DePaul University Athletics
Saturday, March 23
Ames, Iowa
2:30 p.m. CT
DePaul University
vs
Missouri State
No. 24/21 DePaul Takes On Missouri State in NCAA Tournament Opener
3/22/2019 12:12:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
It's BIG EAST champion vs. MVC titliist at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
AMES, Iowa – The time has come to put away all the accolades and special moments of another memorable DePaul women's basketball regular season and conference tournament.
Being ranked No. 24 by the Associated Press and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll doesn't mean a thing right now. Even the inspiring comeback against Marquette capped by Chante Stonewall's game-winning three-point play in the waning seconds to secure the BIG EAST tournament title is now more of  a fond memory.
As the Blue Demons (26-7) prepare for their NCAA tournament opener against Missouri Valley champion Missouri State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2, the mindset is totally different.
All that matters now are these three words: Survive and advance.
Up until now, you measured the progression of a team and charted the upward trend. Analyze performances, plug in the data and continue to grow as a team.
All that matters now is getting the "W." How you do it makes for lively conversation, and that's about it.
DePaul coach Doug Bruno is fond of saying that every game takes on a life of its own. That is the postseason in a nutshell.
The No. 6 seed Blue Demons will enter Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State campus with a distinguished NCAA history as they go dancing for the 17th year in a row. Only four other elite programs---Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee---can also make that claim.
They have advanced to four Sweet 16s and are 13-10 in NCAA First Round games. They have won their NCAA opener five years in a row and seven of the last eight.
Behind the "Core Four" of Mart'e Grays, Ashton Millender, Kelly Campbell and Stonewall, DePaul has won its last 11 games. Grays was selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team and Stonewall voted onto the second team. Lexi Held was a unanimous choice for the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team and Millender won the league's Sportsmanship Award.
What could bolster the Blue Demons in their survival mode is the multitude of close games they encountered this season featuring some stirring comebacks. They have looked resolute and confident in crunch time.
DePaul is 5-0 all-time against Missouri State, and the last time the two teams met, Bruno's program won 82-66 in the 2010 Preseason WNIT on the Lady Bears' home court.
No. 11 seed Missouri State (23-9) is playing its best basketball when it counts the most. The Lady Bears have won five in a row and nine of their last 10 including an upset of nationally ranked Drake to win the MVC title. They are 22-2 since a Dec. 16 loss to Gonzaga.
Danielle Gitzen is their leading scorer at nearly 13 points a game and also tops in assists, steals and three-point shooting. Alexa Willard went off for 30 points in the 94-79 triumph over Drake while Brice Calip is Missouri State's third scorer averaging in double figures.
The Lady Bears are strong down low, outrebounding opponents by nearly nine a game. They rank in the top 25 nationally in rebounding and thrive on a physical style of play.
The other half of the Ames first and second-round bracket pits No. 14 seed and Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State (26-6) against the host Cyclones who are the No. 3 seed in the Chicago Region. Iowa State (25-8) is ranked No. 13 in both national polls and was the Big 12 runner-up to No. 1/1 Baylor.
The winners of Saturday's games advance to Monday's second round with a berth in the Chicago Regional at Wintrust Arena at stake.
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Being ranked No. 24 by the Associated Press and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll doesn't mean a thing right now. Even the inspiring comeback against Marquette capped by Chante Stonewall's game-winning three-point play in the waning seconds to secure the BIG EAST tournament title is now more of  a fond memory.
As the Blue Demons (26-7) prepare for their NCAA tournament opener against Missouri Valley champion Missouri State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2, the mindset is totally different.
All that matters now are these three words: Survive and advance.
Up until now, you measured the progression of a team and charted the upward trend. Analyze performances, plug in the data and continue to grow as a team.
All that matters now is getting the "W." How you do it makes for lively conversation, and that's about it.
DePaul coach Doug Bruno is fond of saying that every game takes on a life of its own. That is the postseason in a nutshell.
The No. 6 seed Blue Demons will enter Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State campus with a distinguished NCAA history as they go dancing for the 17th year in a row. Only four other elite programs---Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee---can also make that claim.
They have advanced to four Sweet 16s and are 13-10 in NCAA First Round games. They have won their NCAA opener five years in a row and seven of the last eight.
Behind the "Core Four" of Mart'e Grays, Ashton Millender, Kelly Campbell and Stonewall, DePaul has won its last 11 games. Grays was selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team and Stonewall voted onto the second team. Lexi Held was a unanimous choice for the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team and Millender won the league's Sportsmanship Award.
What could bolster the Blue Demons in their survival mode is the multitude of close games they encountered this season featuring some stirring comebacks. They have looked resolute and confident in crunch time.
DePaul is 5-0 all-time against Missouri State, and the last time the two teams met, Bruno's program won 82-66 in the 2010 Preseason WNIT on the Lady Bears' home court.
No. 11 seed Missouri State (23-9) is playing its best basketball when it counts the most. The Lady Bears have won five in a row and nine of their last 10 including an upset of nationally ranked Drake to win the MVC title. They are 22-2 since a Dec. 16 loss to Gonzaga.
Danielle Gitzen is their leading scorer at nearly 13 points a game and also tops in assists, steals and three-point shooting. Alexa Willard went off for 30 points in the 94-79 triumph over Drake while Brice Calip is Missouri State's third scorer averaging in double figures.
The Lady Bears are strong down low, outrebounding opponents by nearly nine a game. They rank in the top 25 nationally in rebounding and thrive on a physical style of play.
The other half of the Ames first and second-round bracket pits No. 14 seed and Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State (26-6) against the host Cyclones who are the No. 3 seed in the Chicago Region. Iowa State (25-8) is ranked No. 13 in both national polls and was the Big 12 runner-up to No. 1/1 Baylor.
The winners of Saturday's games advance to Monday's second round with a berth in the Chicago Regional at Wintrust Arena at stake.
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Players Mentioned
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