Blue Demons Drop Double Overtime Heartbreaker

Thursday, March 13

New York, N.Y.

6 p.m.

DePaul University

14-19,4-16Big East

Creighton

23-9,15-5Big East

OT 1

OT 2

DePaul

Creighton

Blue Demons Drop Double Overtime Heartbreaker

3/13/2025 11:08:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL

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DePaul falls to Creighton in BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals

NEW YORK – It was a heartbreaking loss for the DePaul men's basketball team Thursday evening in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals as the Blue Demons fell in double overtime, 85-81, to second-seeded Creighton.

Seven different Blue Demons contributed to the scoring effort, including a career-high performance from Layden Blocker who registered 25 points. Blocker's 25 points are the third most by a DePaul player in the BIG EAST Tournament, and the most since Cleveland Melvin on March 12, 2013. Blocker was 5-of-7 from three while also adding five rebounds, two steals and two assists.

Isaiah Rivera had an all-around game for the Blue Demons with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. The graduate student played all 50 minutes, marking the most ever played by a Blue Demon in the BIG EAST Tournament.

HOW IT HAPPENED
DePaul (14-19)'s defense came out strong to open the game and force Creighton to go 1-of-11 from the floor in the first 10 minutes of the game. The defensive effort and solid scoring opportunities gave DePaul a 22-11 lead with seven minutes left to play in the half. The Blue Demons ended the half making their last five field goal attempts for a 36-21 advantage.

Creighton (23-9) opened the second half shooting above 50 percent to cut DePaul's lead to nine, 42-33. DePaul held onto a nine-point advantage until a three-pointer pulled Creighton within six, 46-40. Blocker immediately answered with his own pair of three-pointers, before a 9-0 Creighton run cut the lead to three, 54-51. Despite a pair of three-pointers from Rivera and Troy D'Amico, Creighton tied the game with 20 seconds remaining on a Steven Ashworth three-pointer.

After Creighton jumped ahead early in the overtime period to an eight-point lead, Blocker scored all of DePaul's 11 points in the first five minutes to force the second overtime. After the Blue Demons grabbed a 76-75 lead off a three-pointer from Rivera, Creighton would take the lead for good on a pair of baskets from Ryan Kalkbrenner.

OF NOTE

DePaul set a program BIG EAST Tournament record with 11 steals, led by Gunn's six which was also an individual BIG EAST Tournament record.
Thursday was DePaul's first overtime game in the BIG EAST Tournament.
It was the Blue Demons 19th double overtime game in program history, moving to 8-11 in those games.