DePaul University Athletics
Clutch Free Throws Key to Another DePaul Win
2/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
ST. LOUIS -- Delonte Holland made five free throws in the final 57 seconds, sparking DePaul, down by 21 in the first half, to a 70-68 win over Saint Louis Wednesday.
Holland led DePaul with 17 points and made 8 of 9 free throws. Quemont Greer and Drake Diener each scored 14 points and Sammy Mejia added 11 for the Blue Demons in the Conference USA game.
DePaul (14-7) finished with 15-for-18 shooting from the free throw line and out rebounded Saint Louis 36-18. The Blue Demons, winners of four in a row and seven of their last eight games, snapped a four-game losing streak to Saint Louis and improved to 7-3 in league play. The Billikens (11-9, 4-5) lost their fourth consecutive game.
Josh Fisher led Saint Louis with 13 points. Reggie Bryant and Anthony Drejaj each scored 12 points and Tom Frericks added 11 for the Billikens.
Trailing 39-27 at halftime, DePaul ran off eight points to start the second half. Holland tied the game at 49 with 9:09 remaining. Bryant followed with a 3-pointer to give the Billikens the lead again.
Diener gave DePaul its first lead at 60-59 when he hit a 3-pointer with 4:31 left. The teams traded the lead twice more before Bryant made a free throw to tie it at 65 with 43 seconds showing.
Holland sank two free throws with 22 seconds and Andre Brown sank two more at the 12-second mark to give DePaul a 69-65 lead. Chris Sloan cut the lead to one with a basket and free throw. Holland then made one of two free throws at 7.8 seconds. Sloan had the ball knocked away from him in the lane as the buzzer sounded.
DePaul shot 63 percent in the second half after shooting 38 percent in the first half. The Billikens finished with 46 percent shooting after making 56 percent of their shots in the first half.
