DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
South Carolina
DePaul Opens Paradise Jam with Loss to South Carolina
11/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
ST. THOMAS, USVI - The DePaul basketball team cut a double-digit deficit to five, but South Carolina was able to pull away over the final eight minutes in a 76-61 decision on the first day of the Paradise Jam. Darrick Wood scored 14 points off the bench to lead the Blue Demons.
Trailing 16-9 midway through the first half, the Blue Demons reeled off seven straight points with a Rashaun Stimage dunk knotting the score with 8:17 left until intermission. South Carolina (3-0) answered with six consecutive points and eventually took a nine-point lead to the locker room after Duane Notice's three-pointer beat the first-half buzzer.
Myke Henry scored on DePaul's first two possessions of the second half to cut the deficit to 39-32. The Gamecocks then scored 10 of the game's next 12 points and increased their advantage to 15 points on two free throws by Mindaugas Kacinas. Kacinas finished the game with 23 points to lead South Carolina.
With just over 11 minutes on the clock, Chris Silva's jumper gave South Carolina its largest lead of the night at 53-37. Aaron Simpson answered with a three-pointer to kick start a 14-3 run that ended with two free throws by Henry to pull DePaul (1-2) with five at 56-51 with 8:20 to go in the game.
Less than a minute later, the Gamecocks were able to push the lead back to double-figures and held at least a 13-point lead over the final five minutes of the game.
Wood added two steals and two rebounds while Billy Garrett Jr. scored 11 points with four assists. Simpson added six points, four assists and three rebounds off the bench for DePaul.
Kacinas led all scorers and Sindarius Thornwell added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double for South Carolina.
DePaul moves into the consolation bracket and faces Florida State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. AT (5:30 p.m. CT). Florida State dropped an 82-77 game to Hofstra earlier on Friday evening. Saturday's game can be heard live in Chicago on WSCR 670 AM. The game will also be streamed live at www.paradisejam.com.
Postgame Notes: DePaul is 2-2 all-time in the Paradise Jam... the Blue Demons went 2-1 in the event in 2009... Darrick Wood recorded his fifth career (first of season) game in double-figures... he was one point shy of his career high of 15 points... Billy Garrett Jr. (228 assists) passed Tyrone Corbin (227 assists, 1981-85) for 26th on DePaul's all-time assist list... Garrett is 25-26 (.962) from the free throw line this season... since missing his last attempt in the opener against Western Michigan, he has made 15 straight in the last two games... the series is tied with South Carolina at 4-4... Friday was the first meeting since November 1999.
