DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Xavier
DePaul Tops Xavier, Advances to BIG EAST Semifinals on Monday
3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
| Photo Gallery
| Postgame Press Conference
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Taking down a defending champion can be a daunting assignment as BIG EAST women's basketball teams are finding out at the conference tournament.
Opening up the postseason in sharp fashion, 2014 BIG EAST champion DePaul rolled over Xavier 87-53 Sunday night.
The Blue Demons (24-7) advance to the conference semifinals and face the Villanova-Butler quarterfinal winner at 8 p.m. on Monday.
Jessica January led the way with 16 points, five rebounds and five steals. Brittany Hrynko had 13 points, five assists and three steals while Chanise Jenkins finished with 12 points and four assists. Brooke Schulte added 11 points and five rebounds.
"We're not only defending our BIG EAST championship," Jenkins said. "We're also defending the name on our chest. In this conference, you have to fight hard every game."
There was a sharpness and clarity to the Blue Demons on Sunday.
"I'm proud of our players' focus and readiness to play," said DePaul coach Doug Bruno. "Xavier is a very capable team that beat St. John's last week and you can't take them for granted.
"It was important our players understood the focus of the moment. They did a good job of sharing the ball and shooting the ball."
A good sign for DePaul was taking a 48-23 halftime lead with leading scorer Hrynko taking just one shot and making the three-pointer in the first half.
Hrynko scored five of her team's first eight points of the second half, and back-to-back threes by January and Hrynko provided a 27-point lead for the defending BIG EAST champion.
It was 59-39 in the middle of the second half when Schulte scored inside, January hit a jumper, Schulte converted four free throws and Ashton Millender scored on a pretty pass from Hrynko as the margin increased to 30 points.
A pair of Centrese McGee free throws made it a 12-0 run and a 32-point advantage. After a Musketeer basket, Hrynko's three-pointer put DePaul ahead by 33.
"Coach gives us an attack to run, but it's all about the players that run it," January said. "We got good spacing on the floor, attacked and either got to the rim or kicked it out to the shooters."
Xavier (17-14) was within two early in the game when back-to-back baskets by Mart'e Grays and Jenkins boosted the DePaul lead to 16-10.
That set off a 15-2 run as the Blue Demons surged in front 27-12 on a Jenkins three. The beginning of that run saw DePaul hit seven shots in a row. January already had 10 points with more than seven minutes left in the first half.
It was 27-16 when a Podkowa long-distance swish launched a 13-0 burst culminated by a McGee three-pointer for a 40-16 lead.
Jenkins wrapped up a terrific first half with a driving layup followed by a three-pointer seconds before the halftime buzzer for a 48-23 lead. The talented point guard from Whitney Young led all scorers with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.
DePaul shot 55.6 percent from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes and had a 10-1 advantage in long-distance baskets. Right there, that was a 27-point difference.
"The way we play our pressure defense, we need our bench," Bruno said. "Mart'e Grays (eight points, four rebounds, two steals) came in and hit some big shots.
"Brooke did some good things out there that didn't show up in the box score. Ashton Millender (five points, two rebounds, two assists) did a nice job. Our bench allows us to even out the minutes for our starters, and none of them played more than 25 minutes."
Notes: DePaul is 10-0 in the first game of the BIG EAST Tournament... DePaul has won four straight BIG EAST Tournament games... improves to 12-8 in BIG EAST Tournament games and is 32-21 all-time in conference tournament games... DePaul is 3-0 against the No. 7 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament... advances to the BIG EAST Semifinals for the fourth time... DePaul plays the winner of the Villanova/Butler game on Monday at 8 p.m... Blue Demons have won five straight, second longest winning streak of the season.... DePaul knocked down 14 3-pointers... 14 triples is the most by a DePaul team at the BIG EAST tournament... 14 steals is a DePaul BIG EAST record... knocked down 10 or more triples in 20 games this season... improves to 10-1 against Xavier and is 1-0 against the Musketeers in BIG EAST Tournament games.
