No. 24/21 DePaul's Season Comes to an End

Saturday, March 23

Ames, Iowa

2:30 p.m. CT

DePaul University

(6) 26-8 (#24)

Missouri State

(11) 24-9

Missouri State

DePaul

3/23/2019 5:56:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Blue Demons fall 89-78 to Missouri State Saturday in their NCAA Tournament opener

AMES, Iowa – No. 24/21 DePaul saw its season come to an end Saturday to a hot-shooting Missouri State team in the NCAA tournament opener .

The Blue Demons fell 89-78 at Hilton Coliseum after having won their NCAA opener the last five years. Chante Stonewall led her team with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Ashton Millender scored 17 points and Sonya Morris added 10 while Mart'e Grays contributed nine points and eight rebounds.

DePaul (26-8) was victimized by a Lady Bears team that shot 55 percent from three-point range and seemed to hit one from deep each time the Blue Demons tried to mount a comeback.

Millender hit consecutive threes down the stretch and rallied her team to within 87-78, but that was the closest DePaul would get.

The Blue Demons were down by nine heading into the third quarter when Missouri State opened up a 50-39 lead forcing DePaul coach Doug Bruno to call time out. DePaul was missing shots and getting beat on the boards.

Danielle Gitzen's three provided the Lady Bears with their biggest lead to that point at 55-40 when Tanita Allen countered from behind the arc and it was 55-43 at the third quarter media timeout. Gitzen paced Missouri State with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Grays scored inside to bring her team within 62-55 but that was the closest DePaul would get in the third quarter. Missouri State responded to move in front 69-57 after three quarters. At that point, the Lady Bears were hitting 60 percent of their long-distance shots.

Missouri State (24-9) couldn't miss in the fourth quarter. The Missouri Valley champion hit shot after shot in building a 19-point lead with 6:50 left in the game. The Blue Demons kept battling and came within 86-73 with less than two minutes to go.

After the opening tip, Stonewall picked up right where she left off the last time on the court when her three-point play in the finals seconds brought DePaul the BIG EAST tournament championship. The
junior forward scored seven points in the opening five minutes.

Missouri State led 11-9 when Tanita Allen and Lexi Held scored followed by a Campbell three-pointer. The Blue Demons led 16-14 at the first quarter media timeout. Sonya Morris hit a three in the final minute of the period and Dee Bekelja scored on a determined drive, but a Lady Bear triple tied it at 23-23 after one quarter.

The Lady Bears opened the second quarter with a five-point spurt and led 33-27 when Stonewall scored off a nice feed from Millender to make it 33-29 at the second quarter media timeout. Another 5-0 Bears burst put them in front 38-29.

A post-up basket finished off a 14-4 run as Missouri State built a 42-31 advantage. Stonewall hit a jumper to end the second quarter with DePaul trailing 42-33.

Known for its aggressiveness on the boards, the Bears had a 23-11 rebounding edge at halftime. Stonewall had 13 points and five rebounds.

Postgame Notes

Stonewall recorded the eighth double-double of her career.
The loss snapped DePaul's 11-game winning streak.
The Blue Demons were outrebounded 42-31.
Millender (1,392 points) is No. 21 on the all-time scoring list with Jasmine Penny No. 20 at 1,417.
Grays (1,375) is No. 22 on the all-time scoring list.
With 286 career three-pointers, Millender surpassed Brittany Hrynko at No. 2 all-time. Lenae Williams owns the all-time record with 303.
Millender (771) is No. 2 all-time in career three-point attempts. Williams set the career mark with 924.
Campbell (471) tied No. 6 Molly Watson on the all-time assist list.
Campbell (712) tied No. 10 Caprice Smith in career rebounds.
Millender is the all-time leader for career games played with 144.
DePaul is 5-1 all-time against the Lady Bears.