DePaul University
Oklahoma
Coleman's Buzzer-Beater Brings Down the House
11/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO -- The clock was winding down on one of the most entertaining games ever played at McGrath-Phillips Arena and the ball was in Amarah Coleman's hands.
The play designed by DePaul coach Doug Bruno never materialized, so Coleman took it upon herself to swish a three-pointer at the buzzer for an pulsating 111-108 overtime victory over No. 21/21 Oklahoma Monday night.
"It was an accident," Coleman said with a smile. "There was a mix-up, and I thought: `Oh shoot.' I just tried to make a play."
And after the senior guard released the game-winning shot?
"When I let it go, I knew it was going in."
Coleman led six Blue Demons in double figures with a career-high 23 points for No. 20 DePaul (1-1) and went 5-of-7 from behind the arc. Ashton Millender poured in 21 points and Mart'e Grays added a career-high 18 points along with six rebounds.
Kelly Campbell stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, a career-high 10 assists and six boards while fellow sophomore Chante Stonewall contributed 16 points and a career-high seven steals.
Millender and Coleman connected from distance in overtime in staking the Blue Demons to a 108-105 lead with 1:25 left. As it had all game, Oklahoma (1-1) battled back to tie it 108-108 with 13 seconds to go.
The Sooners' fast start in the fourth quarter erased DePaul's six-point lead after three quarters, and it was all even 82-82. A Millender three made it 89-83, but Oklahoma came back to within 89-88.
Another Millender three gave her team a 98-93 lead, but again the Sooners bounced back to tie it 98-98. Millender's shot at the buzzer rimmed out and mandated overtime.
An early Campbell three put DePaul in front 56-55 at the outset of the third quarter. Oklahoma powered it way back to a 68-64 lead at the first media timeout.
The Blue Demons closed out the third quarter on a 13-4 run to surge ahead 80-74 as Stonewall was making plays all over the court.
DePaul opened the game with four consecutive bulls-eyes from three-point range. The Blue Demons went 6-for-11 over the first 10 minutes and Coleman scored 13 points to give the home team a 30-24 lead after one quarter.
Coleman was 5-of-6 from the floor and 3-for-3 from distance in the first quarter. She finished 9-for-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma started out quickly in the second quarter, and much of the way until halftime, the lead constantly went back and forth.
A 9-0 Sooners run put DePaul in a 46-40 hole, but Campbell, Grays and Stonewall brought the Blue Demons back to within 52-51. Millender scored five points just before halftime as DePaul went into the break trailing 55-53.
DePaul is back in action at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the second game of the Maggie Dixon Classic against Delaware State at Wintrust Arena.
Postgame Notes
- In the third meeting of these two national powers, DePaul leads Oklahoma 2-1.
- The Blue Demons' last nonconference win over a nationally ranked team was Nov. 27, 2016 when they topped No. 11/18 Syracuse 108-84 at the Gulf Coast Showcase.
- DePaul's 19 three-pointers ties a program record set at the Syracuse game at the Gulf Coast Showcase.
- The last time these two programs faced off before Monday was the explosive 2014 NCAA tournament opener won by the Blue Demons 104-100 in the highest-scoring game in the history of the NCAA women's tournament.
- DePaul's 111 point total was seven shy of the all-time Blue Demon record at McGrath-Phillips Arena. They scored 118 against Northwestern on Nov. 19, 2004.
- Oklahoma's 108 points was the most by an opponent at McGrath-Phillips Arena, surpassing Tennessee's 102 on Jan. 2, 2008.
- Campbell set a career high with 10 assists while Stonewall notched a career-best with seven steals. Coleman set career highs with 23 points and five 3-pointers. Grays established a career high with 18 points.
