Blue Demons Take On Lehigh Wednesday Night
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - With the conclusion of Autumn quarter exams, the Blue Demons open a 12-day stretch that features five games. The run begins Wednesday night when Lehigh visits Allstate Arena for a 7 p.m. contest. The Blue Demons opened the 2014-15 campaign with a 72-71 victory over UIC at McGrath-Phillips Arena on Nov. 14 followed by an 80-62 win over Drake at Allstate Arena on Nov. 18.
Wednesday's game will be televised on FOX Sports 1 with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) handling the television duties. The broadcast can also be seen on the FOX Sports Go app wherever FOX Sports 1 is available. DePaul's radio tandem of Laurence Holmes (play-by-play) and Jeff Blanzy (analyst) can be heard on WSCR 670 AM, on BlueTube at www.depaulbluedemons.com and on DePaul's mobile app. Live stats can be found on GameTracker at www.depaulbluedemons.com while in-game scoring updates and notes can be followed at www.twitter.com/depaulsid.
DePaul stands at 2-0 early in the 2014-15 season while Lehigh is 0-4 following a 54-44 loss on Sunday against Columbia. DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell is in his fifth season at DePaul and his 27th as a head coach at the collegiate level. Lehigh is led by Brett Reed who is in his eighth season leading the Mountain Hawks. Wednesday's game is the first meeting between the two programs.
Following the Lehigh game, DePaul hosts Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 30 at Allstate Arena. The Blue Demons and Cardinal are scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start on FOX Sports 1 and WSCR 670 AM.
Food and Toy Drive at Upcoming Games: The DePaul athletics department is hosting a food drive and a toy drive at upcoming men's and women's basketball games.
The food drive is benefitting the St. Vincent de Paul Parish Food Pantry and items needed include canned food or non-perishable items such as: paper towels, plastic bags, canned vegetables, canned fruit, rice, beans, oatmeal, peanut butter bottled water, power bars, cereal bars, canned tuna, napkins, sugar, nuts, ramen, granola bars, dried fruit, hot chocolate mix, powdered creamer, crackers, regular pre-ground coffee and canned soup. Drop off locations will be at Allstate Arena for the Lehigh and Stanford games.
The toy drive benefits the children of the St. Vincent de Paul Center and begins Nov. 29 at University locations in the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. Gameday drop-off for unused and unopened toys and games is available at the men's basketball games against Milwaukee on Dec. 7 and Illinois State on Dec. 14.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,409-922 (.605) all-time... the 81-70 win over Florida Atlantic on Dec. 12, 2013 was win No. 1,400 since start of 1923-24 season... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 646 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... the Blue Demons are 325-160 (.670) all-time at Allstate Arena... DePaul is 9-1 (.900) all-time in games at McGrath-Phillips Arena... in each of Oliver Purnell's four seasons at DePaul, the Blue Demons are 11-1 against Chicagoland opponents (Chicago State, UIC, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern)... in the Purnell era, the Blue Demons are 22-4 (6-1 in 2013-14) when scoring 80 or more points... DePaul's 2014-15 roster includes nine players from the Chicagoland area.
The Opponent - Lehigh Mountain Hawks: Lehigh stands at 0-4 following a 54-44 loss to Columbia on Sunday... the Mountain Hawks are facing their second BIG EAST opponent of the season following a 77-66 loss at Villanova in the opener... Lehigh was picked to finish seventh in the preseason Patriot League poll... Tim Kempton leads the team with a double-double of 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game... Austin Price adds 12.0 points per game with a team-high seven three-pointers... head coach Brett Reed is in his eighth season at Lehigh... DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell is facing Drake for the first time.
The Series: Wednesday is the first meeting between the two programs.
Against the Patriot League: DePaul is 6-4 all-time against the Patriot League... the Blue Demons have faced American four times with a 3-1 record... DePaul is also 2-0 against Army, 1-1 against Holy Cross and 0-1 against Bucknell and Navy... DePaul's last game against a Patriot opponent was a 62-57 loss to American on Dec. 16, 2009.
It Could Happen: A win makes DePaul 3-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2008-09 season... that squad started the year with a 4-0 record... a win would be No. 1,410 for the Blue Demons since the start of the 1923-24 season (DePaul's first fully-recognized season).
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 80-62 win against Drake on Nov. 18:
- DePaul is 2-0 to start the season for the second time in four seasons.
- Under Oliver Purnell, DePaul is 22-4 when scoring 80 or more points.
- The win was No. 325 for the Blue Demons at Allstate Arena.
- Myke Henry posted his second straight game in double-figures after totaling just three in two seasons of play at Illinois.
- DePaul leads the series, 5-2, against Drake... the meeting was the first between the two schools since Jan. 23, 1991.
Three Decades in Rosemont: DePaul is in its 35th season in 2014-15 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Blue Demons are 325-160 (.670) all-time in Rosemont. DePaul played its first season at the then-named Rosemont Horizon in 1980. The Blue Demons debuted in Rosemont with a 74-56 win over Gonzaga and John Stockton on Dec. 1, 1980.
On Deck: DePaul hosts Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 30 in Rosemont... the game is the fourth meeting between the two programs... Stanford holds a 2-1 advantage in the series... the last meeting featured an 81-74 overtime win for the Cardinal on Nov. 28, 2010 at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., in Oliver Purnell's first season leading the Blue Demons... Sunday's game will be televised on FOX Sports 1 and on the radio at WSCR 670 The Score.
