Marquette University Athletics
Women's Basketball Set to Finish With a Flurry
2/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TCU game notes in PDF format. Houston game notes in PDF format.
Upcoming Game
Feb. 20 at TCU , 7 p.m.
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum; Fort Worth, Texas
Feb. 22 at Houston, 2 p.m.
Hoffheinz Pavilion; Houston, Texas
With strength of schedule always a concern this time of year, Marquette?s SOS will get a shot in the arm with its remaining three contests, all against nationally ranked teams. The first comes against 17th-ranked TCU at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 20 in Fort Worth, Texas.
After TCU, Marquette finishes its Texas swing with a visit to Houston, ranked 18th in the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today top 25, on Sunday, February 25. The Golden Eagles finish the season with 12th-ranked DePaul at home on Sunday, February 29.
Marquette?s season will define itself with the stretch run. The Golden Eagles still have a shot at claiming a share of the regular season C-USA title and are in prime position for one of four byes to the Conference USA tournament. MU starts with TCU, a team it has only faced twice. The Horned Frogs are also the first of three 20-plus win teams that the Golden Eagles will face.
Scouting TCU
Picked along with DePaul to win the league in preseason, TCU still has a shot at claiming the top spot prior to hosting the Conference USA tournament next month. The Horned Frogs own a 10-2 C-USA record, but like Marquette, have a difficult road ahead.
TCU, however, has proven it can play when things are most difficult. The Horned Frogs held off a resilient East Carolina squad that stretch them to four overtimes. Less than 40 hours later, TCU put up 100 points on Charlotte winning a Sunday afternoon road game, which is difficult to do in C-USA.
Averaging 112.5 points per game last week, TCU upped its scoring average to 80.2 per game. Led by Sandora Irvin, the neice of former NFL star Michael Irvin, and Ebony Shaw, the Frogs are accurate offensively, hitting 45.4 perceont on the year. Irvin leads the team with 15.7 per game. She scored 27 and 12 in TCU?s wins last week.
Irvin also leads the way for a very adept rebounding squad. She grabs 11.8 of TCU?s 43.8 rebounds per game. TCU is tough at home, 10-2 this year, and late in the season. In the final five games of the regular season in the Jeff Mittie era at TCU, the Frogs are 16-6.
On the Air: The Marquette/TCU game will be carried on KTCU 88.7 in Fort Worth with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) and Marcy Girton (analysis) calling the action. It is available on www.gofrogs.com.
Marquette Ht Yr PPG RPG 2 Carolyn Kieger G 5-6 So. 10.4 3.431 Kelly Schwerman G 5-9 Sr. 12.8 3.024 Danielle Kamm F 6-2 Fr. 8.3 5.644 Crystal Weaver F 5-11 Sr. 7.9 7.132 Christina Quaye C 6-0 Fr. 8.2 4.3
TCU Ht Yr PPG RPG 11 Natasha Lacy G 5-10 Fr. 7.6 5.0 12 Kim Ortega G 5-8 Sr. 8.0 3.830 Ebony Shaw F 5-10 Sr. 11.5 4.245 Tracy Wynn F 6-2 Sr. 7.8 4.350 Sandora Irvin C 6-3 Jr. 15.7 11.8
Series History: TCU leads, 2-0.
Scouting Houston
Marquette and Houston will meet in a place that?s seemingly unfamiliar to the Cougars ? Hoffheinz Pavilion. Houston has played just eight of its 24 games in its own facility. The Coogs are 6-2 on campus. If Marquette is going to get a win from UH, the Texas coast might be a better opportunity. Away from Houston, UH is a robust 14-1.
Houston owns perhaps the best 1-2 combination in Conference USA. Guard Chandi Jones, a Wooden Award Candidate, is fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.0 points per game. Sancho Lyttle adds 15.6 per game, to combine for 36.6 of Houston?s 66.0 points per game.
After 8.9 points per game from Joann Overstreet, Houston?s scoring diminishes. The Cougars have been involved in many close games this year, including a triple overtime affair against Tulane earlier this month.
The Cougars are a defensive unit. They are third in the nation in steals per game and hold the opponents to 37.6 percent shooting and 57.5 points per game. Houston hosts DePaul on Friday before entertaining Marquette.
