DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Louisville
January Helps DePaul March Into the Sweet 16
3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score: DePaul 73, Louisville 72 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Jessica January scored 18 of her season-high 25 points in the first half and No. 6 seed DePaul topped third-seeded Louisville 73-72 on Sunday in the second round of the women's NCAA tournament.
January's final point was the decisive margin as the junior guard made the second of two free throws with 14.5 seconds. She also had a team-high eight rebounds and five of DePaul's 14 assists.
No. 20/21 DePaul (27-8) now heads to the Dallas Regional for its third Sweet 16 since 2011 and fourth in Coach Doug Bruno's 30-year tenure. The Blue Demons will play the winner of the St. Bonaventure/Oregon State game
Chanise Jenkins and Ashton Millender each added 12 points for the Blue Demons who shot 47.2 percent for the game. Millender went 5-for-5 which included a pair key 3-pointers. Heading into the fourth quarter DePaul was 22-of-42 for a sizzling 52.4 percent.
With hot shooting, brilliant passing and defensive pressure the Blue Demons led by as many as 10 points - 65-55 with just over eight minutes to play. Louisville (26-8) fought back and tied the game at 69 with 2:51 remaining.
Briahanna Jackson led the Cardinals with scored 20 points, 16 in the second half. Her reverse layup again tied the game at 72 with 15 seconds left. She fouled out attempting a steal on the following inbounds, sending January to line.
Louisville had the chance for the win but Myisha Hines-Allen was called for a charge with 1.7 seconds left after driving to the basket.
DePaul advanced the ball with a timeout. The Cardinals stole the inbounds pass but Mariya Moore's three-quarter court heave was well short.
DePaul's pressure allowed just six Cardinals score. Asia Durr had 15 points, seven coming early in the fourth quarter comeback. Hines-Allen, the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, and Moore each had 14.
The Cardinals had multiple chances to take the lead in the final minute while playing in front of a home crowd of 7,515. Hines-Allen missed a jumper with 36 seconds left and Jackson could not convert the putback after grabbing an offensive rebound.
DePaul led 40-32 at half. The Cardinals opened the third period on a 16-6 run and pulled within one (46-45) on a Moore 3-pointer with 6:47 left in the third quarter. Just like DePaul had done all game, the answered Louisville's run and responded with two 3s of its own in less than a minute and pushed back to a 53-45 advantage midway through the period.
The Cardinals again fought back to trail by 3 before going scoreless in the last 2:41 of the quarter.
January started a 6-0 DePaul run to the end the period with a slick assist and the Blue Demons led 62-53 after three quarters.
Notes: DePaul has won 11-straigth road games sets a new DePaul school record... the previous-record was 10-straight in 1987-88… DePaul has defeated four top 25 teams - all on the road this season… DePaul's four top 25 road wins are the most ever in a single season for the Blue Demons… DePaul has also defeated No. 15/16 Texas A&M, No. 12/13 Northwestern, No. 25/20 Seton Hall and now No. 8/8 Louisville… DePaul's win over the eighth-ranked team is the team's best win since defeating Stanford in Dec. of 2010 at McGrath-Phillips Arena… the win on Sunday was the first for DePaul against a No. 3 seed in program history (0-2 before Sunday)... with the victory, the Blue Demons head to their fourth Sweet Sixteen in program history and the second in the last three years... DePaul leads the all-time series against the Cardinals 17-15... first win in Louisville since 2005 - the Cardinals had won five straight on their home floor.
The Associated Press contributed to this release.
