Sets Career High in Points
Sophomore center Sarah Shouse was placed in the starting lineup against Notre Dame. It was the first time she's been on the court at the first tip. Shouse responded to the starting nod by scoring a career high 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 from the line.
O'Grady Scores Double Figures off the Bench
Senior guard Katie O'Grady scored double figures in back-to-back games as a reserve. She led the bench in scoring with 11 against Notre Dame and scored 14 against Dayton. It was the third game in a row that she scored 10 or more points (the string capped at four), also putting in 10 in a start at Toledo. It was the second time in her career that she has had a string of three games with 10 or more points.
Up at the Half
Through 12 games this season, Marquette had not trailed at the half. It was down 10 to Wis.-Milwaukee at the break, its first deficit at halftime. In those 12 games, Marquette held the lead or was tied at the halftime break. The Golden Eagles were knotted up with St. Bonaventure at the midway point. Through 17 games this season, the UWM contest remains the only one in which Marquette was behind.
Multiple Career Highs Set or Tied Against Dayton
Three Marquette players tied or set career highs against Dayton. Senior guard Kelly Schwerman perhaps had the biggest impact against the Flyers. She bettered her career scoring high by five, tossing in 25 points in the win. Schwerman hit five three pointers in the win. Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger tied her career high with nine assists, a mark she has on two previous occasions. Senior forward Crystal Weaver tied her rebounding mark for the third time in her career, grabbing 11.
Golden Eagles Clutch Down the Stretch
While many of Marquette's victories are the double digit variety, the Golden Eagles are good at pulling away from teams down the stretch. Wins over Maine, Virginia Commonwealth, Wagner, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati and USF have been by an average of 12.3 points. In all, the Golden Eagles had their lead cut to eight or less with seven minutes or less before a furious finish by Marquette. In the Golden Eagles most recent match-up against USF, Marquette outscored the Bulls 17-0 over the last 6:38, pulling away from a 43-40 lead for the 20-point win.
Schwerman Becomes MU's All-Time Free Throw Shooter
Senior guard Kelly Schwerman moved into first place on Marquette's all-time free throw shooting list. Oddly enough, Schwerman did it following an 0-1 free throw performance against Toledo. A career 81.7 percent free throw shooter at the time she set the record, Schwerman's miss was her 175th career attempt, the minimum number needed to qualify for Marquette's career list. Schwerman's totals have been above 80 percent for her entire career, setting her career up with an 88.9 shooting percent as a freshman. She is currently an 82.0 career percent free throw shooter.
Kamm Has Big Week against SBU, Toledo
Freshman forward Danielle Kamm had the most successful rebounding game of any Marquette player this season against St. Bonaventure. She grabbed 13 boards, seven of which were offensive. Thanks to the rebounding windfall, Kamm increased her rebounding average by nearly a full rebound per game to 5.5, second best on the team.
Two nights later, Kamm had a successful offensive game, scoring a career best 12 points in the Golden Eagles' eight point win over Toledo. Her scoring average increased to 7.2 as a result.
O'Grady Earned First Start
Senior guard Katie O'Grady has been an on again, off again starter for her entire career. She earned five starts as a freshman, three as a sophomore and 13 as a junior. O'Grady was placed in the starting lineup against Toledo and she responded with 10 points. She returned to a reserve role against Dayton, but racked up a season high 14 points in the win.
Kieger Ties Career High Against St. Bonaventure
Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger scored 23 points against St. Bonaventure, to tie her career high set in an overtime loss to Southern Miss last season. Kieger scored 16 of her 23 points in the first half, the best first half total by an MU player this year. Kieger was also perfect from behind the arc, hitting all four three point attempts.
