Sunday, February 7
Milwaukee, Wis.
11:00 A.M. CT
DePaul University
10-4,7-2Big East
87
at
82
Marquette
12-4,9-3Big East
1
2
3
4
F
DePaul
23
19
21
24
87
Marquette
20
20
19
23
82
No. 20/21 DePaul Tops Marquette 87-82 on Sunday
2/7/2021 1:21:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Church led the Blue Demons with a career-high 24 points
MILWAUKEE – The latest episode in this time-honored women's basketball saga that now spans six decades certainly lived up to its glorious tradition on Sunday.
In the 75th renewal of this rivalry that began back in February of 1978, No. 20/21 DePaul took down Marquette 87-82.
Deja Church led the Blue Demons (10-4, 7-2 BIG EAST) with a career-high 24 points while adding six rebounds and five steals. Sonya Morris with 23 points. Dee Bekelja checked in with 18 points and five rebounds while Lexi Held had 17 points and five steals.
The combined 10 steals by Church and Held helped contribute to DePaul forcing 22 Marquette turnovers.
Entering the third quarter protecting a 42-40 lead, DePaul scored first at the outset of the third quarter on a Held basket. Another Held score ignited a 14-4 surge as the visiting team went into the third quarter media timeout with a 56-44 lead.
Church was having a day. Her three-point play and a pair of Morris foul shots made it 61-44 at the media timeout. Marquette (12-4, 9-3) responded with a 13-0 run of its own in slicing the lead to 61-57 at the second media timeout. Held's steal and layup out of the break made it 63-57
It was 63-59 heading into the final 10 minutes. The Golden Eagles went in front 64-63 early in the fourth quarter, but DePaul came back and led 75-71 after a Morris three. Bekelja's basket just before the media timeout maintained the four-point advantage.
Marquette took its final lead of the game at 78-77 when Held and Morris knocked down four free throws. It was a one-point game until Church and Morris scored back-to-back and Held swished two more free throws.
Two steals and layups by Church got DePaul off to a fast start after tipoff. Held buried a three-pointer, Bekelja added a basket along with a pair of free throws and Allen a put-back. Morris' back-door layup off a pretty feed from Held gave DePaul a 15-12 lead at the first quarter media timeout.
The Blue Demons maintained a slim advantage the rest of the quarter thanks to Bekelja seven points in the first 10 minutes. A Morris steal and layup provided a 23-20 lead after one quarter.
Three-pointers by Morris and Church along with another Church score and Held's basket in the paint lifted coach Doug Bruno's team to a 33-26 advantage at the second quarter media timeout. After the break, Held completed the three-point play.
The Blue Demons went ahead by double digits after a Morris steal and layup. But the Golden Eagles closed out the quarter on a 14-6 run and DePaul's lead was only 42-40 at halftime.
Church had 11 points at the break and Bekelja 10 with Morris adding nine points and Held eight.
Postgame Notes
In the 75th renewal of this rivalry that began back in February of 1978, No. 20/21 DePaul took down Marquette 87-82.
Deja Church led the Blue Demons (10-4, 7-2 BIG EAST) with a career-high 24 points while adding six rebounds and five steals. Sonya Morris with 23 points. Dee Bekelja checked in with 18 points and five rebounds while Lexi Held had 17 points and five steals.
The combined 10 steals by Church and Held helped contribute to DePaul forcing 22 Marquette turnovers.
Entering the third quarter protecting a 42-40 lead, DePaul scored first at the outset of the third quarter on a Held basket. Another Held score ignited a 14-4 surge as the visiting team went into the third quarter media timeout with a 56-44 lead.
Church was having a day. Her three-point play and a pair of Morris foul shots made it 61-44 at the media timeout. Marquette (12-4, 9-3) responded with a 13-0 run of its own in slicing the lead to 61-57 at the second media timeout. Held's steal and layup out of the break made it 63-57
It was 63-59 heading into the final 10 minutes. The Golden Eagles went in front 64-63 early in the fourth quarter, but DePaul came back and led 75-71 after a Morris three. Bekelja's basket just before the media timeout maintained the four-point advantage.
Marquette took its final lead of the game at 78-77 when Held and Morris knocked down four free throws. It was a one-point game until Church and Morris scored back-to-back and Held swished two more free throws.
Two steals and layups by Church got DePaul off to a fast start after tipoff. Held buried a three-pointer, Bekelja added a basket along with a pair of free throws and Allen a put-back. Morris' back-door layup off a pretty feed from Held gave DePaul a 15-12 lead at the first quarter media timeout.
The Blue Demons maintained a slim advantage the rest of the quarter thanks to Bekelja seven points in the first 10 minutes. A Morris steal and layup provided a 23-20 lead after one quarter.
Three-pointers by Morris and Church along with another Church score and Held's basket in the paint lifted coach Doug Bruno's team to a 33-26 advantage at the second quarter media timeout. After the break, Held completed the three-point play.
The Blue Demons went ahead by double digits after a Morris steal and layup. But the Golden Eagles closed out the quarter on a 14-6 run and DePaul's lead was only 42-40 at halftime.
Church had 11 points at the break and Bekelja 10 with Morris adding nine points and Held eight.
Postgame Notes
- This was the 1,400th game in the history of DePaul women's basketball. The all-time record is 926-474.
- DePaul is now 10-4, meeting the minimum 13 games to be eligible for NCAA tournament play.
- Sunday was the 75th renewal of the DePaul-Marquette rivalry that was initiated Feb. 23, 1978 with a 62-52 Blue Demon victory. DePaul leads the series 47-28.
- Sonya Morris leads the team having scored 20-or-more points eight times in 14 games. Her 26 points on Jan. 16 at Georgetown tied her season and team high---scoring 26 Dec. 13 against Loyola.
- Lexi Held is a double-figure scorer in every game except one.
- DePaul went 20-of-22 from the free throw line---nearly 91 percent.
- DePaul checked in at No. 20 in the Associated Press Top 25 and is No. 21 in the USA Today/Coaches poll.
- Bruno's full-court pressure tactics and his players' ball-hawking aggression have forced 20 or more turnovers in every game except four 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 33 miscues on Jan. 16 were a season high. Marquette had 22 turnovers on Sunday. The Blue Demons are No. 5 in the nation in forcing turnovers averaging more than 23 a game.
- After Deja Church reached the 1,000-point mark in her career on Jan. 21 at Butler, Lexi Held is next up for the milestone. The junior guard is 21 points away from accomplishing the feat in just three seasons while classmate Sonya Morris is 59 shy.
Team Stats
DePaul
Marq
FG%
.462
.449
3FG%
.333
.286
FT%
.909
.941
RB
34
37
TO
20
22
STL
15
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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