Classic in Cancun: No. 16/16 DePaul vs.No. 14/15 Syracuse

CANCUN – Everything comes down to this Saturday showdown on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Just as the organizers of the Cancun Challenge (Triple Crown Sports) had envisioned, No. 16/16 DePaul and No. 14/15 Syracuse come into their final game of the event undefeated in Mexico.

After both of these national powers had defeated Princeton and Kansas State, they collide for the Mayan Tournament title..

After getting off to a slow start in the Thursday opener against Princeton, the Blue Demons looked more like their championship pedigree rocketing to a 25-point halftime lead against Kansas State (3-2) on Friday.

They will need the same kind of opening two quarters against a 5-1 Syracuse team whose only loss was by two points on the road at No. 3/3 Oregon.

The Orange are led by a multi-talented guard named Tiana Mangakahia, a junior from Australia who is averaging 16.2 points a game and leads her team in assists and steals.

A 6-foot, 2-inch freshman from France Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi has emerged as Syracuse's second-leading scorer at 10.3 points per game and is the leading rebounder averaging 6.2.

DePaul will attack with a lineup featuring four players averaging in double figures led by Ashton Millender at 15.8 points a game.

Chante Stonewall, who set the tone in her team's 79-59 victory over Kansas State on Friday, is scoring 12.5 points a game and is the top rebounder at 7.8 per game.

Mart'e Grays is averaging 11.8 points and Rebekah Dahlman is contributing 11 points a game.

After the season opener against Green Bay, the Blue Demons have been lights-out from the free throw line. They have converted 41-of-44 foul shots in the last three games which is a sizzling 93 percent clip.

Kelly Campbell has swished nine in a row and Stonewall her last five. Grays is 10-for-11 and Dahlman 7-for-8 in the last three games. That foursome has combined to make 94 percent of their free throws since Green Bay.

DePaul's juniors and seniors were on the team for the last meeting with Syracuse. That was at the Gulf Coast Showcase during Thanksgiving break of 2016 in Fort Myers, Fla.

That's when the Blue Demons put on a three-point shooting display with 19 shots from behind the arc that matched a program record in a memorable 108-84 victory over an Orange team that was ranked No. 11/18 coming into the game.

Classic in Cancun: No. 16/16 DePaul vs.No. 14/15 Syracuse

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Players Mentioned

Kelly Campbell

Rebekah Dahlman

Martè Grays

Ashton Millender

Chante Stonewall

DePaul University Athletics