DePaul's Opening Act a Smash Hit on Friday Night

Friday, December 3

Chicago, Ill.

7:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

6-2,1-0Big East

101

Butler

0-7,0-1Big East

Butler

DePaul

101

DePaul's Opening Act a Smash Hit on Friday Night

12/3/2021 10:10:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Church and Held power Blue Demons past Butler 101-64 in BIG EAST opener

CHICAGO – As far as openers go, this one was a smashing success.

Coach Doug Bruno and his Blue Demons played to rave reviews Friday night during a 101-64 victory over Butler that raised the curtain on their BIG EAST season.

Starring in the lead role was none other than Deja Church with a game-high 19 points to headline five Blue Demons in double figures.

Second billing would go to Lexi Held with 16 points while Kierra Collier---making her Wintrust Arena debut---added 14 points and went 3-for-3 from deep.

Church, Held and Collier shot a combined 67 percent from three-point range, converting 8-of-12. Aneesah Morrow contributed 13 points, six rebounds and four steals and Sonya Morris finished with 10 points despite sitting out much of the first half in foul trouble.

Entering the third quarter with a 50-27 lead, the Blue Demons (6-2) were ready to put away the visitors from Indianapolis.

And that's precisely what they did. Eight Morrow points early in the quarter sparked her team to a 63-32 lead. That margin grew to 73-39 at the media timeout with scoring from Morris, Dee Bekelja and a pair of Church three-pointers.

Two Morris scores, a Bekelja bucket and a pair of Kendall Holmes free throws sent Bruno & Co. into the fourth quarter with an 81-48 cushion. Hannah Purcell's driving layup near the end of the game put triple digits on the scoreboard.

After being away from Wintrust Arena since Nov. 21, the Blue Demons got off to a sluggish start. They connected on just three of their first 10 shots with Morris and Held scoring twice apiece to trail 10-8 at the first quarter media timeout.

Morris was on the bench by then with her second foul.

Butler (0-7) clung to a narrow lead until back-to-back baskets by Held and Darrione Rogers followed by a Morrow three-point play one second before the horn gave the home team a 17-16 lead after one quarter.

Two Church foul shots and another Held jumper gave DePaul a 21-18 advantage at the second quarter media timeout.

Then it started raining threes in the South Loop. Collier, Rogers and Held all connected from deep, and along with a pair of Church free throws, a 15-4 run put the Blue Demons in front 32-20.

Timeout Butler.

Church, Collier and Morrow continued the surge and it was 39-20. A Church three followed by her steal and assist to Dee Bekelja made it 48-27. Next possession, Collier's basket put DePaul at the half-century mark.

Shooting 60 percent including 5-of-9 from distance led to a 33-point second quarter and a 50-27 lead at the break. Held had 13 points after the first 20 minutes while Church had 11 and Collier eight. DePaul's pressure defense had forced 17 turnovers in the first half.

DePaul is right back at Wintrust Arena on Sunday for a BIG EAST matchup against Xavier that tips at 5 p.m. and will be shown on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

Postgame Notes

Morrow came into the game as the nation's leading rebounder among freshman and second in points.
Morrow has 65 points, 37 rebounds and 14 steals in her last three games---an average of 21.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.7 steals.
The 6-1 freshman and Morris have scored 20 points or more in three of eight games---tops in the BIG EAST.
After the first eight games, DePaul (691 points) is averaging 86.4 points a game.
DePaul ecliped the century mark for the second time this season.
Friday's game was No. 1,100 in Bruno's illustrious 36-year career at DePaul with a record of 742-358.
The Blue Demons were 2-2 against four NCAA tournament teams in their first seven games---beating Northwestern and Rutgers and falling to No. 17/15 Texas A&M and No. 7/11 Arizona.
Held is the BIG EAST's active career scoring leader in conference games with 713 points.
Morrow has scored in double figures seven of the first eight games of her collegiate career.
Church and Morris have finished in double figures every game except one this season.
Injuries have limited Keke Rimmer to 15 games over the last two seasons including just one game in 2020-21. She made her season debut Friday night and came away with two points, two rebounds and one steal in 8:36 of playing time.
The Blue Demons have won the battle of the boards in six of eight games including over No. 7/11 Arizona. They topped Butler 35-33.
DePaul's pressure defense forced Butler into a season-high 31 turnovers. The Blue Demons have forced opponents into 20 or more turnovers five times in their first eight games.
In the second and third quarters, DePaul shot 57 percent from three-point range (8-of-14).