DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Little Rock
Blue Demons Fall at Home to Little Rock
12/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul came into Saturday night seeking its longest winning streak since 2012. Little Rock was looking to remain among the 10 undefeated teams in the nation.
Something had to give at McGrath-Phillips Arena, and it was Little Rock that stayed on a roll as the Blue Demons were upended 66-44 to snap their four-game run.
Myke Henry led DePaul (5-4) with 16 points and Eli Cain added 12. Josh Hagins paced the 8-0 Trojans with 19 points and eight assists.
It's still very early in the season, but the team from Arkansas has the look of a dangerous NCAA tournament sleeper.
Little Rock opened the second half outscoring DePaul 10-2 in building on a 32-23 halftime advantage. The Trojans lengthened their lead to 50-27 with less than 12 minutes remaining.
Cain's three-pointer, DePaul's first of the game, ended an 18-4 run for Little Rock from the beginning of the half. Cain's layup made it 52-32 with 8:40 to go.
The Blue Demons committed 20 turnovers that allowed Little Rock to finish with a 27-2 advantage in points off turnovers. DePaul went 1-of-9 from three-point range while the Trojans were 6-of-20.
"I'm not very happy with our performance," said DePaul coach Dave Leitao. "We were extremely concerned about this game because of their style of play. They have quickly become one of the great stories of college basketball with 10 new players who perform like grizzled veterans.
"In the first half, we missed free throws and the defense started getting sloppy. There were driving lanes that should not have been there and we kept going for head fakes. Our offense got stagnant and a little disorganized. We were not handling it possession by possession."
The Trojans' offensive consistency made it tough for the home team to cut into the 20-point deficit. Cain picked up his game with 11 points in the second half after scoring just one in the first half.
"Eli has performed well for us in a lot of different areas from point guard to power forward," Leitao said. "He is not there just yet, but he is not afraid of the moment, of the challenge, of the hard work in practice.
"As time goes by, he is going to be a really good player."
Leitao's overarching theme this season alongside defense and rebounding is digging deep inside during adversity. His players participated in a special program designed to test their reactions under duress. They face a steady diet of adverse situations in practice.
"It's easy when the ball is going in the basket and things are going your way," Leitao said. "But there are going to be times when your players have to believe in themselves when adversity strikes. Adversity struck tonight and we didn't handle it.
"Whatever we are and whatever we are going to be, you've got to believe in that."
Little Rock came out on fire from the perimeter with a trio of quick three-pointers. Two Henry baskets and free throws from Tommy Hamilton IV and Aaron Simpson kept it close. After Henry put the home team in front 10-9, the Trojans scored twice for a three-point lead.
DePaul turned cold midway through the first half and didn't score for more than five minutes, allowing Little Rock to build an 18-10 advantage before a Cain free throw ended the drought. What hurt the Blue Demons early was missing five of their first 10 free throws.
"We've been able to drive the basketball the last couple of week," Leitao said. "That's because we were able to move the defense around. Tonight we got frustrated because we were starting to drive without moving the defense. Each time we drove, there was somebody there."
Henry's jumper with less than seven minutes to go in the first half brought his team within 20-15. The 6-foot, 6-inch senior made five of his first seven shots while the rest of the Blue Demons missed their first six attempts.
A five-point burst provided Arkansas Little Rock with a with a 10-point margin. Two Hamilton baskets and two Henry foul shots sliced the deficit to 26-21.
Back came the Trojans with a six-point spurt that extended the DePaul deficit to 32-21. Billy Garrett Jr.'s tough drive to the hoop and layup made it 32-23 at halftime. Taking advantage of 12 Blue Demon turnovers, Little Rock had a 13-0 edge in points off turnovers over the first 20 minutes.
DePaul will look to start another winning streak on Tuesday at Pac-12 stalwart Stanford with a 9 p.m. (Chicago time) tipoff.
Postgame Notes: The loss snapped DePaul's win streak at four... the Blue Demons are 10-2 (.833) all-time in games at McGrath-Phillips Arena... DePaul split two games at the facility this season following the win over Western Michigan to start the season... the loss was also the first at home for DePaul in three home games... Billy Garrett Jr. didn't score in double-figures for the first time in nine games this season... Saturday was the first meeting between programs... DePaul is 6-1 all-time against the current membership of the Sun Belt Conference.
