DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Southeast Missouri State
Blue Demons Rally to Down Redhawks
12/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Clutch free throws by Billy Garrett Jr. and Tre'Darius McCallum led DePaul to an 81-78 victory over Southeast Missouri State Monday night at Allstate Arena.
A gritty second-half comeback gave DePaul (7-4) two wins in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. After the first two games at Allstate Arena, the final two are set for Las Vegas.
This followed the Blue Demons' best performance of the early season, last Saturday's 109-61 triumph over Chicago State in the Classic opener.
Garrett led the Blue Demons with 19 points and eight assists while Eli Cain scored 15 points. R.J. Curington came off the bench to score 13 and Devin Gage had a season-high 11 points. McCallum finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Antonius Cleveland had 28 for Southeast Missouri State (4-8).
A Curington three and two Garrett foul shots gave DePaul a 77-72 lead. Southeast Missouri State's eight-straight points put the Redhawks ahead 80-77 until Garrett hit two more free throws.
DePaul fell behind 38-33 after an erratic first half and watched Southeast Missouri State move in front by 14 early in the second half. Gage provided a spark for DePaul until Garrett ignited a 15-2 Blue Demon burst that cut the deficit to 59-58. Garrett's layup tied it 60-60 and Curington's basket put his team on top.
The lead went back and forth until Cain hit back-to-back threes and assisted on a Joe Hanel layup as DePaul went ahead 72-67. The Redhawks retaliated and it was tied 72-72.
Early on, the Blue Demons were setting up Joe Hanel for layups as the junior forward helped get his team off to a 15-8 lead by the second media timeout. Cain was whistled for three fouls in the first half and was on the floor for just five minutes.
That early burst turned into a 16-4 DePaul run culminated by Gage and Erten Gazi connecting on back-to-back threes. Southeast Missouri came back with a 12-2 response as Jamaal Calvin buried a pair of threes.
The Blue Demons went up by nine after a pair of Garrett free throws. Those foul shots lifted Garrett to No. 2 all-time in free throws at DePaul, trailing only Stephen Howard (1988-92).
The Redhawks were red-hot from beyond the arc, and Calvin sparked a 15-2 run that had the visitors surging into halftime with a 38-33 advantage. Calvin made all five from long distance and had 17 points by intermission before finishing with 20.
Game three of the Classic takes place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday when the Blue Demons face Wyoming in a matchup that will be televised by FS1.
Postgame Notes
- With his second free throw made in the first half, Billy Garrett Jr. passed Ron Sobieszczyk (470 free throws, 1953-56) for second all-time in program history... Garrett now has 477 free throws in his Blue Demon career.
- Garrett (1,311 points) moved into 22nd for career points in DePaul history, passing Jim Lamkin (1951-55, 1,306 points).
- Eli Cain has scored double digits in 10 of 11 games this season... Cain totaled 13 of his 15 points in the second half.
- Devin Gage recorded career highs with 11 points and three rebounds... in the last two games, Gage is 9-for-13 (.692) from the field.
- R.J. Curington's 13 points were the most for the senior since the guard scored a career-high 22 points against Providence on Feb. 1, 2014.
- The Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 718 straight games.
- DePaul leads the all-time series against the Redhawks, 4-0.
