Like mother, like daughters: Quigley girls carry on tradition

As far as Allie and Sam Quigley are concerned, Mom is just Mom.

But people who remember Christine Quigley back in her glory days remember her as "the best ever."

From 1979 to 1983, she was a big-time basketball star at the University of St. Francis in Joliet. Really big.

In fact, her Hall of Fame write-up at the school says that many coaches on campus considered her the "Michael Jordan" of her time, which certainly lends credence to the cliche that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Both Allie and Sam were standout basketball players at Joliet Catholic and earned full-ride Division I scholarships to DePaul, which will play its first game of the Big East tournament today against Marquette.

Unfortunately for Sam, she won't be playing.

After a promising freshman campaign last year in which she earned a spot in the starting lineup, she has been sidelined this season to rehab a knee injury. Allie, however, is wrapping up a fabulous senior season that solidifies her standing as one of DePaul's "best ever."

Sounds familiar.

"If you talk to the athletic director at St. Francis, Pat Sullivan, he'll say that Christine (nee Prieboy) was the best to ever play at St. Francis -- male or female," said DePaul coach Doug Bruno, whose team is 19-10 and on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid. "She was that good."

Christine was also among the first women to benefit from Title IX, which makes her girls part of the first crop of second-generation female athletes who could look not just to Dad but also to Mom as a role model for sports.

"My mom is also a (physical education) teacher, so growing up, we always saw her wearing sweaty clothes and doing sports, and that helped for us to see that," Allie said. "She'd be out there shooting with us and you could tell that she still had 'it' a little. I think that really influenced us a lot."

As it turns out, Allie and Sam got a double shot of basketball in their DNA.

Their late father Pat met Christine at St. Francis because he was a star basketball player, too. He even coached high school ball at Lincoln-Way Central before dying of cancer in 1994.

Allie was only 8 and Sam was just 6 at the time. But both remember how much fun they had sharing basketball with their dad.

"We were always around my dad and his teams. I remember being in gyms even on weekends when I was growing up," Sam said. "Sundays were off days for most people but not for our family. We always went to the gym to play and shoot around and to be with my dad. We had a great time."

Clearly, the girls also learned a thing or two.

Both are heady ballhandlers and sharpshooters from 3-point range. Over the course of her career, Allie has also become a dangerous slasher to the basket. Her versatility has left defenses stumped this season.

Allie is averaging 19.3 points per game and scored the 2,000th point of her career this week in a game against Seton Hall. With 2,019 points, she's one of four DePaul women to surpass the 2,000-point plateau.

"Allie has been one of the most special players I've ever coached," said Bruno, who has coached hundreds of women in his 21 years at DePaul. "It's hard to find players like her, who not only can score but can rebound and pass the ball, get her teammates involved, defend.

"But the best thing about her is that she just goes about her business in a very quiet way. She's very humble. She's a great young woman."

Allie says that Sam keeps her humble.

Sam's not afraid to be brutally honest about Allie's game, even if what she has to say isn't always pleasant to hear.

"She's always tugging on my jersey, telling me something about my defense or something like that," Allie laughed. "But I like that. You need someone to be honest with you so that you can get better and she's always giving me little tips."

And Allie means always. The girls say that they have plenty in common off the court, but that somehow the conversation always comes back to basketball.

"We like breaking things down and talking about basketball," Sam said. "Basketball is a big part of our relationship. We've been playing together pretty much our whole lives."

Sam estimates that she and her sister have been on the same team for at least nine years -- five during grade school while they played on travel teams and two at both Joliet Catholic and DePaul.

But unless they reunite somewhere down the road in the WNBA, time is ticking on the sisters' time as teammates.

"I don't like to think about that," Allie said. "I've loved getting to play with my sister. It's meant a lot. Your teammates usually become like your sisters, but it's even better to have your real sister there."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

Party on

If you're a DePaul women's basketball fan, you'll want to be at the DePaul Student Center on March 17. The DePaul athletic department is hosting a party in honor of the women's basketball team as it watches its NCAA Tournament fate unfold on the "Selection Monday" show televised by ESPN.

The Blue Demons enter their first-round Big East tournament game today against Marquette with a 19-10 record. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but many believe 20 wins would get them into the NCAA Tournament.

Admission to the party is free and food will be served. The DePaul Student Center is at the corner of Sheffield and Belden on the site of old Alumni Hall. The party will be in Room 120. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. Those interested should RSVP to (773) 325-7504.

-- Patricia Babcock McGraw