DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
1-0,0-0Big East
West Georgia
0-1,0-0UAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ga. | 31 | 27 | 58 |
| DePaul | 29 | 46 | 75 |
11/2/2026 10:05:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Blue Demons outscore West Georgia 46-27 in second half
CHICAGO — DePaul men's basketball opened its 2026-27 season with a 75-58 win over West Georgia Monday night inside Wintrust Arena.
Four transfers led DePaul (1-0) in scoring led by Koree Cotton with a game-high 20 on 11-of-13 shooting at the free throw line. Magoon Gwath added 19 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Ade Popoola scored all 12 of his points in the second half on four three-pointers, while Noah Meeusen dished out a game-high eight assists to go with his 11 points and seven rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fabián Flores scored DePaul's first basket on a driving layup before Gwath followed with his first three-pointer of the season. Meeusen added a pair of layups to even the game at 11, but West Georgia (0-1) answered with a 10-2 run to take control. The Blue Demons held the Wolves scoreless for nearly six minutes late in the half, as Gwath's second three-pointer cut West Georgia's lead to 31-29 at the break.
Flores quickly tied the game to open the second half with a hook shot before Gwath converted a layup off a West Georgia turnover to give DePaul a 35-33 advantage. After the teams traded leads, Cotton put the Blue Demons ahead for good with a three-point play. Popoola fueled a 17-1 run with four three-pointers as DePaul's defense held the Wolves scoreless for more than five minutes. West Georgia cut the deficit to 11 before DePaul responded with 12 consecutive points, capped by a driving layup from Meeusen that gave the Blue Demons their largest lead of the game, 73-50, with 2:20 remaining.
OF NOTE
- DePaul moves to 1-0 for the 89th time in program history and opens the season with a victory for the third-straight season.
- Head Coach Chris Holtmann is 16-0 all-time in home openers and has won 13-straight season opening contests.
- Cotton made a career-high 11 free throws, a program record for made free throws in a DePaul debut, dating back to 1998-99.
- Monday marked Popoola's 20th career double-digit scoring game, helping his teams improve to a 18-2 record when he scores 10 or more.
- Seven players made their DePaul debuts Monday evening, including Noah Smith who made his collegiate debut in the closing minutes of the game.
UP NEXT
DePaul welcomes a former conference opponent, USF, to Wintrust Arena Thursday, Nov. 5. The programs are set for a 7:30 p.m. tip on truTV.
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Men's Basketball, please visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram and Facebook.
TICKET INFORMATION
Join Blue Demon Nation for BIG EAST hoops at Wintrust Arena! Full season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now, starting at just $275 per seat for men's basketball. Full season tickets include the same seat for every home game, plus special discounts for DePaul faculty, staff, retirees and recent graduates. Visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets to lock in your seats today.
