DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
4-0,0-0Big East
Northern Illinois
1-2,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIU | 18 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 65 |
| DePaul | 17 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 85 |
11/11/2026 8:54:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Clarke's 20 points, Ward's third-straight double-double move Blue Demons to 4-0
CHICAGO – DePaul outscored Northern Illinois 52-33 in the second half to pull away for an 85-65 win Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena, improving to 4-0 and matching the program's best start since 2016-17.
Fifth-year guard Kate Clarke broke the game open in the third quarter, hitting all four of her shots for 11 of DePaul's 27 points as the Blue Demons built a 60-48 lead heading into the fourth.
Four Blue Demons finished in double figures. Clarke led the way with a season-high 20 points and a career-high nine rebounds. Fourth-year forward Louis Volker added 15, tying her career high, and first-year guard Mikaia Litza and fourth-year forward Zoey Ward scored 12 apiece. Ward also grabbed 12 rebounds for her third straight double-double.
DePaul outrebounded NIU 49-32 and held a 44-30 edge in points in the paint.
How it happened
After making just one of its first five shots, DePaul went 6 of 8 the rest of the first quarter. NIU led by as many as seven before fourth-year forward Doyinsola Lijirin provided a spark off the bench, scoring in the paint to pull the Blue Demons within five. Volker's jumper with 23 seconds left gave DePaul its first lead at 17-16, but NIU answered at the buzzer to take an 18-17 lead after one.
The two teams combined for just 30 points in the second quarter. DePaul held NIU scoreless over the final 2:52, and Lijirin's fast-break layup with a second left sent the Blue Demons into halftime up 33-32. Litza had five points and two assists in the quarter and finished the half with nine points and five assists.
NIU scored the first two baskets of the second half, but DePaul took over from there, led by Clarke's 11 third-quarter points. A 6-0 run midway through the quarter, on a Volker turnaround jumper, a Ward putback and a Volker tip-in, gave the Blue Demons a 48-43 lead. DePaul then closed the quarter on a 12-3 run to take a 60-48 lead after its best scoring quarter of the night.
DePaul picked up right where it left off in the fourth, using a 10-1 run over the first two minutes to take a 70-49 lead. Ward had seven points and four rebounds in the fourth.
Notes
- Kate Clarke grabbed a career-high nine rebounds.
- Clarke's 20 points were a season high. It was her third double-figure game this season and the fifth 20-point game of her career.
- Mikaia Litza has scored in double figures in all four games to open the season.
- Louis Volker scored 15 points, tying her career high.
- Zoey Ward has 10 or more rebounds in three straight games, all double-doubles. She is the first DePaul player with three straight double-doubles since Aneesah Morrow in February 2023.
- DePaul has 21 or more assists in four straight games for the first time since 2021.
DePaul takes on No. 13 Notre Dame in the Shamrock Classic Saturday, Nov. 14, at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Tipoff is set for noon CT on NBC and Peacock.
TICKET INFORMATION
Help us complete the DePaul 500! Full season tickets for the 2026-27 DePaul women's basketball season at Wintrust Arena are on sale now, starting at $125 per seat. Special discounts are available for DePaul faculty, staff, retirees and recent graduates (2022-26). Secure your seats today at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets.
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 X, Instagram and Facebook.
