Thursday, November 18
Chicago, Ill.
7:30 P.M. CT
DePaul University
vs
Rutgers
Blue Demons Host Scarlet Knights Thursday in Gavitt Tipoff Games Showdown
11/17/2021 5:33:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
DePaul looking for third straight win in Gavitt Tipoff Games
CHICAGO – Following a pair of impressive wins over Coppin State and Central Michigan to start the 2021-22 season, the DePaul Blue Demons welcome the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to Wintrust Arena on Thursday night. The game wraps up this season's edition of the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences.
Thursday's game can be seen on FS1 starting at 7:30 p.m. with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Donny Marshall (analyst) handling the broadcast duties. The game can also be seen online at foxsports.com/live. DePaul's radio tandem of Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Dave Corzine (analyst) can be heard on WIND (560 AM) and online on DePaul All-Access at depaulbluedemons.com/live. In-game updates can be followed on Twitter at @DePaulHoops and live stats are available at depaulbluedemons.com.
Rutgers enters the game at 3-0 after posting consecutive wins over Lehigh, Merrimack and NJIT while DePaul is 2-0 after victories over Coppin State and Central Michigan.
DePaul in the Gavitt Tipoff Games: The Blue Demons are playing for the sixth time in the annual series between teams from the BIG EAST and Big Ten. DePaul has won their last two Gavitt Games with a 93-78 win at Iowa on Nov. 11, 2019 and a 72-70 overtime win against Penn State on Nov. 15, 2018.
Overall, the Blue Demons are 2-3 in the series. The Blue Demons lost at Penn State, 68-62, in 2015 before Rutgers knocked off DePaul, 66-59, in 2016 at Allstate Arena. DePaul also lost at Illinois, 82-73, in 2017.
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 99-66 win over Central Michigan on Saturday:
The Opponent – Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers is 3-0 this season following a 75-61 win against NJIT on Tuesday... the Scarlet Knights also defeated Lehigh (73-70 (OT)) and Merrimack (48-35) this season... Ron Harper Jr. leads the team with 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game... Geo Baker adds a scoring average of 12.7 with a team-high 4.3 assists per game... Clifford Omoruyi adds 11.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per outing... head coach Steve Pikiell is in his sixth season leading the Scarlet Knights.
The Series: Rutgers leads holds a 7-4 advantage in the series... the Scarlet Knights posted a 66-59 win on Nov. 17, 2016 at Allstate Arena... that game was in the second year of the Gavitt Tipoff Games... prior to that matchup all 10 meetings ocurred with both programs as members of the BIG EAST Conference... Rutgers was a member of the BIG EAST from 1995-2013... DePaul joined the league in 2005.
Against the Big Ten: DePaul is 89-82 all-time against the current configuration of Big Ten Conference programs... the Blue Demons have won four of their last five games against league opponents including three straight in the 2019-20 season... DePaul knocked off Iowa (93-78), Minnesota (73-68) and Northwestern (83-78)... the Blue Demons face the Wildcats in the final non-conference game this season on Dec. 18.
Thursday's game can be seen on FS1 starting at 7:30 p.m. with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Donny Marshall (analyst) handling the broadcast duties. The game can also be seen online at foxsports.com/live. DePaul's radio tandem of Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Dave Corzine (analyst) can be heard on WIND (560 AM) and online on DePaul All-Access at depaulbluedemons.com/live. In-game updates can be followed on Twitter at @DePaulHoops and live stats are available at depaulbluedemons.com.
Rutgers enters the game at 3-0 after posting consecutive wins over Lehigh, Merrimack and NJIT while DePaul is 2-0 after victories over Coppin State and Central Michigan.
DePaul in the Gavitt Tipoff Games: The Blue Demons are playing for the sixth time in the annual series between teams from the BIG EAST and Big Ten. DePaul has won their last two Gavitt Games with a 93-78 win at Iowa on Nov. 11, 2019 and a 72-70 overtime win against Penn State on Nov. 15, 2018.
Overall, the Blue Demons are 2-3 in the series. The Blue Demons lost at Penn State, 68-62, in 2015 before Rutgers knocked off DePaul, 66-59, in 2016 at Allstate Arena. DePaul also lost at Illinois, 82-73, in 2017.
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 99-66 win over Central Michigan on Saturday:
- DePaul posted back-to-back games by at least 20 points for the first time since the 2018-19 season... that season saw a 104-70 win against Chicago State on Dec. 12 followed by a 90-70 victory against UIC on Dec. 14.
- The win is 1,490 for DePaul since the start of the 1923-24 season... the Blue Demons have posted victories in 11 of their last 12 home non-conference games...DePaul is now 28-6 against non-BIG EAST opponents in the last three-plus seasons.
- DePaul has started 2-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season... the Blue Demons posted wins over Alcorn State and Chicago that season.
- The Blue Demons have started 2-0 under a first-year head coach for the first time since DePaul won its first two games under Dave Leitao during the 2002-03 season... DePaul went 4-0 to start that season.
- The 99 points just missed DePaul's 100-point game since the Blue Demons posted a 100-96 win over USF on April 3, 2019.
- DePaul scored 56 points in the second half against Coppin State and 58 points against Central Michigan in the second frame... last season saw three 40-point second halves, but none above 50.
- Javon Freeman-Liberty posted back-to-back 20-point game to open the season... dating back to end of last season, Freeman-Liberty is averaging 21.8 points per game over his last four games.
- Brandon Johnson registered his first 20-point game at DePaul and 11th of his career.
- David Jones just missed his second straight double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds.
- DePaul leads the series, 5-0... today was Central Michigan's second visit to Wintrust Arena... the Blue Demons posted an 88-75 win on Nov. 6, 2019... DePaul is 85-37 all-time against the current configuration of Mid-American Conference programs.
The Opponent – Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers is 3-0 this season following a 75-61 win against NJIT on Tuesday... the Scarlet Knights also defeated Lehigh (73-70 (OT)) and Merrimack (48-35) this season... Ron Harper Jr. leads the team with 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game... Geo Baker adds a scoring average of 12.7 with a team-high 4.3 assists per game... Clifford Omoruyi adds 11.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per outing... head coach Steve Pikiell is in his sixth season leading the Scarlet Knights.
The Series: Rutgers leads holds a 7-4 advantage in the series... the Scarlet Knights posted a 66-59 win on Nov. 17, 2016 at Allstate Arena... that game was in the second year of the Gavitt Tipoff Games... prior to that matchup all 10 meetings ocurred with both programs as members of the BIG EAST Conference... Rutgers was a member of the BIG EAST from 1995-2013... DePaul joined the league in 2005.
Against the Big Ten: DePaul is 89-82 all-time against the current configuration of Big Ten Conference programs... the Blue Demons have won four of their last five games against league opponents including three straight in the 2019-20 season... DePaul knocked off Iowa (93-78), Minnesota (73-68) and Northwestern (83-78)... the Blue Demons face the Wildcats in the final non-conference game this season on Dec. 18.
Players Mentioned
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