DePaul University Athletics
Ninth-Ranked Louisville Spoils DePaul Senior Day
3/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
ROSEMONT,
O'Bannon missed just one shot and the ninth-ranked Cardinals clinched the Conference USA regular-season title outright with the win. DePaul falls to 18-8 overall and 10-6 in C-USA.
The Cardinals (26-4, 14-2), who'd already clinched the top seed in the conference tournament by beating Charlotte on Thursday, won for the 15th time in 16 games and finished 9-1 on the road.
"We had to make big shots to win this game,"
And O'Bannon did just that.
He had 18 of his points in the second half, including 10 in the final six minutes. He finished the game 6-for-7 from the field, while hitting all five of his 3-point attempts and all seven of his free throws.
"I really wasn't thinking about taking over the game. My teammates got me open, they set some solid screens and I got open shots," O'Bannon said.
Sammy Mejia led DePaul with 21 points and Drake Diener pitched in 15 for the Blue Demons.
"To come up short again... It's tough," Diener said.
Pitino said the Blue Demons were deserving and were easily one of the best 65 teams in the country. He said he'd put them in the top 30, but then again he's not on the selection committee.
"I don't know," DePaul coach Dave Leitao said. "I have my head in the sand as we play basketball games. I'm worried about games. I like my team. I think we're good."
O'Bannon's fifth 3-pointer gave the Cardinals the lead for good at 60-57 with
Mejia's layup cut it to one with just under three minutes remaining. Garcia, who didn't score in the first 26˝ minutes, hit two free throws with 57.8 seconds left to put
Ellis Myles then blocked Quemont Greer's layup attempt and after a missed follow-up shot,
But Greer missed from the corner with 16 seconds to play and after a foul, O'Bannon made two from the line with 13.4 seconds left to put the Cards up 64-59. He hit two more with 5 seconds to go to secure the win.
"We covered O'Bannon well. He made open shots off others penetrating or he made shots over people," Leitao said.
Garcia went scoreless during a furiously paced first-half but the Cardinals, behind 54 percent shooting, still managed a 34-32 lead.
DePaul's loss was just its second in 16 games at home this season.
