Clarke Nets 32, DePaul Falls at No. 17 Louisville

Sunday, November 12

Louisville, Ky.

3:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

2-1,0-0Big East

No. 17 Louisville

2-0,0-0ACC

DePaul

Louisville

Clarke Nets 32, DePaul Falls at No. 17 Louisville

11/12/2023 5:20:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Blue Demons hang tough, but drop first game of the season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Despite a hot start and a pair of standout individual performances, DePaul fell on the road to 17th-ranked Louisville on Sunday afternoon, 81-74.

The Blue Demons were paced by guard tandem Kate Clarke and Anaya Peoples as the duo combined for 51 of DePaul's 71 points.

Clarke set a career-high for the third-consecutive game, netting 32 points on 48-percent shooting from the field including a .533 clip from deep. Peoples finished the game with 19 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals while giving up just one turnover.

DePaul (2-1) battled on the boards with a lengthier Louisville squad, with the Cardinals holding a narrow 41-39 edge.

Olivia Cochran paced the Cardinals with 21 points.

How it Happened
The Blue Demons hit their first six field goal attempts, forcing an early Louisville timeout, as the visitors ran out to a 15-6 lead three minutes into the first quarter. A Peoples three halted an 8-0 scoring run for the Cardinals, giving her 11 points for the quarter. Louisville rallied to end the quarter on a 13-3 spurt to knot the score at 29 after 10 minutes.

Louisville started the second on an 11-3 run before Clarke ended a two-minute scoreless stretch for the Blue Demons with a runner in the lane. The Cardinals took a 42-38 edge into the locker room at halftime.

Clarke and Peoples combined for 29 of DePaul's 38 first half points.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth-affair through the first five minutes as Peoples found a cutting Sidor for a wide-open layup to cut the deficit to one, 48-47. The Blue Demons reclaimed the lead, 53-52, on a Katlyn Gilbert blow by in transition. The Cardinals closed out the period on a 6-2 spurt to take a 63-58 advantage into the final 10 minutes of play.

Louisville (2-0) ballooned their lead to as large as 13 in the fourth quarter behind a 10-for-15 performance from the charity stripe. The Blue Demons continued to battle, cutting the lead to seven, but ultimately fell short.

UP NEXT
The Blue Demons will turn their attention to the Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 18-20, in Nassau, Bahamas. DePaul will open tournament play against South Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. CST. Tournament coverage can be found on FloHoops.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Basketball, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

2023-24 TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket renewals for the 2023-24 women's basketball season have concluded. Current ticket holders that have yet to renew can call the ticket office to secure new seats for the upcoming season.

Those looking to purchase NEW 2023-24 season tickets can do so online or over the phone by speaking with a DePaul Athletics Ticket Representative. Season Tickets are on sale now and start at just $99 per seat! Celebrate the 50th season of DePaul Women's Basketball and commit to the Blue Demons today!

The DePaul Athletics Ticket Office is also accepting $50 deposits for Group Outings or Luxury Suite Rentals. Mini plan, group tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now.

Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information.