On the Air: The Marquette/Houston game is broadcast on 88.3 KAXF AM with Kevin Cook calling the action. The game will also be available at www.uhcougars.com.
Houston Ht Yr PPG RPG 13 Chandi Jones G 5-10 Sr. 21.9 5.720 Joann Overstreet G 5-5 Jr. 8.9 3.521 Sancho Lyttle F 6-4 Jr. 15.6 9.344 Nicole Oliver F 5-10 Sr. 5.4 4.245 Kiemona Harris C 6-5 Jr. 4.1 4.3
Series History: Marquette leads, 5-2.
Taking Care of Business at Home
With an important stretch run looming ahead of Marquette, the Golden Eagles did what was needed in the final Friday-Sunday home combination. Wins over Memphis and Saint Louis put Marquette in a situation where it controls whether or not it will receive a first-round bye in next month?s Conference USA tournament. With three losses, Marquette could still get the no. 1 seed for the tournament were it to win out and it get help from TCU, Houston and DePaul, all of whom play this weekend.
The Golden Eagles are certain to finish ahead of the preseason predictions. MU was picked eighth. The worst MU can do at this point would be a tie for seventh with East Carolina. It owns the tie breaker with the Pirates thanks to a Jan. 31 victory.
Kieger Sets the Pace Against SLU
A 16 point first half left guard Carolyn Kieger with a shot to have one of the highest scoring games for any Marquette player this season. She tied a career high with 23 points, tying her previous performance against St. Bonaventure for the second highest scoring output on the team this season. The double-digit total broke a string of six of seven games with out 10 or more points. Kieger was contributing in that span, however, averaging 7.9 assists per game.
Freshman Account for Bulk of MU Offense Against Memphis
The three Marquette freshman have provided significant efforts all season, but for the first time this year, all three had big efforts. Against Memphis, Christina Quaye led the team with 15, Danielle Kamm scored 13 and Jasmine McCullough scored a career high eight. The trio combined 36 of Marquette?s 60 points.
Double Digits on the Glass
Senior forward Crystal Weaver grabbed a career best 13 rebounds against DePaul and followed that up with 16 boards against Memphis. It was her fifth and sixth double figure rebounding game of the year. She is Marquette?s top rebounder at 7.1 boards per game. She hit double figures in rebounds four times last year. She currently has 10 career 10+ rebound games.
Golden Eagles First Half Leads Way for Win over Memphis
Marquette tied season highs for first half efforts in points and field goal percentage against Memphis. MU scored 41 points, tying the Oakland outing, and hit 15-of-26 shots (57.7 percent) matching that of the Columbia game.
Quaye Plays Beyond Her Years
Forward Christina Quaye played an exceptional game on both ends of the floor against DePaul. The freshman from Chicago was charged with shutting down the league?s second leading scorer. She held Khara Smith six points below her scoring average. On the offensive end, she had a career best 16 points.
Shuttin? Down the Big Threat
Marquette has faced teams with dominating scorers and has done the job defensively to eliminate that threat. Six times this season, Marquette has faced a player averaging 20 or more points per game. The Golden Eagles defense has held those players to an average of 13.0 points per game.
MU started off by holding Evansville?s Jamie Gray, a 25.0 points per game scorer, to 10. Oakland?s Jayme Wilson scored 20.0 per game, but Marquette allowed her just three points. Maine?s Heather Ernest scored just under 30 per game, but could only muster 12 against Marquette. Against Va. Commmonwealth, Marquette held 21.8 points per game scorer Cyndy Wilks to 13, keeping her scoreless at the half. SBU?s Stef Collins averages 22.6 per game, and to date is the only 20+ scorer to meet or exceed her average, with 25 points against MU. DePaul?s Khara Smith entered the MU contest with a 20.1 points per game total and was limited to 15. Marquette faces two of those threats in the final three games ? Houston?s Chandi Jones and DePaul?s Smith.
Guarding the Glass
Guard Carolyn Kieger?s 11 rebounds at Charlotte tied her career high, and marked the third time this season that she has led or tied for the team lead on the glass. Backcourt mate Katie O?Grady has also occupied the top rebounding spot once this season, with eight against Oakland.
