Second Half Blitz Carries DePaul Past Cal
12/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
Post Game Audio
ROSEMONT, Ill. – DePaul exploded for a season-high 57 second half points and had five players in double figures en route to a 90-62 victory over Cal on Saturday at the Allstate Arena.
The victory improved the Blue Demons, which won their sixth game in the last seven outings, to 8-5 while Cal dropped to 8-4.
Trailing 36-33 at intermission, DePaul roared out of the locker room and started the second half with a thunderous dunk by Wilson Chandler and never looked back, outscoring the Golden Bears 57-26 in the second half.
Chandler finished the game with 22 points while Draelon Burns came off the bench to add 16 points and five assists while Marcus Heard scored 13 with eight rebounds. Sammy Mejia (eight rebounds and six assists) and Jabari Currie each had 12 points.
Cal was led by freshman Ryan Anderson’s game-highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds.
The Golden Bears led for most of the first half as Anderson had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the first period. Their lead grew to as much as nine at 36-27 with 1:58 to play. DePaul was able to cut the lead to three in the final minute of the first half and trailed 36-33 at the break.
After Chandler’s slam and a jumper by Burns gave DePaul a 37-36 lead. Cal was able to answer and take a 39-37 lead before DePaul took the lead for good at 42-39 on a three-point field goal by Heard.
The lead grew to as much as 28 before the final buzzer.
The Blue Demons will have a short break for the Christmas holiday before returning to action on December 29 when Northwestern State comes to the Allstate Arena for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Game Notes
DePaul has won six of their last seven games... DePaul has won eight straight games at the Allstate Arena, a streak dating back to February 25, 2006 when the Blue Demons defeated Seton Hall, 67-64... DePaul leads the all-time series (3-2)... California shot 35.5% from the field and becomes the seventh team in December that the Blue Demons held below 41.2 % from the field... DePaul is now 2-3 when trailing at the half... DePaul is now 5-2 when Karron Clarke, Wilson Chandler, Lorenzo Thompson, Sammy Mejia and Will Walker start... DePaul scored a season-high 57 points in the second half... For the first time this season, DePaul had five players – Chandler (22), Draelon Burns (16), Jabari Currie (12), Marcus Heard (13) and Mejia (12) finish in double-digits... Mejia registered a season-high six assists... Currie recorded a season-high 12 points.