Marquette University Athletics
Women' Basketball Opens Up Regular Season
11/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Team has two games in two days
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Marquette opens up the 2004-05 season in quick fashion. Marquette plays four times in the first seven days of the season. The year kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 20 against Wis.-Milwaukee at 2 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center. Marquette follows that contest up with a game against IUPUI on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.
The Golden Eagles are coming off one of the most productive seasons in school history. Marquette tied a school record for wins last season with 22. The Golden Eagles also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history with its first-round win over Old Dominion.
Scouting Wis.-Milwaukee
Like Marquette, Wis.-Milwaukee is coming off a loss to Wisconsin AAU in its final exhibition test. The Panthers fell to the AAU team 78-71.
Four UWM players scored in double figures, led by 20 points from forward Teri Huff. Molly O?Brien had 11 points and Nichole Drummond scored 10 off the UWM bench. Kimberly Becker had 10 rebounds in the loss.
UWM won its previous exhibition contest 71-45 over Wis.-Parkside. Huff scored 14 in the balanced effort. She is averaged 17.0 points per game in the exhibition season.
Marquette owns a slim lead over Wis.-Milwaukee in the all-time series, 19-18. The Golden Eagles have won 13 of the last 14 in the series, including the last nine.
UWM head coach Sandy Botham is in her eighth year at the school and she owns a 129-98 record. She led the Panthers to a 17-12 mark last year and a 12-4 record in league play.
On the Air: The Marquette/Wis.-Milwaukee game is broadcast on WJYI 1340 AM in Milwaukee with Kent Sommerfeld and Katie O?Grady calling the action.
Home Win Streak
Marquette carries a 11-game home win streak into the 2004-05 season. The Golden Eagles last home loss came to Iowa on Dec. 5, 2003. Marquette won three games at the U.S. Cellular Arena before moving permanently to the Al McGuire Center, where it won eight straight to close out the season.
Exhibition Recap
Marquette went 1-1 in its two exhibition games in 2004. The Golden Eagles defeated BK Poprad 68-41 and lost to Wisconsin AAU 60-55. Christina Quaye led the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game in the two contests. Jasmine McCullough grabbed a team best 17 rebounds (8.5 per game). Efueko Osagie and Quaye grabbed 6.5 boards per game. Carolyn Kieger scored 10 baskets and had 15 assists, making her responsible for 25 of the team?s 42 preseason field goals.
To the Line
If the exhibition season is any indication, Christina Quaye will find herself at the free-throw line regularly during the season. She shot 17 free throws (8.5 per game) in the two games, hitting 70.6 percent. For her career, she is a 72.1 percent free throw shooter.
In ?The Al?
The 2003-04 season marked the first time that the Marquette women's basketball team played in the Al McGuire Center. Marquette went 8-0 in its on-campus venue, en route to a 13-1 home record in 2003-04.
Return to the NCAA Tournament
Marquette made its ninth post-season appearance and its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Marquette made its fifth NCAA Tournament trip under head coach Terri Mitchell. The Golden Eagles earned a nine seed and defeated Old Dominion in the first round, 67-64. That win was the second NCAA win in the history of Marquette women?s basketball.
Golden Eagles Get Votes
Marquette finished the 2003-04 season earning 30 points in the Associated Press Top 25. They begin the 2004-05 season on the radar of AP voters. Marquette received 15 points in the preseason USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25. Marquette received seven points in the second USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25, but was unmentioned in the first Associated Press Top 25.
Season Openers
In Terri Mitchell?s career, she owns a 4-4 record in season opening games. Marquette won its season opener last year as it started 4-0 on the year. Marquette is 5-3 in home openers in Terri Mitchell?s career, having won the last two. Marquette has started the season with Wis.-Milwaukee two other times, winning both. Marquette defeated UWM on Nov. 18, 1997, 64-55, and downed the Panthers on Jan. 16, 1979 at UWM, 81-60. In all, Marquette is 14-14 in season opening games.
Do-It-All Kieger
With the graduation of the three seniors following the 2003-04 season, junior guard Carolyn Kieger?s impact becomes even greater. She is Marquette?s active career leader in every stat category, except blocked shots. Kieger is in the top five in two career stat categories ? free-throw percentage and three-point percentage. Kieger is close to joining the top five in assists. She starts the season 43 assists away from tying for the fifth spot.
Let Youth Be Served
With only two seniors on the roster, the majority of the playing time of the returning players has gone to underclassmen. Of the 339 games played by returning players, only 62 starts have been made by a junior or higher. Carolyn Kieger has all of those starts. By the current sophomore class, 60 starts are shared between Danielle Kamm and Christina Quaye. Returning players have a combined 5,216 career minutes. Sophomores played 34 percent of those minutes last season alone. Sophomores and juniors have combined for 81 percent of the minutes.
Marquette Picked Fourth in Preseason C-USA Coaches Poll
The Marquette women's basketball team was picked fourth in the preseason poll released by Conference USA. The preseason standings are selected by the league's 14 coaches.
Marquette was picked to be in a tie with Louisville for fourth place. The Golden Eagles are coming off a fifth place finish in 2003-04 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's second round.
DePaul was picked to win the league title, followed by TCU and Houston. Following Marquette and Louisville in the fourth place tie are: Charlotte, Memphis, USF, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Tulane, UAB, Southern Miss and Saint Louis.
Marquette to Join BIG EAST in 2005-06
Marquette's athletics teams will join the BIG EAST Conference for the 2005-06 season. Marquette joins current Conference USA schools Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul and USF in joining the soon-to-be 16 institution league. The BIG EAST continued to have great success in women?s basketball in 2003-04. Connecticut has won the last two women?s NCAA titles. A BIG EAST member institution has won the last five women?s basketball titles.
Golden Eagles to be Heard on WJYI
Most Marquette home game and select road games can be heard on WJYI 1340 AM. All contests can be heard on the world wide web via Marquette?s internet site at www.gomarquette.com.
The Terri Mitchell Show
WJYI 1340 AM will carry ?The Terri Mitchell Show? again in 2004-05. In its seventh 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 show airs on Monday nights from 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. Marquette hosts East Carolina at noon on January 16 in the first C-USA TV telecast. The Golden Eagles visit DePaul on February 27 for a 2 p.m. start in the second C-USA broadcast of the year. Marquette and DePaul meet on January 11 in a national telecast on ESPN2 at 3 p.m.
Marquette will appear on WMLW-Ch. 41 twice this season. The Golden Eagles will host USF on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. and Houston on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. as part of the local package.
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