DePaul Charges Past Chicago State 109-61

Saturday, December 17

Allstate Arena

1:00 PM

DePaul University

109

Chicago State

12/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Dec. 17, 2016

Box Score

ROSEMONT, Ill. - There was no better time than Saturday for DePaul to snap a two-game nonconference skid.

The Blue Demons did just that with one of the most explosive first-half performances in recent memory leading to a 109-61 victory over Chicago State in the opener of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. DePaul's first two games of the Classic are at Allstate Arena with the final two at Las Vegas.

Eli Cain led the crowd-pleasing Allstate Arena effort with a career-high 31 points and tied a career high with five three pointers in the first half alone---finishing with seven. That paved the way for his 20 points in the first 20 minutes while Tre'Darius McCallum had 10 points and nine rebounds by halftime---finishing with a career-high 18 points along with 12 boards.

Brandon Cyrus added 13 points and six rebounds while Devin Gage had nine points and seven assists.

The 109 points were the most the Blue Demons have scored this season. The last time they cracked the century mark was Dec. 10, 2011 in a 102-95 victory over Chicago State.

The 60-22 halftime lead was the most points scored by the Blue Demons in a half this season, eclipsing the 48 they put up against Drake in the second half last month. Cain & Co. shot nearly 68 percent from the floor in the first half and converted 70 percent of their three-pointers.

Cain came out on fire, swishing his first four attempts from beyond the arc after the opening tip. His team made nine of its first 13 shots in shooting out to a quick 24-4 lead. Chicago State converted on two of its first 11 shots.

There was simply no letup the rest of the first half. A 10-0 burst with McCallum scoring five points extended the margin to 37-11. McCallum and Cain kept the offense going as Cain's fifth basket from long distance made it 46-15. That tied a career high for three-pointers in a game.

Freshmen Al Eichelberger and Cyrus kept the assault going at the end of the first half in boosting DePaul to that 38-point margin at intermission.

McCallum continued in his best game as a Blue Demon in the second half, and his second connection from long distance made it 71-34. Cain drilled his career-high sixth 3-pointer in the middle of the second half to give DePaul a 40-point lead. A Cyrus layup with less than four minutes to go put the Blue Demons over the 100-point mark.

Game two of the Classic takes place at 8 p.m. Monday when the Blue Demons face Southeast Missouri State.

Postgame Notes

The game was DePaul's first with 100 points since a 102-95 win over Chicago State on Dec. 10, 2011... the Blue Demons have scored at least 100 points in 71 games.

DePaul's 60-point first half was the first time scoring at least 60 in a half since March 2, 2008... the Blue Demons scored 60 in the second half against Notre Dame in a 98-91 loss at Allstate Arena.