DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Face Red Storm Sunday Afternoon
12/31/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul plays the first of nine home BIG EAST games on Sunday afternoon with the St. John's Red Storm visiting Rosemont. The Blue Demons started the conference slate on the road Wednesday night as they lost 68-65 at No. 1 Villanova.
Sunday's game will be televised on FS1 with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Dickey Simpkins (analyst) handling the television duties. The game can also be seen online and on mobile devices via FOX Sports Go. DePaul's radio tandem of Laurence Holmes (play-by-play) and Dave Corzine (analyst) can be heard on WSCR 670 AM as well as online on BlueTube at www.depaulbluedemons.com. Live stats can be found on GameTracker at www.depaulbluedemons.com while in-game scoring updates and notes can be followed on Twitter at @DePaulSID.
St. John's stands at 7-7 overall and 1-0 in the BIG EAST following a 76-73 win against No. 13/13 Butler on Thursday. The Blue Demons are also 7-7 overall and hold an 0-1 record in league play following the three-point loss at Villanova. Head coach Dave Leitao is in his fifth season at DePaul and his second since returning to the program after leading the Blue Demons three postseasons in three years from 2002-05. Overall, the 2016-17 campaign is Leitao's 11th as a head coach at the collegiate level. St. John's is led by Chris Mullin who is in his second season leading the Red Storm.
Following Sunday's game, DePaul travels to Seton Hall on Saturday, Jan. 7. The Blue Demons and Pirates are scheduled for a Noon ET start at Prudential Center on CBS Sports Network and WSCR 670 AM.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,435-971 (.596) all-time... the 82-61 win over No. 20/20 George Washington on Dec. 22, 2015 was win No. 1,425 since start of 1923-24 season... according to ESPN, DePaul's margin of victory over No. 20/20 George Washington was the largest in program history as an unranked team over a ranked opponent... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 721 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... the Blue Demons are 341-176 (.660) all-time at Allstate Arena... DePaul is 12-3 (.800) all-time in games at McGrath-Phillips Arena.
The Opponent - St. John's Red Storm: St. John's stands at 7-7 overall and 1-0 in the BIG EAST following a 68-65 win over No. 13/13 Butler on Thursday... Shamorie Ponds leads the team with 17.9 points per game and 43 three-pointers... Marcus Lovett adds 16.1 points and Bashir Ahmed chips in 12.9 points with a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game... as a team, the Red Storm is averaging 10 three-pointers per game... head coach Chris Mullin is in his second season at St. John's... DePaul head coach Dave Leitao is 1-1 all-time against St. John's.
The Series: Sunday is the 38th all-time meeting between the two programs... the Red Storm holds a 20-17 advantage in the series... the two sides have split the last six meetings... a year ago, each team won its on home floor... St. John's posted an 80-65 win at Carnesecca Arena on Feb. 17... the Blue Demons won at Allstate Arena, 83-75, on Feb. 25... 10 of the last 13 meetings have been decided by nine points or less including three overtime games.
The Last Meeting: Billy Garrett's 19-point, 10-assist double-double led DePaul to an 83-75 win at Allstate Arena on Feb. 26, 2016... Myke Henry had 17 points and eight rebounds while Eli Cain contributed 16 points... Tommy Hamilton IV scored 10 points and Rashaun Stimage added nine points and six boards... St. John's Ron Mvouika had a game-high 20 points... DePaul shot .655 from the field and led 45-28 at halftime... St. John's went on a 10-2 run to come within 54-43... St. John's made a late run but could not come any closer than six... The Blue Demons outrebounded St. John's 38-29 after losing the battle of the boards at St. John's a week earlier.
It Could Happen: Billy Garrett Jr. (1,361 points) enters the game tied for 19th on DePaul's all-time scoring list with Will Walker (1,361 points, 2006-10)... with three three-pointers, Garret (113 3pt. FG) passes Sammy Mejia (115 3pt. FG, 2003-07) for 14th place... Garrett (372 assists) needs two assists to pass Cliff Clinkscales (373 assists, 2004-08) for 10th on the career assist list... Chris Harrison-Docks is playing in his 85th career collegiate game (10 at DePaul/74 at Western Kentucky).
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 68-65 loss at No. 1/1 Villanova on Wednesday:
- DePaul is 2-10 all-time in BIG EAST openers.
- DePaul's seven turnovers are the fewest in a game since recording seven at Milwaukee on Nov. 19, 2013.
