Peoples Powers DePaul in Double Overtime Thriller Against St. John’s

Thursday, January 25

Chicago, Ill.

7:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

10-11,2-6Big East

St. John's

12-9,6-3Big East

OT 1

OT 2

St. John's (NY)

DePaul

Peoples Powers DePaul in Double Overtime Thriller Against St. John’s

1/25/2024 11:23:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Peoples posts game-highs of 37 points and 16 rebounds in the setback

CHICAGO – DePaul guard Anaya Peoples went off for career-highs of 37 points and 16 rebounds to will her team back from a 12-point first-half deficit and force double overtime, but it wasn't enough as St. John's escaped Wintrust Arena with an 83-77 win on Thursday night.

Katlyn Gilbert and Jorie Allen each poured in double figures, scoring 14 and 10, respectively. Allen recorded her fourth career double-double, adding 10 rebounds and a team-high four assists.. Gilbert added four steals, three assists and three blocks. Thursday was Gilbert's 10th game with four or more steals this season.

As a team, DePaul (10-11, 2-6 BIG EAST) dominated in paint 46-22 and forced the Red Storm into a season-high 23 turnovers. The Blue Demons committed a season-low seven turnovers of their own while reaching double-digit steals for the 13th time this season.

St. John's (12-9, 6-3) was led by Unique Drake's 36 points.

How it Happened
St. John's stormed out to a 10-4 lead early in the first quarter. The Blue Demons answered on the shoulders of Kate Clarke, who contributed seven-straight points to cut the deficit to one. The Johnnies converted on two jumpers down the stretch to bring the Red Storm lead to 18-13.

A pair of field goals in the opening minute of the second quarter extended the St. John's lead to 11. A string of buckets from Peoples and Gilbert brought the game within six late in the first half, but the Red Storm held a 37-25 advantage going into the break on the heels of a pair of layups.

Peoples led the Blue Demons at the break with 10 points and six rebounds.

The Blue Demons started off the second half strong, with Gilbert registering a steal and score in the first 15 seconds of action. Three possessions later, Allen sank a pair from the charity stripe to make it a two-possession game, 37-31. DePaul began to charge, spearheaded by a momentous three pointer by Sidor and five consecutive points from Peoples to make it a four point game to close the third quarter trailing 49-45.

After the Red Storm held the advantage for 33:22 of the game, the Blue Demons took their first lead of the night after two made free throws by Peoples, 51-50. DePaul held St. John's scoreless for over three minutes, forcing three turnovers in the process. With just under four minutes, the Blue Demons took their largest lead of the night after two clutch free throws by Jade Edwards to take a 58-54 advantage. The Red Storm closed the gap but missed a crucial shot from the free throw line with eleven seconds left in regulation to leave the door open for DePaul. Peoples kept DePaul in the ball game by nailing two clutch free throws with five seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 60 and force an extra period.

Peoples opened the overtime period by converting a pullup jumper, however St. John's responded with a triple to take a narrow lead, 63-62. After trading buckets, the Red Storm made a three to claim a four-point edgewith two minutes to play. Peoples responded with an and-one to make it a one-point game. Following a pair of successful trips to the line by both teams, the Johnnies missed a free throw on their final possession of the period to send the game into double overtime.

Similar to the start of the second half, Gilbert quickly grabbed the momentum by adding a steal and score to DePaul's game totals. While the Blue Demons went two minutes without a basket, Peoples halted the scoring drought to tie the game at 75 apiece. Both teams traded baskets late, with Peoples hitting another clutch shot inside the paint to pull the home team back within two, 79-77. The two-point difference could not be overcome after St. John's hit four-consecutive shots from the line, sealing the game for the Red Storm.

Up Next
DePaul continues their homestand as they welcome Villanova to Wintrust Arena on Sunday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. with coverage on FS1.

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