DePaul University
Xavier
DePaul Drops Home Finale to Xavier
3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
ROSEMONT, Ill. - In the final game at Allstate Arena for DePaul basketball the Blue Demons fell, 79-65, to Xavier. Billy Garrett Jr. led the Blue Demons with 17 points while Eli Cain and Chris Harrison-Docks added 15 and 11 each.
In a pregame ceremony DePaul honored their five graduating seniors - R.J. Curington, Garrett, Harrison-Docks, Peter Ryckbosch and Darrick Wood.
DePaul (9-22, 2-16 BIG EAST) grabbed an early lead Saturday by scoring the first nine points of the afternoon. Xavier outscored the Blue Demons, 33-21, to finish the half and the Musketeers went into the intermission up 33-30.
Cain finished the first half with nine points for DePaul while Brandon Cyrus added eight.
DePaul and Xavier (19-12, 9-9 BIG EAST) traded baskets to start the second half. With 11 minutes to go the Blue Demons trailed 48-47, but the Musketeers scored seven straight points with a Trevon Bluiett three-pointer pushing their advantage to 57-49 with just under nine minutes remaining. The Blue Demons could get no closer the five as Xavier pulled away late in the game.
Bluiett led all game scorers with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Malcom Bernard chipped in 13 points.
The two teams meet again in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament on Wednesday. DePaul is the No. 10 seed and faces seventh-seeded Xavier at 8:30 p.m. CT at Madison Square Garden. The game can be seen on FS1 and WSCR 670 AM.
Postgame Notes
- The game was the 526th and last for DePaul in Rosemont... the Blue Demons played their first game at the Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena) on Dec. 1, 1980.
- Eli Cain passed the 800-point plateau... he recorded his 38th career game in double-figures.
- Billy Garrett Jr. moved into ninth on DePaul's all-time scoring list... he passed Dallas Comegys (1,613 points, 1983-87)... Garrett's notched his 90th career game in double-figures.
- Chris Harrison-Docks recorded his second four-point play of the season.
- Xavier leads the series, 10-9... the Musketeers have won five straight... the two teams meet again on Wednesday in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament.
