DePaul University Athletics
Men's Basketball Falls In Conference Opener
1/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
ROSEMONT,
DePaul which dropped to 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the league got 16 points and 13 rebounds from freshman Sammy Mejia while Quemont Greer added 16 points. Delonte Holland scored 12 points despite rolling his ankle just prior to halftime. Drake Diener had 11 points and freshman Marcus Heard had a season-high 10 points.
The game got off to a sluggish start for the Blue Demons as the 49ers sprinted to an early 11-2 lead but DePaul came back to take a 28-24 lead with 2:54 left and still held a 33-29 advantage going into intermission.
The start of the second half was much like the first with the 49ers coming out fast. After the Blue Demons moved the lead to six at 41-35,
DePaul would continue to chip away, getting as close as three on two occasions but the 49ers held on for the victory.
DePaul will play at 10th-ranked
Game Notes: Marcus Heard drained a career high 10 points… Drake Diener kept his perfect free-throw streak in tact (2-2 tonight) he is now 21-21 on the season… Sammy Mejia ripped down a career high 13 rebounds tonight… Mejia’s 13 rebounds were the most by a Blue Demon guard since current Director of Basketball Operations Joe Tulley grabbed 13 against UAB on
Quotes:
Head Coach Dave Leitao
“We wanted to disrupt their rhythm, we lost some battles defensively and we just shot ourselves in the foot with untimely errors and bad shots. We have to get back to the gym and correct those errors.”
“Anytime a guy scores 34 points (Demon Brown) it cannot make you happy, and we made a point to keep a guy on him all over the floor. Whether we were there or not he was going to take the shots and we did not do a good job disrupting his rhythm.”
“Without Andre and not being complete, Drake, Quemont, and Sammy are going to have to do things outside of their box and do things they have not been asked to do more as a team.”
Quemont Greer
“They (Charlotte) take their shots everyday and we were not surprised they were going in, be we had to keep a hand up on their shots and sometimes we did not do that and that is why they went in.”
“They (Charlotte) are a good team and we could not answer with them. We are going to have to come back, practice hard the next couple days, head out to Cincinnati, and go out give it our all and make plays.”
Sammy Mejia
“In the second half he (Demon Brown) forced some shots and they went in. He had confidence in himself and he got the benefit of the doubt.”
“I am going to go out and contribute to the team (16 points, 13 rebounds) and I am trying to be aggressive on the court and use my height as an advantage.”
“This is conference now. Everyone has to go out every night, because every game matters. We are going to go out every night and give it our best shot.”