Double-Double-Double-Double
With 16 points, and a then career-high tying 11 rebounds, Crystal Weaver notched her second double-double of the season at East Carolina. Her other double-double came at Maine (Nov. 30), when she scored 10 points and gathered 11 rebounds. Weaver is Marquette?s active leader in career double-doubles with four, following two such performances last season. Weaver?s success inside directly relates to Marquette?s success. When she scores at least 10 points, Marquette is 6-0. When she grabs at least 10 boards, the Golden Eagles stand 5-1 on the season.
O?Grady Scores Double Figures off the Bench
Senior guard Katie O?Grady has scored in double-figures in three of the four contests prior to a six point effort against DePaul. Over that stretch she is averaged 12.3 ppg, and has raised her season average to 9.1 ppg. Success coming off the bench is nothing new for O?Grady. She has led the bench in scoring in 15 of 19 contests she has not started. Earlier in the season O?Grady rattled off a four-game streak of double figure scoring (10 at Toledo, 14 vs. Dayton, 11 at Notre Dame and 21 vs. Columbia). It was the second time in her career that she has had a string of three games with 10 or more points.
Single Season Records Change
As the season draws to a conclusion, the typical shift in single season records begins. Guard Kelly Schwerman has moved into the top five of single-season three-pointers made. She is in fifth with 57. Katie O?Grady stands third in three point shooting at 40.7 percent. Kelly Schwerman would have the second best free throw shooting total at 89.4. She needs nine attempts to qualify.
Can?t Stop Them Against Southern Miss, Marquette hit its first seven shots, racing out to an 18-5 lead. MU scored a season high 76 points against the Golden Eagles.
Starters Strong
In the Southern Miss contest, Marquette had four starters score double figures. Three players ? Danielle Kamm, Carolyn Kieger and Kelly Schwerman ? each had 13 points while Christina Quaye added 11. It was the second time this season that four starters eclipsed the 10-point mark. That also happened in the Maine game (Schwerman 14, Quaye 12, Kieger 11 and Crystal Weaver 10). The Southern Miss game was the second of three-straight games with four players topping 10 points, however one came from a reserve. Against Tulane, Kamm and Quaye had 10 combined with Schwerman?s 13. Katie O?Grady had 17 off the bench. Against East Carolina (the last of the three games), Marquette was led by Schwerman and Weaver, each with 16 points, who were complemented by Kamm and O?Grady?s 12 points.
Climbing the Charts
With its 15-4 start, Marquette received one point in the January 27 national rankings compiled by the WBCA, ESPN and USA Today. That total increased to seven points for the February 3 poll. While MU lost its votes in the coaches? poll, it picked up four points in the February 10 Associated Press poll and increased that margin to six in the February 17 poll. The last time Marquette received mention in either national poll was in the Feb. 11, 2003 poll. MU received two points. The last time Marquette was ranked in either poll was on Feb. 28, 2000 when it was ranked 24th in both polls. It was ranked for three consecutive weeks at that point, the only three weeks it has been ranked.
Cheaper by the Dozen
Senior guard Kelly Schwerman scored 14 points on 1-of-4 shooting against Tulane. That?s because she shot a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe, the second best free throw shooting performance in program history (Kerri Reaves, 14-14 vs. Dayton on Feb. 5, 1994), and the third-best in Conference USA history. Of Schwerman?s 12 makes, six came in the final five minutes, improving her percentage in those clutch situations to 92.3 percent at the time.
Double Time
Freshman Danielle Kamm notched the first double-double of her career, with 10 points and 12 rebounds (including six offensive) against Tulane. The 12 rebounds represents her second-best collegiate performance on the glass (13 vs. St. Bonaventure). Kamm became the fourth Golden Eagle to have a double-double this season (Kieger, Quaye and Weaver).
Charitable Contributions
After making a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the first half against Tulane, the Golden Eagles sacrificed quality for quantity. The second half saw Marquette make 18-of-24. The 18 made shots from the stripe represented the then-most made free throws in a half for Marquette this year. That marked was topped by a 19-of-22 second half exhibition at East Carolina. Marquette is 16-0 when shooting more free throws then its opponent, and 9-1 when shooting 75.0 percent or better.
