Marquette University Athletics
Quaye Sparks Marquette Heading into C-USA Season
1/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
While the history of the series goes back 27 years, the embodiment of the series goes back to last season. Three games ? two of which Marquette won ? were decided by a total of seven points. One of the key players in those three games was center Christina Quaye, and she's expected to be a key player in the first meeting between Marquette and DePaul this season.
Quaye averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds last season in the three meetings, but as important as her scoring was her defense. She was an integral part of a team that held DePaul well under its season scoring average each time. She helped keep Khara Smith, a 20.4 points per game scorer last season, to just 14.6 points per game in the three contests.
Both Quaye and Smith are back to renew their battle, with Smith averaging just under 20 points per game and DePaul owning the nation's second-best scoring offense. While somethings remain the same with DePaul, Quaye brings an added punch for Marquette. Thanks to four of the last five games with 19 or more points, Quaye has upped her season scoring average to 15.5 per game and has found herself with an increased scoring role.
While her scoring has increased, Quaye has taken it in stride.
"The scoring is something that's been coming to me," Quaye said. "It's not like I've been trying to score more. I'm always trying to score, but it could be anyone on the team, but right now it's me."
She had a breakout half, scoring 25 of her game high 26 points in the second half of the Mississippi game. While hitting 11 field goals in the second half of that contest, she contends that it was the work of her teammates that helped her score so much.
"The second half of the Mississippi game was just one of those things. I was able to get open on the block and (Carolyn Kieger) was able to find me down low," Quaye said. "It's still a team effort, I just happened to be getting open a lot in the second half."
With additional scoring efforts of 20 against Notre Dame and Penn State and 19 against San Diego, Quaye's become the center of the Marquette attack as of late. Despite her increased scoring role, she acknowledges that the play of the rest of the Marquette lineup will be the instrumental factor in the Golden Eagles' game with DePaul. Quaye is also quick to point out that this is just a stepping stone amidst the larger goals of making post-season play.
"Of course playing DePaul is big, but more importantly, it's the first game of the conference season," she added. "As we head into conference play, we're going to have to continue to focus, dig in and realize that every game counts."
And key to a Marquette win is going to be limiting the scoring of DePaul's Smith and the rest of the high-octane offense DePaul has. Knowing that with her scoring on the rise and her defensive assignment, she will be part of the featured match-up of the game. Again Quaye defers to a five-player effort to slowing the DePaul attack.
"Going against Khara Smith is a key matchup, but its the team defense that's going to stop DePaul," she said. "It's not going to be just me trying to stop their inside scoring, it's going to be a total team effort."
With that in mind, Quaye unselfishness is a big reason Marquette is off to a 9-4 start and have wins over Penn State and Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles put that record on the line on Sunday in front of a national TV audience on ESPN2.
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