Tuesday, December 29
Storrs, Conn.
5:30 P.M. CT
DePaul University
5-3,2-1Big East
75
at
52
#4/5 Connecticut
6-0,5-0Big East
1
2
3
4
F
DePaul
16
11
16
9
52
UConn
20
18
19
18
75
No. 18/21 DePaul Falls to No. 4/5 Connecticut 75-52
12/29/2020 7:47:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Darrione Rogers notches first double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds
STORRS, Conn. – The early-season gauntlet came to an end Tuesday night as No. 18/21 DePaul confronted the fourth Top 10 team in its first eight games.
The Blue Demons gave it a shot but could not match No. 4/5 Connecticut's talent-laden lineup and significant inside strength in a 75-52 BIG EAST setback.
Freshman Darrione Rogers led the way for coach Doug Bruno's program with 20 points and 10 rebounds, the first double-double of a promising career. Lexi Held scored nine points and Sonya Morris added eight points and seven rebounds.
It wouldn't be easy slicing into the Huskies' 11-point halftime margin, but that's what DePaul (5-3, 2-1) did at the outset of the third quarter. Held hit a three and followed with a jumper to bring her team within 38-32. UConn (6-0, 5-0) responded five of its own, prompting Bruno to call a timeout.
Deja Church knocked down a three in slicing the Huskie lead back into a single digit. It was 45-35 at the second media timeout. Both teams were playing scrappy defense, disrupting the flow of their opponent.
Connecticut extended the lead to 57-43 after three quarters after an Evina Westbrook three-pointer. Deja Church scored on a nice give-and go, but Paige Bueckers answered with a three-pointer and Anna Makurat scored inside for a 62-45 advantage at the fourth quarter media timeout.
Few teams are better at closing out a game, and that's just what UConn had in mind. A 10-0 run pushed the margin to 67-45.
It was a promising beginning as Rogers hit back-to-back three-pointers from well beyond the arc and Morris also buried one from deep. DePaul's defense was scrambling the UConn attack as Bruno's team led 11-9 at the first quarter media timeout.
An 11-3 Huskies run left the visiting team trailing 20-14. A pair Morris free throws made it a four-point game after one quarter.
Held and Jorie Allen each had two fouls in the first 10 minutes, forcing Bruno to be more judicious with his player rotation.
UConn opened the second quarter with an 11-3 run, extending the DePaul deficit to 31-19. Allen's layup down low brought her team within 10 until talented freshman Paige Bueckers buried a three for a 34-21 lead at the media timeout.
A pair of Held free throws and a pretty reverse move inside by Allen made it a single-digit deficit. Connecticut went up 38-25 when Darrione Rogers scored on a baseline floater just before the half to bring her team within 38-27.
At this point, it was easily the most competitive game UConn has played this season as coach Geno Auriemma's juggernaut came into Tuesday beating opponents by an average of 40 points.
Rogers had eight points at the break while Morris and Bekelja each had five.
DePaul will make its 2021 debut on Sunday when it visits historic rival Marquette for a 1 p.m. BIG EAST showdown in Milwaukee that will be televised nationally on FS1.
Postgame Notes
The Blue Demons gave it a shot but could not match No. 4/5 Connecticut's talent-laden lineup and significant inside strength in a 75-52 BIG EAST setback.
Freshman Darrione Rogers led the way for coach Doug Bruno's program with 20 points and 10 rebounds, the first double-double of a promising career. Lexi Held scored nine points and Sonya Morris added eight points and seven rebounds.
It wouldn't be easy slicing into the Huskies' 11-point halftime margin, but that's what DePaul (5-3, 2-1) did at the outset of the third quarter. Held hit a three and followed with a jumper to bring her team within 38-32. UConn (6-0, 5-0) responded five of its own, prompting Bruno to call a timeout.
Deja Church knocked down a three in slicing the Huskie lead back into a single digit. It was 45-35 at the second media timeout. Both teams were playing scrappy defense, disrupting the flow of their opponent.