Schwerman Moves into Top Five of Threes Made
Senior guard Kelly Schwerman hit five three-point field goals against Dayton to raise her career total to 121 (she's currently at 140 threes made). That total passed her former teammate Heidi Bowman for the fifth spot. Bowman hit 119 in her career. Lori Goerlitz is the all-time Marquette leader with 223. Schwerman is in the top five of career three-point percentage, sitting third with 38.6 of her career three attempts made. Schwerman's next target on the list is Courtney Romeiser, who hit 152 threes in her career which spanned from 1990-93.
Turnovers Convert to Two Points
Marquette has forced it's opponents to 18.3 turnovers per game. What Marquette has done with those turnovers is equally impressive. The Golden Eagles have 325 points off turnovers (19.1 points per game) and have 30 or more points off turnovers three times this season. Marquette had 31 points off miscues against Wagner and 30 against Evansville and Columbia.
Collective Defensive Effort
Marquette has recorded 172 steals on the season, but no single player has stood out amongst the thieves. Seven players have 10 or more steals and five have 20 or more. Of the 11 steals against Virginia Commonwealth, eight different players had a swipe. Five times this season have seven or more players recorded at least one steal. Katie O'Grady became the first MU player since the middle of last season to have five or more steals in a game when she swiped five balls from Notre Dame. She was topped by Efueko Osagie, who recorded six steals against Columbia.
Protecting the Rock
Marquette turned the ball over a season-low eight times against Wagner. Marquette didn't have a game in 2002-03 with fewer than 10 turnovers. The last time Marquette had eight or fewer turnovers in a game was on January 25, 2002, when it defeated Southern Miss, 68-59. The Golden Eagles are ninth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game, owning a 13.6 per game average.
Schwerman Finds Her Way
After a 13-for-41 start to the season, senior guard Kelly Schwerman found her accuracy against Iowa. Schwerman, Marquette's leading scorer with 13.4 points per game, connected on 6-of-13 from the field to raise her season total to 35.2 percent. She was 4-of-9 from three-point range, raising her season average to 37.8. She is currently a 43.4 percent field goal shooter and a 41.2 percent three point shooter. The three-point shooting mark is the 32nd best mark in NCAA Division I.
Can't Keep it Away From Them
Against Iowa, Marquette had a nose for the ball. The Golden Eagles forced 27 turnovers. Schwerman became the first player since late last season to have five or more steals in a game. She swiped five Iowa turnovers. Four players had two or more steals against the Hawkeyes.
Off to a Hot Start
Marquette was 6-1 for the second time in school history. Marquette was also 6-1 in the 1999-2000. In the 1999-2000 season, Marquette won seven games before losing a second time.
MU was 4-0 earlier this season, tying the school record for victories at the beginning of the year. Marquette started 4-0 in the 1979-1980 season before obtaining its first loss.
MU's 8-2 start matches the best 10-game beginning since the 1999-2000 season. In 15 game starts, MU only had only one better record, a 13-2, in the 1997-98 season. That year, it's third loss came after 17 wins.
Marquette Duo Earns All-Tournament
Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger and freshman forward Christina Quaye were named to the Dead River Company Classic All-Tournament Team following Marquette's two-game sweep and tournament title. Kieger scored a season-high 20 against Oakland and added 11 in the win over Maine to earn MVP honors. Quaye scored nine and 12 points, respectively, as she provided a solid performance in the middle.
Senior guard Kelly Schwerman was honored with the Walter Hunt Award at the pre-tournament banquet for being the most outstanding student amongst the four teams participating. Schwerman owns a 3.97 GPA and is a finance and accounting major.
Golden Eagles Win Second-Straight Regular-Season Tournament
MU's win in the Dead River Company Classic provided its second-straight regular-season tournament win. Marquette claimed the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Invitational tournament crown last season. Sophomore guard Carolyn Kieger was the MVP of that tournament, as well as claiming that title for two straight tournaments.
Marquette now owns a 61-69 tournament record, including post-season contests. In all, it has claimed tournament titles in seven tournaments.
