DePaul University Athletics
Curington Ready With a Rapid Response
12/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - The way R.J. Curington looked at it, he and his teammates had no alternative other than to play the way they did Tuesday night in an 80-61 victory over Lamar.
They were out for redemption after a subpar performance over the weekend in a loss at Northwestern.
"We had no choice after a game like that," said Curington, who contributed 11 points and six rebounds in 14 productive minutes. "We wanted to bounce back right away and redeem ourselves."
Curington's role on this team requires both patience and the ability to fire up your game at a moment's notice. It takes a certain kind of mindset coming off the bench and providing an instant spark while never knowing when you'll be called upon.
The senior guard's productive outing against Northwestern led to an early call from coach Dave Leitao against Lamar. Curington responded with five points and five rebounds in eight minutes during the first half.
"After Northwestern, I was hopeful of getting some more playing time," Curington said. "You always have to be ready. When coach called on me, I was both excited and prepared at the same time. I had studied the scouting report, and knowing Lamar's tendencies and what they like to run helped me.
"In the first half Tuesday night, it was energy and execution that brought about results. I kept thinking if I followed the game plan, I would be successful."
In the locker room at halftime, Curington was again hopeful that his performance in the first half would translate into more time on the floor in the second half.
"Again, you never know," he said. "Just be patient and be ready."
In the middle of the second half, Leitao motioned for the senior. Not long after he hit the floor, Curington put back a rebound and was fouled. That resulted in a three-point play.
Two possessions later, Joe Hanel stole the ball and fed R.J. for another layup---and again Lamar committed a foul. Curington converted a second successive three-point play.
"Joe made a nice play on the steal and then made a good pass to put me in position to score," Curington said. "Those three-point plays are the kind of thing that can kill a team's motivation, especially when they come back-to-back.
"Now, we have to keep it going on Saturday."
DePaul (5-2) faces Temple (6-2) at 10:30 a.m. in the Miami Hoophall Invitational in Florida. Temple has won five in a row including a pair of victories over Top 25 teams.
