Blue Demons Improve to 8-0 at Home

Wednesday, December 19

Wintrust Arena

7:30 P.M. CT

DePaul University

8-2

Incarnate Word

5-8

Incarnate Word

DePaul

12/19/2018 10:40:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes

Eli Cain leads five in double figures with 20 points

CHICAGO – Eli Cain led the way for DePaul as the Blue Demons won their third straight game by double-digits, beating Incarnate Word 81-71, Wednesday night at the Wintrust Arena. Cain's 20 points led five players in double figures for DePaul.

Five Blue Demons finished in double-digits for the third straight game as Max Strus posted 18 points, Paul Reed scored 14 points, Femi Olujobi added 11 and Devin Gage finished with 10 points.

DePaul (8-2) outscored the Cardinals 44-16 in the paint as the Blue Demons finished 30-of-48 (.625) from the field on the game.

The Blue Demons started sluggish before Cain gave the Blue Demons a lift with three-pointers on four consecutive possessions. His personal 12-point flurry covered a 2 minute and 34 second stretch, catapulting DePaul back in front 36-30.

Over the final two minutes of the half, DePaul would not be denied its ninth halftime lead in 10 games to start the season as five unanswered points from Strus sent the Blue Demons into the intermission with a 42-38 advantage.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Strus followed by a transition layup from Reed got the Blue Demons started in the second half as DePaul took a 47-40 lead less than three minutes into the second half.

With 15 minutes remaining, Reed showed off his post-moves using a spin to find room for a hook shot that gave DePaul its first double-digit lead at 52-42. Five and a half minutes later it was Gage going up and under for DePaul to put the Blue Demons in front by 15 points.

Over the final ten minutes, the Cardinals would not get closer than nine points as the Blue Demons outscored Incarnate Word 39-33 in the second half to pull away.

Charles Brown III led all scorers with 27 points while Antoine Smith Jr. added 15 for Incarnate Word (5-8).

DePaul returns to action Saturday afternoon for the final non-conference game of the season as the Blue Demons host Boston College for a 2:30 p.m. start at Wintrust Arena. The game can be seen on FS1 and heard on WSCR 670 The Score.