DePaul Drops CBI Finals Opener at USF

Monday, April 1

Tampa, Fla.

6:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

18-16

USF

23-13

DePaul

USF

4/1/2019 9:54:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes

Eli Cain ties game with 12 seconds left before USF tallies winning basket in two-point game

TAMPA, Fla. – DePaul trailed by 11 points midway through the second half and stormed back to take a late lead, but fell at the buzzer by a score of 63-61 at USF. The game was the first in a best-of-three series in the CBI finals. The second game is set for Wednesday at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

DePaul entered the game averaging 96.3 points per game in three previous CBI games, but couldn't get going in the first half and trailed, 31-25, at the break. The Blue Demons combined to shoot just .308 (8-26) from the field and trailed by as many as nine midway through the opening frame.

The Blue Demons pulled to within five multiple times after halftime before David Collins hit consecutive three-pointers to give the Bulls a 50-39 lead with 10:21 left in the game.

Lyrik Shreiner ended the USF flurry and kickstarted a 15-3 run and ended with a Max Strus three-pointer to give DePaul (18-16) a 54-53 lead with 4:32 on the clock. The lead went back-and-forth over the next 70 seconds before USF regained the advantage and went up by four with 32 seconds remaining.

With the Blue Demons trailing by three, Eli Cain drained his fourth three-pointer of the night from the left wing to tie the score at 61-61 with 12 seconds to go in the contest.

Following a USF time out, Collins drove into the lane and made a short jumper to give the Bulls the decisive basket with two seconds left. Cain's final attempt at the buzzer went wide for the 63-61 final score.

Cain went 4-of-5 from three-point range to lead DePaul with 19 points, three rebounds and three assists while Strus totaled 17 points and five rebounds. Paul Reed pulled down 12 rebounds with seven points, three blocked shots and three steals and Femi Olujobi scored 11 points.

USF (23-13) was led by 23 points by Collins and 15 from Laquincy Rideau.

Game two of the CBI finals is set for Wednesday night at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Start time is 7 p.m. A win for DePaul forces a decisive game three on Friday night that will also be played in Lincoln Park.