DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
#11/18 Syracuse
No. 18/17 DePaul Rains Down Threes on Syracuse
11/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
ESTERO, Fla. - Right from the start, No. 18/17 DePaul was raining down threes with no letup Sunday in the Gulf Coast Showcase third-place game.
Ashton Millender hit three in a row to open the game and the Blue Demons went on to bury a school-record 19 from behind the arc in a resounding 108-84 victory over No. 11/18 Syracuse.
DePaul improved to 5-1 and had the Germain Arena crowd buzzing after the long-distance show made possible by the team's season-high 32 assists on 36 baskets.
Jessica January tied a career high with 13 assists to go along with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Brooke Schulte had a career-high 21 points while Jacqui Grant scored 19 points and Millender added 14.
Knocking down seven from long range in the first quarter propelled the Blue Demons to a quick 29-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. During one stretch, Amarah Coleman, Tanita Allen and Kelly Campbell buried successive three-pointers.
Schulte took over in the second quarter, connecting on a trio of shots from beyond the arc and scoring 11 points to help stake DePaul to a 54-37 lead at halftime. Coach Doug Bruno's team had 11 three-pointers in the first half.
In the first 20 minutes, the pass-happy Blue Demons had 15 assists on 19 baskets. January had seven assists in the first half.
Making sure they didn't cool off during the intermission, Millender and January opened the second half with three-pointers and Bruno's crew was off and running.
The closest Syracuse (4-3) could come in the second half was 13 points. The Orange came within 84-70 in the fourth quarter when DePaul answered with a 5-0 run. Grant scored 15 points in the final quarter, including a trio of threes.
Next on the Blue Demons' rugged nonconference schedule is a 6 p.m. showdown on Thursday at No. 2/2 Connecticut.
Notes:
- Schulte's career-high 21 points came on 7-of-12 shooting, a trio of threes and 4-of-4 from the line.
- The Blue Demons set a new program record with 19 three-pointers... previously, DePaul made 17 against Seton Hall on Feb. 13, 2015...
- 19 3-pointers ties for the most by a DI team this season… Washington and Sacramento State also tallied 19 triples in a single game… entering today's game, DePaul led DI with 12.4 3-pointers per game… DePaul is now averaging 14.0 triples per game..
- DePaul's 32 assists ties for the third most in school history and the most since Jan. 27, 1995 when the Blue Demons dished out 32 against UAB... season-best 32 assists (on 36 baskets)... averaging 22.3 assists per game
- DePaul's 39 3-point field goal attempts are ties for the fourth most in school history
- DePaul scored 100 points for the first time this season and for the 43rd time in school history… 108 points are the most DePaul has scored this season and the program's most since it scored 109 at Loyola-Chicago on Dec. 17, 2014.
- January tied a career-high with 13 assists to lead the team and was named to the all-tournament team.
- Millender has reached double-figures in all six games.
- January's three steals lifted her past Melanee Ehrhardt for 10th all-time.
