Bekelja, Zone Defense Spark Comeback Win Over Northwestern

Wednesday, December 5

McGrath-Phillips Arena

7:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

Northwestern

DePaul

Bekelja, Zone Defense Spark Comeback Win Over Northwestern

12/5/2018 10:24:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Dee Bekelja's command performance, strategic move lead to 76-60 victory

CHICAGO – Playing the best game of her collegiate career, sophomore Dee Bekelja sparked No. 20/17 DePaul to a nice 76-60 comeback win over rival Northwestern Wednesday night at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Coming off the bench, Bekelja made her first seven shots and had her only miss in the waning moments to equal career highs with 16 points and those seven baskets. Mart'e Grays matched those 16 points and added six rebounds.

Ashton Millender scored 13 points and Chante Stonewall contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Rebekah Dahlman came through with nine points and four assists while Kelly Campbell continued stuffing the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.

What helped turn the game around for DePaul (6-3) whose offense was never fully in sync according to coach Doug Bruno was switching to a zone defense. Falling behind 32-16 after one quarter, Bruno's strategic move led to Northwestern (5-2) scoring just three points in the second quarter and shooting 1-of-13.

The Blue Demons wound up outscoring NU 30-12 over the second and third quarters and applied the finishing touch with a 30-16 fourth quarter.

Opening the final 10 minutes with a 7-2 burst provided the home team with a 53-46 lead at the 6:58 mark. Bekelja again sparked the team with a layup and three-pointer. She had done the same thing late in the second quarter.

That opening burst evolved into a 15-2 run as DePaul pulled in front 61-46 midway through the quarter. The Blue Demons' biggest lead was 17 when Northwestern scored six unanswered points.

Millender began to find the range at the outset of the third quarter with a jumper and a three to put her team ahead 38-35. Four-straight points from Grays gave DePaul a 42-38 advantage midway through the period.

The teams traded 6-0 runs towards the end of the quarter, and a Grays basket gave the Blue Demons a 46-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

DePaul got off slowly after the opening tip as Northwestern went on an early 11-2 run. The Blue Demons cut the deficit to four when NU responded with six in a row for a 25-15 lead with less than three minutes to go in the first quarter.

The Blue Demons made just five of their first 13 shots while NU was 12-of-16 in that span. The Wildcats wound up hitting 15 of 19 shots in the opening 10 minutes while building a 32-16 lead. DePaul converted five of 17 attempts from the floor.

Playing a little more DePaul Ball to open second quarter, Bruno's team scored the first eight points. Grays capitalized inside followed by consecutive three-pointers from Campbell and Dahlman to make it 32-24. Dahlman connected on her first three attempts from distance.

The Blue Demons held their rival scoreless for the first 7:33 of the second quarter in jumping back into this game. A nice lift off the bench from Bekelja sent DePaul into the halftime locker room trailing just 35-33.

What helped slice a 16-point deficit in the first quarter to a mere two points was NU making just one of 13 shots in the second quarter. The Wildcats did have a 26-13 rebounding advantage by intermission, but
DePaul had narrowed that margin to 42-35 when the final horn sounded.

The Blue Demons' next game is on the road with a 2 p.m. matinee showdown against Oklahoma on Sunday.

Postgame Notes

Holding Northwestern to three points was the best defensive quarter of the season.
Bekelja tied career highs with 16 points and seven field goals.
Campbell is 24-of-27 from the free throw line this season while Stonewall is 23-of-26, Grays 20-of-23, and Dahlman 26-for-30.
With 228 career three-pointers, Millender passed Chanise Jenkins for fourth all-time.
Millender (596) is fifth all-time in career three-point attempts.
With five assists on Wednesday, Campbell passed Jenni Dant for No. 11 all-time and is nine behind Sally Anderson.
Grays (976) needs 24 points to reach the 1,000 level.
Dahlman (933) is 67 points shy of the 1,000 mark.
Campbell (340) passed Tammy Williams for No. 12 all-time in career assists and is only three behind No. 11 Jenni Dant.
The 1,000-point ball commemorating Millender's career achievement that was presented to the senior guard before the game was decorated by DePaul's very own Director of Art, Media and Design Brother Mark Elder.