Defense Strong in Dead River Classic
The Marquette defense turned it up a notch in claiming wins over Oakland and Maine in the Dead River Company Classic. MU held Oakland to a 27.3 percent shooting outing, tied for the 17th lowest shooting performance by an opponent in the Terri Mitchell era. MU stifled Maine with a 31.5 percent shooting day. Marquette is holding its opponents to 39.9 percent shooting this season.
The defense has stepped up all season. Marquette's 4-1 start is attributable to the intense defensive pressure. The Golden Eagles have slumped offensively at seasons' beginning, hitting 36.1 percent, the lowest total in Conference USA. However, MU's relentless efforts with their back to the goal have proven worthwhile.
Kieger Competent In Oakland Contest
Guard Carolyn Kieger had her third straight double-figure scoring outing in as many games with 20 points against Oakland. She hit 7-of-12 on the day to become the first Marquette player this season to hit the 20-point mark.
Tough Losses
With just four losses on the year, the early portion of the Marquette season has been successful. However, the Golden Eagles are a mere handful of points away from being undefeated. In its four losses, Marquette has lost by a total of 17 points.
Quaye Not Quiet Against Evansville
It took just two games for a Marquette freshman to make a considerable impact on a game. Forward Christina Quaye scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in MU's win over Evansville, 71-55. She scored 11 of those 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the contest.
Freshmen Making an Impact
Marquette starts a pair of freshmen and all three first-year players are making an impact. Forwards Christina Quaye and Danielle Kamm serve as starters and are scoring 7.5 points per game each. Including forward Jasmine McCullough's time off the bench, MU freshmen have contributed 757 of the 3,000 minutes this season.
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.
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 played half the season at the Arena and moved to the Al McGuire Center on January 4, 2004, in a game against Columbia, winning 76-42.
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. The Golden Eagles are currently hitting 34.1 percent from three-point range this season.
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. That total was bettered by Marquette's perimeter defense against Cincinnati, which held the Bearcats to 2-of-21 shooting from behind-the-arc (9.5 percent). Marquette is holding its opponents to 30.2 from three-point range this season.
Double Digits on the Glass
Senior forward Crystal Weaver grabbed 10 boards against Drake and a career best 11 against Maine and Dayton. She is Marquette's top rebounder at 6.4 boards per game. She hit double figures in rebounds four times last year. She currently has seven 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 is currently hitting 70.5 percent from the line.
Two Sign in Early Signing Period
Head women's basketball coach Terri Mitchell has announced the signings of Sveta Kovalenko, a 6-foot-3 forward from Chassel, Mich., and Savanna Anderson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Oshkosh, Wis., to national letters of intent.
Kovalenko plays for Julie Filpus at Houghton High School in Houghton, Mich. Her team is currently finishing up the regular season and is headed for post- season play as this season's district champion. She has led Houghton to three previous Michigan regional tournament appearances in previous seasons. She was named a Class C First-Team All-State team member by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and was listed no. 16 on the top 100 Players list by the Detroit Free Press. She currently averages 19.1 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game and is a 58 percent field goal shooter. She was a 19.1 points per game score, All-Conference MVP as a junior and All Upper Peninsula. As a sophomore, she scored 13.4 points per game, grabbed 7.4 boards per game and was named first-team all- conference and second-team all Upper Peninsula.
Anderson is a big guard that will offer Marquette a different look on the perimeter. At 6-foot-1, Anderson can do everything a traditional guard can do, but she has the size to help with outside rebounding. Playing for Terri Schumacher at Oshkosh West High School, Anderson helped lead her team to an undefeated season in 2002-03 and a state championship for Oshkosh West. She averaged 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a junior, leading her to an All-State Honorable Mention selection by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She was also placed on the Watch List by the Wisconsin Women's Basketball Yearbook of high school basketball players who should be successful in college.
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, five 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. WMLW-Ch. 41 will also carry a pair of Marquette home games. The Sunday, January 25 game with Southern Miss and the Sunday, February 15 contest with Saint Louis will also be aired on WMLW.
