DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Villanova
Blue Demons Drop Contest to No. 1 Villanova
2/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score: Villanova 86, DePaul 59 
ROSEMONT, Ill. - DePaul went up against the best team in the nation Tuesday night according to voters in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
And the Blue Demons found out why Villanova is held in such high regard during an 86-59 BIG EAST Conference loss at Allstate Arena.
Eli Cain led DePaul (8-16, 2-10 in the BIG EAST) with 15 points while Myke Henry contributed nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Josh Hart paced No. 1/1 Villanova (21-3, 11-1) with a game-high 18 points and Darryl Reynolds added 14. This was the Wildcats' first game since ascending to the top spot for the first time in program history.
Villanova opened the second half demonstrating why it is the top-ranked team in the country. The Wildcats hit three consecutive shots from behind the arc to extend a 41-29 halftime lead to 50-29.
Six straight points from Jalen Brunson made it a 15-0 run. Tommy Hamilton IV scored DePaul's first points of the second half on a three-pointer with five minutes gone. By that time, Villanova had built an insurmountable 56-32 lead.
"They came out and couldn't miss," Cain said. "We missed defensive assignments. They ran ball-screens and got wide-open threes.
"We were turning the ball over and not making the right reads. Then we started taking selfish shots. They are a good team, but our mistakes and selfish shots led to a lot of their points."
It was 61-34 when Henry drilled a three-pointer, and Aaron Simpson followed with one of his own. Villanova continued making shots and went ahead 74-46 with six minutes to go.
This was the second time DePaul has faced a team ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press at Allstate Arena. The Blue Demons fell to No. 1 Syracuse 87-68 on Jan. 1, 2012.
"We haven't played a team as efficient on both ends of the court as Villanova," said DePaul coach Dave Leitao. "They are experienced and good in a lot of facets of the game. They get great guard play with their decision-making, ball movement and shot-making.
"We were playing a program---and all credit to coach Jay Wright---that has played at a high level for 15 years. Their guys believe wholeheartedly in their brand---their record shows it and their ranking does, too."
DePaul missed its first four shots and fell into an 8-0 hole from the opening tip. Cain scored almost four minutes into the game on a nice move inside.
Back-to-back threes from Hart ignited a 6-0 burst as Villanova moved in front 16-2 early in the first half. The Blue Demons responded with seven unanswered points including a Billy Garrett Jr. three-pointer. Back came Hart with a three-point play.
Garrett's three marked the 700th consecutive game that a Blue Demon has converted from behind the arc---a streak that dates back to February, 1993.
Converting just three of its first 15 shots, DePaul trailed 21-11 with 7:58 left in the first half. It was 30-17 when Henry drained a long jumper, Cain swished a three and Peter Ryckbosch scored inside on a nifty pass from Garrett in cutting the deficit to 32-24.
With his team down by 11, Cain scored on a three-point play to make it 37-29. But the Wildcats finished with the last four points of the first half for a 41-29 lead.
"Myke took some quick shots and went to places where it was difficult for him to score," Leitao said. "Villanova had something to do with that. They were crowding him, and Myke started pressing and didn't allow the game to come to him.
"Defensively, they crowd the basket and crowd the floor. They play you inside-out, put on a three-quarter court press and keep you continually off balance.
"We were playing the No. 1 team in the country, and you'd better bring you're `A' game. When you turn the ball over 19 times, you didn't bring your `A' game."
DePaul returns to action on Feb. 17 with a 7 p.m. BIG EAST game at St. John's that will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
POSTGAME NOTES: With a Billy Garrett Jr. three-point field goal early in the first half, DePaul's streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer extended to 700 games... Eli Cain reached double-figure points for the fourth time in five games... Tuesday marked the third straight game that Myke Henry secured eight or more rebounds... DePaul is now 3-19 all-time in games against No. 1 teams... Villanova leads the series, 21-8, with 11 straight wins.
