DePaul University
Creighton
Blue Demons Fall Short of Comeback Against Creighton
1/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score: Creighton 91, DePaul 80 
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Despite a valiant effort in crunch time, DePaul couldn't come up with the winning formula on Sunday.
The Blue Demons finished with four players in double figures during a 91-80 BIG EAST loss against Creighton at Allstate Arena.
Myke Henry and Eli Cain led the way with 21 points apiece as Henry hit 10-of-12 shots and Cain recorded a career high. Tommy Hamilton IV contributed 13 points and eight rebounds while Billy Garrett Jr. finished with 10 points, six boards and four assists. Rashaun Stimage had eight points and six rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time.
Isaiah Zierden was red-hot with a game-high 31 points that included 8-of-11 from three-point range. Creighton (13-6, 4-2 in the BIG EAST) was 13-of-26 from distance.
After falling behind by nine down the stretch, DePaul rallied behind two baskets from Henry and one from Garrett. That made it 78-75 with 2:34 left in the game.
Creighton retaliated with a 7-0 run for an 85-75 lead with 1:11 on the clock.
"It's getting to be an old story, battle just enough not to succeed," said DePaul coach Dave Leitao as the Blue Demons fell to 6-12 on the season and 0-6 in conference. "Each game, it's something. Today it was transition defense and loose-ball turnovers (DePaul committed 18 turnovers).
"It gets frustrating. When you're not maximizing your performance, the end result will be the same. If we can't make the proper adjustments, we will continue to have these results.
"When it was 78-75, we didn't have good execution on offense after that and they capitalized on our turnovers. Maurice Watson Jr. is one of the craftiest guards we have faced all year. He is going to make the right play at the right time."
The Blue Demons opened the second half with a 9-3 run in erasing a six-point halftime deficit. Stimage scored twice inside and Cain's three-pointer evened the score at 50-50.
Back came Zierden with back-to-back threes and a six-point Bluejay advantage at the first media timeout. Zierden's sixth long-distance connection upped the lead to 59-52.
Back-to-back Henry scores down low brought his team within 64-58, but a James Milliken basket restored the margin to eight midway through the second half.
Down by 11, Stimage scored on a tough basket inside and Cain followed with a three-point play. Those gains were nullified by a Geoffrey Groselle score and yet another three from Zierden. That was his eighth 3-pointer.
"It's not the number of three-pointers that hurt us," Leitao said. "It's more the amount of comfort the other team has shooting threes against us."
Cain, Henry and Garrett sparked a 6-0 run as DePaul closed to 74-69 with 5:55 left in the game. The Bluejays responded with four unanswered points.
"We were not executing on offense," Henry said about Creighton's 7-0 run after his team had pulled within 78-75. "When we don't execute our plays, that happens. It's DePaul beating DePaul---that's all it is.
"They took advantage of our lack of execution. Once we fix that, these close losses will turn into wins. We've still got 12 games left in conference, and we have to move forward."
DePaul came out playing some of its best team offense right after the opening tip. Garrett penetrated and then dished to Cain, Hamilton and Henry for consecutive three-pointers.
Hamilton followed with a nice pass inside to Stimage for a layup and it was four baskets on four assists as the Blue Demons sprinted to an 11-0 lead by the first media timeout.
Creighton didn't score until more than four minutes into the game. After an R.J. Curington put-back put DePaul ahead 18-7, the Bluejays went on an 11-0 run that included three-straight from beyond the arc to tie it at 18-18.
Creighton's first lead came after its fifth three-pointer of the game made it 21-20. That's when Hamilton responded with a three-point play. It was tied at 25 when Bluejay Zach Hanson made it 28-25 on a three-point play.
Trailing by five, the Blue Demons evened the count at 30-30 on a Hamilton basket and Curington's three. A pair of Hamilton free throws left the home team down 37-36 with less than four minutes to go in the first half.
By that point in the game, Hamilton had 13 points and four rebounds---making all four of his shots including two from distance and all three free throws.
Eight consecutive Zierden points staked Creighton to a 45-36 advantage. The Blue Demons were trying to hang tough while Hamilton, Henry and Stimage were on the bench with two fouls each.
Garrett ignited a 5-0 burst with a pair of free throws and driving layup. Watson's buzzer-beating jumper off a long rebound left Creighton with a 47-41 lead at halftime.
DePaul returns to BIG EAST action with a 7 p.m. game Wednesday at Marquette that will be televised on FS1.
POSTGAME NOTES: Billy Garrett Jr. (1,026 points) passed Mac Koshwal (2007-10) for 46th on the DePaul all-time scoring list when he scored his fourth point of the game... the combined 88 points in the first half were the most in a first half this season... previous high was 87 against Chicago State on Dec. 5... the 21 points each by Myke Henry and Eli Cain mark the second game this season with two 20-point scorers in same game... Tommy Hamilton IV made his 50th career start for the Blue Demons... Sunday's game was No. 50 for Henry in a DePaul uniform... DePaul leads the series, 16-13... Creighton has won three straight games between the two programs... the two teams meet again Feb. 6 in Omaha.
