Box Score
Post Game Audio
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Sammy Mejia scored 40 points to lead DePaul (9-5) to a season-high 97-67 victory over Northwestern State (5-6) Friday night.
"Today was just one of those nights. In the first half a lot of things went my way," Mejia said. "Things were just clicking. The ball was just coming to me. Guys weren't helping as much off of their man to double me when I made moves."
The first half was rocky for the Blue Demons initially as Northwestern State jumped out to a 15-8 lead in the first six minutes of the game.
That all changed as Karron Clarke hit a jumper and then Mejia hit a lay up to tie the game.
Mejia then took the game over, hitting three-pointer after three-pointer to take the lead with 10 minutes to go in the half and help build a 46-42 lead at half.
With 4:24 to go in the game, Mejia hit the 40-point mark on a lay up.
"We have a lot of guys who can score points but are willing to give the ball up," DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright said.
It was tough night for Northwestern State as Jermaine Spencer had to the leave the game with 33 seconds to go in the first half with an injured right Achilles tendon.
Spencer and Gerrell Thomas both had 10 points apiece for Northwestern State. The loss was Northwestern State's worst in 77 games.
"Normally we pick up and press all over the floor. We decided we'd try to contain them and we really contained him (Mejia) for 27 the first half," Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy said.
Mejia's 40 points set a career high. He also had a career-high five three pointers, all in the first half, during which he scored 27 points. He surpassed his season-high 23 points with less than two minutes to go in the first half.
Mejia is the eighth player in DePaul history to hit 40 points in a game and the first since David Booth on December 15, 1990 in a 92-90 loss to UCLA in Rosemont.
The Blue Demons will now venture into BIG EAST Conference play on Wednesday when it travels to New York to face St. John’s at Madison Square Garden at 6:30 p.m. (CST). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (WFBT Ch. 48 in Chicago) and on WSCR (670 AM).
Game Notes
DePaul
DePaul scored a season-high 97 points… DePaul outscored Northwestern State 51-25 in the second half. Over the last two games, DePaul has outscored its opponents 108-51 in the second half… DePaul held Northwestern State to .371 shooting from the field. Kansas was the only DePaul opponent to shoot over .400 from the field in the month of December… DePaul finished the month of December with a 7-1 record. It is the Blue Demons’ best December record since the 1992-93 squad went 6-1 in the final month of 1992… The Blue Demons have won nine straight games at the Allstate Arena in a streak dating back to a victory over Seton Hall on February 25, 2006… Sammy Mejia scored a career-high 40 points and became the eighth player in DePaul history to score 40+ points in a game. The last was David Booth with 40 points vs. UCLA on December 15, 1990… Mejia made 11 of 13 field goal attempts and five of six three-point attempts in the first half… Mejia made a career-high five three-pointers and finished 17 of 24 from the field… With 27 points and two assists, Mejia played a role in 13 of DePaul’s 19 first-half field goals… Wesley Green grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, all of which were defensive… Wilson Chandler scored 13 points. He has scored in double figures in all 14 games this season… Thijin Moses’ missed three-pointer in the final two-minutes of the game broke a personal streak of seven consecutive three-pointers made.
Northwestern State
Northwestern State suffered its worst loss in 77 games… Northwestern State’s previous worst loss this season was a 16 point defeat at Marquette on December 1… Gerrell Thomas scored a season-high 10 points. His previous season-high was six points on two occasions… Northwestern State is now 0-3 against the BIG EAST Conference this season, losing to DePaul, Marquette and Louisville.
