DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Georgetown
DePaul Can't Overtake No. 10/12 Georgetown
1/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Jan. 17, 2012
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ROSEMONT, Ill. - Taking down one of the top basketball teams in the country is never easy as DePaul discovered on Tuesday night.
Despite hanging tough for most of this BIG EAST Conference game, the Blue Demons could never get over the top in an 83-75 loss to No. 10/12 Georgetown.
DePaul (10-8, 1-5 in the BIG EAST) did come within two points with 14:02 left in the game after a pair of Moses Morgan three-point shots and a Cleveland Melvin basket.
But Georgetown (15-3, 5-2) withstood the outburst behind a career-high 31 points from Jason Clark, rebuilt its lead and didn't allow the Blue Demons any closer than seven in the final three minutes.
"We have to do a better job of rebounding and getting to loose balls," said Morgan, who scored a career-high 17 points while setting another career mark with five three-pointers. "That's the reason we couldn't take the lead."
DePaul coach Oliver Purnell offered up another perspective.
"You saw us have some spurts out there where you see good offense, tenacious defense and timely rebounding" Purnell said. "But we're not doing it for long enough. We're improving, but for 40 minutes, we've got to play better and play smarter."
A Jamee Crockett three-pointer from the top of the arc brought the Blue Demons within a point of Georgetown early in the second half. But the Hoyas scored the next nine points.
Down by 10, DePaul came roaring back behind Morgan and Melvin (19 points) in cutting the deficit to 48-46. The Hoyas came back with six-straight points in restoring a 54-46 lead near the midpoint of the second half.
Back-to-back Brandon Young baskets cut the deficit to 60-52 with less than eight minutes to go. Young finished with 16 points.
Another Clark basket gave Georgetown its biggest lead of the game, 66-52. Five unanswered DePaul points reduced the lead to 66-57.
"There were a couple of areas, we really struggled in that didn't give us a chance to win the game," Purnell said. "One is obviously rebounding (Georgetown outrebounded DePaul 47-25). "We turned the ball over against their zone defense. Six or seven of them, we just gave it to them for layups. Those are almost like pick-sixes in football. They're uncontested.
"You take away six or seven of those and it's a different deal."
DePaul was ready from the opening tip on Tuesday night, unlike the slow starts at Villanova, at Seton Hall and at Louisville.
Behind the scoring of Melvin, Morgan, Worrell Clahar and Young, the Blue Demons kept pace with the Hoyas in the first half and trailed 37-31 at halftime.
Clahar celebrated his first start at the Division I level by displaying his battling, hustling style of play on both ends of the court. The feisty junior point guard finished with seven points, five assists and four steals.
"Coach Purnell came up to me after a film session and let me know I was starting," Clahar said. "It's something I've been working real hard for---spending a lot of late nights in the gym. Tonight, I felt like everything was going good for me."
Purnell has been pleased with the progression of the junior-college transfer who didn't join the Blue Demons until early September.
"I started him because he's been playing well, and we needed more energy and athleticism," Purnell said. "He made some ill-advised decisions, but he gave us energy and effort and continues to be a pleasant surprise for us."
Georgetown coach John Thompson III was impressed by Melvin's performance.
"He puts pressure on you because he is so aggressive and keeps coming at you," Thompson said about the DePaul sophomore. "One thing that he has consistently done for two years now---and tonight was no exception---is he gets whoever is guarding him in foul trouble (Henry Sims fouled out).
"He is extremely good at getting fouled and getting to the line. You have to guard him by committee, and everyone has to know where he is. If he gets space, he's dangerous."
DePaul returns to Allstate Arena on Sunday for a 1 p.m. BIG EAST matchup with USF.