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. She is currently second in Conference USA with 5.8 assists per game.
In the National Rankings
Marquette ranks in the top 20 in one team category in the NCAA Division I rankings. The Golden Eagles have the 15th best scoring defense in the nation, holding opponents to 55.8 points per game. Individually, Carolyn Kieger is in the top 30 in assists per game. She is in 25th with 5.8.
Home Sweet Home
The move to the Al McGuire Center has been beneficial for Marquette. The Golden Eagles rattled off wins in its first six games, extending its home win streak to 10 games. Marquette last won 10 games in a row at home in 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. With two blocks against Tulane, Shouse closed the gap on Crystal Weaver as the active Marquette blocks leader. She has since passed Weaver, leading by one block.
When 1 Equals 2
In its first three games in the Al McGuire Center, Marquette 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. The symmetrical streak was broken when the Golden Eagles could only muster 31 points in the second half against Tulane, after scoring 38 in the opening frame. However, MU pulled off the feat again, posting two 38-point halves in a 76-54 win against Southern Miss. On February 15, Saint Louis pulled the feat, scoring 25 points in both halves in a 73-50 losing effort.
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. She had a string of six games in a row with double figures in scoring, which ended with a four-point effort against Saint Louis.
Tough Losses
With just six losses on the year, the Marquette season has been successful. However, the Golden Eagles are a mere handful of points away from being undefeated. In its six losses, Marquette has lost by a total of 22 points, a 3.7 points per loss deficit.
Bench Gets into the Act
The Marquette bench scored a season-best 28 points against Saint Louis, led by 15 from Katie O?Grady. It was MU?s third performance of 27 bench points or more. The Golden Eagles scored 27 points against Columbia, led by eight from Efueko Osagie. MU also threw in 27 points off the pine against Louisville. O?Grady had 15 points and Sarah Shouse had 10. Against Southern Miss, Marquette had 26 bench points and against Iowa, the Marquette bench scored 23 points. All but one player found the scoring column in the Iowa game. Marquette is averaging 17.8 points per game (427 points) off the bench this season. Christina Quaye has the highest point total off the bench this season 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.
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 14-of-17 contests, including a plus-22 advantage at Charlotte. Marquette has nabbed 40+ rebounds in nine games this season, and has grabbed 50+ boards three times, going 1-2 in those contests. Marquette?s season-best performance was 56 boards in a 73-49 win against Oakland. It also grabbed 50 boards in a 63-65 overtime loss against UAB, and 54 boards in its 56-59 loss at Charlotte.
Golden Eagles Win at the Buzzer
Marquette has made a habit of playing games decided on the last shot, whether it be theirs or the opponents. 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. MU played consecutive games with shots to tie or win in the final shot. The Golden Eagles tries against both Charlotte and DePaul came up short. Against Memphis, MU had two three point leads in the final minutes and kept the Tigers from making three pointers to tie.
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 seven 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 Rolls 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 9.0 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 opening 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.
Up at the Half Through 12 games this season, Marquette had not trailed at the half. In game 13, 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 24 games this season, Marquette has trailed at the intermission just twice.
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, VCU, Wagner, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, USF, Tulane and East Carolina have been by an average of 12.7 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 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 Best 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 83.6 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 then-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 148 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 38.2 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 its opponents to 18.0 turnovers per game. What Marquette has done with those turnovers is equally impressive. The Golden Eagles have 446 points off turnovers (18.9 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 230 steals on the season, but no single player has stood out amongst the thieves. Six have 20 or more and two have more than 40. 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. Kelly Schwerman became the first MU player since late last season to have five or more steals in a game when she swiped five balls from Iowa. Katie O?Grady matched that mark with five thefts at Notre Dame. Schwerman and O?Grady were both 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.
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 13.8 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 41.4 percent field goal shooter and a 36.8 percent three point shooter.
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 37.8 percent shooting this season.
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 MU player this season to hit the 20-point mark.
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 8.0 and 8.3 points per game, respectively. Including forward Jasmine McCullough?s time off the bench, MU freshmen have contributed 1,172 of the 4,425 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
