They say basketball is a game of runs.
If that is so, then someone forgot to tell the Golden Eagles they were going to need more than one of their own, as the inspired DePaul Blue Demons ran Marquette off the court Sunday in Chicago.
DePaul defeated the Golden Eagles, 77-56, behind an impressive barrage of three-pointers and up-tempo play that led to several monumental runs. Ultimately, it was far too much for Marquette to overcome.
The game got out of hand early for Marquette as they allowed themselves to fall behind, 19-0, with 14:46 still remaining in the first half.
"They came out on that run and really they just came out with more fire and intensity than us," senior guard Lesley Juedes said. "We didn't match that right away."
"It was transition lay-up after transition lay-up," assistant coach Michelle Nason said. "We were a little bit shell-shocked."
The Golden Eagles then indeed went on a run of their own and cut the deficit to seven with 11:18 to go. But even then it seemed to be far too little, much too late.
It appeared they had gained momentum, but another DePaul run quickly squelched all hope. This time, DePaul rattled off a 17-0 run before a jumper by junior guard Carolyn Kieger stopped the bleeding for a little while.
By halftime, the score stood at 48-28, and it was obvious that DePaul would have to have a total meltdown in order for Marquette to get back into the contest.
The Golden Eagles would never be able to rally within single digits again.
"We just didn't play defense," Juedes said in an attempt to explain the team's lapses. "They didn't throw anything at us that we hadn't seen before."
DePaul's senior guard Jenni Dant was unstoppable from everywhere on the floor and led the Blue Demon attack with 29 points. Freshman guard Allie Quigley was a behemoth from long range as she connected on five of her six 3-point attempts and finished with 17 points.
Juedes, who had led her team with 21 points in a meeting with DePaul Jan. 9, was largely rendered a non-factor Sunday.
She struggled from behind the arc, going 0-of-3, and finished with only four points.
Kieger led Marquette in scoring with 15 points, going 6-of-13 from the field. However, she finished with only four assists, 2.3 below her average for the season.
Turnovers also played a role in the Golden Eagles' struggles. Not used to the pace of a faster DePaul team, they turned the ball over 20 times.
Still, Juedes remained heartened by the fact Marquette didn't just pack up and go home after the initial 19-0 run.
"It shows that we didn't give up," Juedes said. "Down 20, we could have easily been down 40 at the end of the game. It shows the character of our team that we didn't give up."
Nason was not fazed by the 21-point loss either, and expressed her desire to get another chance to play DePaul in the conference tournament.
"I hope we do get another opportunity," Nason said. "We don't look at them as the most awesome team in America. We have beat them three out of the last four times."
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 1 2005.