DePaul University
Alabama A&M
Five Straight for DePaul Following Monday Night Win
12/11/2017 12:00:00âŻAM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO -- Offense came from everywhere Monday night as 10 different Blue Demons scored at least two points and DePaul hit 11 three-pointers en route to a 83-59 win over Alabama A&M. Six different players knocked down a three-pointer as DePaul won for the fifth straight time.
On the night Max Strus, Tre'Darius McCallum and Brandon Cyrus led the host with 14, 13 and 12 points respectively. Six Blue Demons finished with at least nine points and six Blue Demons hit a three-pointer as DePaul shot 53.4% from the field on the game. Off the bench Austin Grandstaff contributed a career high 11 for DePaul, and Paul Reed scored his first ever collegiate points, finishing with nine on the evening.
Starting from the opening whistle DePaul (6-4) jumped out to an early lead Monday evening as five Strus points in the first three minutes of game action powered the host to a 9-3 advantage. The Blue Demons would keep their foot on the gas pedal all first half. Within a 30-second span between 16:08 and 15:38, back-to-back threes from Cyrus and Eli Cain pushed the DePaul lead to 16-5.
A 32-17 run over the final 15 minutes of the opening half, gave the Blue Demons a 48-22 lead going into the intermission. Eight players, led by Justin Roberts with nine, registered at least two first half points for DePaul as the host shot 60% from the floor versus the Bulldogs 29%.
Leading by 26 to begin the second half, Alabama A&M (0-9) would claw back to within 19 at the 15-minute mark. However, over the next four minutes, behind an 8-0 run that featured six points from Reed, DePaul would put the game out of reach, mixing in reserves in the closing minutes.
Alabama A&M's De'Ederick Petty led all game scorers with 21 points while Arthur Johnson added 13 points.
The Blue Demons continue non-conference play on Saturday when Northwestern visits Wintrust Arena. Start time is scheduled for 1 p.m. on FS1 and WSCR 670 The Score.
Postgame Notes
- The win was the fifth straight for the Blue Demons marking their longest win streak since a seven-game win streak from Nov. 23-Dec. 9, 2012.
- The 48 first-half points are the second-highest total in half this season by the Blue Demons... DePaul scored 49 in the first half against Portland on Nov. 26 in the final game of the PK80 Invitational.
- DePaul scored at least 80 points for the fourth time in the last five games.
- With the win, the Blue Demons improve to 4-1 at Wintrust Arena.
- The Blue Demons totaled a season-high 24 assists on 31 field goals for the game... in the first half alone, 15-of-18 field goals were assisted.
- DePaul recorded its third win of the season with at least a 20-point margin... the Blue Demons also defeated Central Connecticut, 85-57, on Dec. 6 and Delaware State, 81-57, on Nov. 13.
- DePaul extended its streak to 749 straight games with a three-pointer... the 11 three-pointers marked the second game with at least 10 threes this season.
- Monday was the first meeting between the two programs... DePaul is 10-0 all-time against the current membership of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
