DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Robert Morris
Cain Leads DePaul in Season-Opening Win
11/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - Eli Cain scored 21 points to lead four in double-figures as DePaul knocked off Robert Morris, 78-72, in the season opener Sunday night. Darrick Wood added 13 points off the bench and Tre'Darius McCallum scored 12 for the Blue Demons.
DePaul (1-0) opened the game by converting the first six attempts from the field to take a 21-14 lead in the first eight minutes. Cain led the charge with 10 of DePaul's 21 points.
Robert Morris answered with an 8-0 run before Wood stopped the flurry to give the Blue Demons a 23-19 lead midway through the first half. The two teams traded baskets over the remainder of the first half as the Blue Demons held a 34-31 lead at halftime.
A 12-4 run ended with a three-pointer from Cain to push the DePaul advantage to 60-48 at the seven-minute mark and didn't get smaller than five points until the final minutes of the game. A three-pointer by Isaiah Still pulled Robert Morris to within two with 10 seconds remaining before Chris Harrison-Docks put the game away with two free throws.
McCallum added eight rebounds and six assists to his 12 points while Billy Garrett Jr. finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Still led Robert Morris (0-2) with a game-high 26 points.
Up next for DePaul is the Allstate Arena opener on Thursday night against Rutgers. The Blue Demons and Scarlet Knights are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start as the two sides clash in the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences.
Postgame Notes
- Eli Cain recorded his fifth career games of 20 or more points.
- Billy Garrett Jr. scored the first points of the season with two free throws on DePaul's first possession... he passed Bernard Randolph (1,161 points, 1979-83) for 33rd on DePaul's all-time scoring list... Garrett has 1,164 career points.
- DePaul extended its streak to 708 straight games with a three-pointer... Chris Harrison-Docks knocked down the first three of the season.
- DePaul is 82-12 all-time in season-opening games since the start of the 1923-24 season... the Blue Demons are also 87-7 in home openers... DePaul has won 11 straight home openers and 50 of the last 52 first home games.
- Sunday was the first meeting between the two programs... DePaul is 14-4 against teams in the Northeast Conference.