Connecticut extended the lead to 57-43 after three quarters after an Evina Westbrook three-pointer. Deja Church scored on a nice give-and go, but Paige Bueckers answered with a three-pointer and Anna Makurat scored inside for a 62-45 advantage at the fourth quarter media timeout.
Few teams are better at closing out a game, and that's just what UConn had in mind. A 10-0 run pushed the margin to 67-45.
It was a promising beginning as Rogers hit back-to-back three-pointers from well beyond the arc and Morris also buried one from deep. DePaul's defense was scrambling the UConn attack as Bruno's team led 11-9 at the first quarter media timeout.
An 11-3 Huskies run left the visiting team trailing 20-14. A pair Morris free throws made it a four-point game after one quarter.
Held and Jorie Allen each had two fouls in the first 10 minutes, forcing Bruno to be more judicious with his player rotation.
UConn opened the second quarter with an 11-3 run, extending the DePaul deficit to 31-19. Allen's layup down low brought her team within 10 until talented freshman Paige Bueckers buried a three for a 34-21 lead at the media timeout.
A pair of Held free throws and a pretty reverse move inside by Allen made it a single-digit deficit. Connecticut went up 38-25 when Darrione Rogers scored on a baseline floater just before the half to bring her team within 38-27.
At this point, it was easily the most competitive game UConn has played this season as coach Geno Auriemma's juggernaut came into Tuesday beating opponents by an average of 40 points.
Rogers had eight points at the break while Morris and Bekelja each had five.
DePaul will make its 2021 debut on Sunday when it visits historic rival Marquette for a 1 p.m. BIG EAST showdown in Milwaukee that will be televised nationally on FS1.
Postgame Notes
- Darrione Rogers recorded the first double-double of her career with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
- For the third time since the 2013-14 season, a BIG EAST regular-season matchup was a showdown between two teams ranked in the AP Poll. The Blue Demons have been in the last two of those contests (vs. No. 25 Seton Hall, 1/5/16; vs. No. 20 Marquette, 1/4/19).
- DePaul and UConn have met in non-conference play in each of the last six seasons, including last year's thriller in Chicago which saw the Blue Demons rally before the Huskies escaped Wintrust Arena with an 84-74 victory.
- The two programs have combined for 25 BIG EAST regular-season titles, 23 BIG EAST Tournament titles, 1,824 career wins between coaches Auriemma and Bruno, 20 BIG EAST Players of the Year, 13 BIG EAST Scholar-Athletes of the Year and 52 WNBA Draft selections.
- Indiana transfer Jorie Allen played her second game in a DePaul uniform Tuesday after the NCAA recently granted immediate eligibility to all transfer players. Her father Jeff Allen played for the Blue Demon men's team (1981-83) under legendary coach Ray Meyer. Her sister Jenna played at Michigan State.
- DePaul remained at No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 and dropped one spot to No. 21 in the USA Today/Coaches poll.
- Bruno's full-court pressure tactics and his players' ball-hawking aggression have forced 23 or more turnovers in every game except for Creighton and UConn this season including 27 against No. 10/10 Texas A&M and 23 against both No. 2/2 Louisville and No. 9/9 Kentucky. Georgetown's 32 miscues on Dec. 19 were a season high. It's no wonder the Blue Demons are No. 3 in the nation in forcing turnovers.
- As a result of schedule adjustments, cancellations and postponements in this season of basketball in a pandemic, four of DePaul's first eight games were against teams ranked at one point in the top 10 of the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls (No. 2/2 Louisville, No. 4/5 UConn, No. 9/9 Kentucky, No. 10/10 Texas A&M). It's doubtful any other team in the country has faced such elite competition in its first eight games.
- Deja Church needs 51 points to reach the 1,000 mark in her career. That includes two seasons at Michigan. Lexi Held is 125 away from accomplishing the feat in just three seasons while classmate Sonya Morris is 181 shy.
Team Stats
DePaul
UConn
FG%
.250
.408
3FG%
.243
.296
FT%
.786
.500
RB
41
53
TO
16
14
STL
4
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
6
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
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