- The Blue Demons faced the No. 1-ranked team for the 23rd time in program history... DePaul is 3-20 all-time against the top-ranked team... the last win over a No. 1-ranked team was a 63-61 victory against La Salle on Dec. 27, 1952 at the MSG Holiday Festival.
- DePaul has overcome a second-half double-digit deficit four times this season... previously the Blue Demons erased a 10-point lead in the second half by Missouri State, Drake and Southeast Missouri State.
- Billy Garrett Jr. recorded his 75th career game in double-figures... Garrett (1,361 points) finished the game tied with Will Walker (1,361 points, 2006-10) for 19th on DePaul's all-time scoring list.
- Villanova leads the series, 23-8.
Trendy: Over the last four games, DePaul is shooting .794 (54-68) as a team from the free throw line... the Blue Demons scored a season-low 58 points in games against Wyoming and Missouri State at the Las Vegas Classic... since the start 2010-11 season (203 games), DePaul has scored less than 60 points in back-to-back games seven times... the Blue Demons totaled 42 assists in the last back-to-back games against Chicago State and Southeast Missouri State... it marks the first back-to-back games with 20 or more assists since the 2006-07 season... the Blue Demons totaled 20 assists against California on Dec. 23 and 22 against Northwestern State on Dec. 29... a year ago, DePaul totaled 20 assists just once during the season... DePaul is outscoring opponents 584-509 in the second half this season... on the flip side, the Blue Demons have been outscored, 472-430, in the first half... the opponent has won the opening tip four times this season... DePaul is 3-1 in those games... when the Blue Demon win the opening tip, they are 4-6.
Demon Deficits: DePaul erased double-digit deficits in the second half in four different games this season. The Blue Demons accomplished the feat in back-to-back games against Missouri State and Drake in November. Most recently, the Blue Demons created a double-digit comeback against Southeast Missouri State and Villanova.
The Nov. 23 game against Missouri State saw the Bears hold a 58-45 lead with 7:29 left on the clock. DePaul came back and Billy Garrett Jr.'s 14-foot jumper capped the rally just before the buzzer to give the Blue Demons a 68-66 win.
DePaul trailed Drake, 64-49, midway through the second half on Nov. 30 before taking the lead with 40 seconds left on a three-point play by Eli Cain. The Blue Demons went on to win that game by a score of 77-75. The 15-point deficit was the largest deficit overcome since DePaul trailed by 16 against USF on Feb. 9, 2008. The Blue Demons won that game, 69-61.
The Dec. 19 game against Southeast Missouri State saw both sides of the spectrum as DePaul built a 15-point advantage midway through the first half. The Redhawks stormed back and led, 38-33, at halftime. Southeast Missouri increased its lead to as high as 14 points with 13:39 left in the game before DePaul took a 62-60 lead with 7:42 left on a layup by R.J. Curington.
DePaul put together a 14-0 run to turn a 51-39 lead for Villanova into a 53-51 lead over a five-minute span in the second half on Dec. 28. The Blue Demons came up short in that game, 68-65, against the top-ranked Wildcats.
Last Run in Rosemont: DePaul is in its 37th and final season in 2016-17 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Blue Demons are 341-176 (.660) all-time in Rosemont. DePaul University played its first season at the then-named Rosemont Horizon in 1980. The Blue Demons debuted in Rosemont with a 74-56 win over Gonzaga and John Stockton on Dec. 1, 1980. The first of DePaul's final 15 games in Rosemont was Nov. 17 against Rutgers in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
DePaul's game at Allstate Arena against Chicago State on Dec. 5 was the 500th game in program history at the facility. Of the 517 games played in the arena, DePaul head coach Dave Leitao has coached in 66 games. He holds a record of 47-19 (.712) in Rosemont.
New Home on the Horizon: Wintrust Arena is set to host DePaul basketball starting in the 2017-18 season. The 10,387-seat arena near McCormick Place in the South Loop area of the city is a joint project between the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and DePaul University. For more on Wintrust Arena, go to www.homecourtchicago.com.
On Deck: DePaul travels to Seton Hall on Saturday, Jan. 7... Saturday will be the 19th meeting between the two programs... Seton Hall leads the series, 12-6... the Pirates have won the last two games after DePaul claimed three straight wins... Seton Hall recorded a 78-74 win in Newark and an 80-66 decision in Rosemont last season... Seton Hall is 10-3 overall and 0-1 in BIG EAST play... the Pirates host Marquette on Sunday afternoon.
