Blue Demons Hold Off St. John’s En Route to 1,000th Program Victory

Tuesday, February 10

Chicago, Ill.

6:00 PM

DePaul University

6-20,3-12Big East

St. John's

19-8,9-7Big East

St. John's (NY)

DePaul

Blue Demons Hold Off St. John’s En Route to 1,000th Program Victory

2/10/2026 9:07:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

Kate Novik scores 20 points as Blue Demons defeat Red Storm 72-68

CHICAGO—DePaul women's basketball used a strong first half and poised late-game execution to fend off St. John's, overcoming a third-quarter rally to secure a 72-68 victory Tuesday evening at Wintrust Arena. The win marked the 1,000th in program history for the Blue Demons, making DePaul one of 86 Division I programs to reach the milestone and just the second current BIG EAST member to do so, joining UConn.

It was a true team effort, as DePaul placed four players in double figures for the second time this season. Junior guard Kate Novik led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the year. She was perfect from the free-throw line, going 8-for-8, including a clutch 4-for-4 performance in the final quarter.

Natiah Nelson added 13 points on 60 percent shooting from the field for her 11th double-figure outing of the season. Sophomore guard Devin Hagemann chipped in 12 points and five assists, while Michelle Ojo delivered an all-around performance with 11 points, seven rebounds, and a career-best four steals.

DePaul (6-20, 3-12 BIG EAST) controlled the glass with a 37-29 rebounding advantage, including a dominant 15-5 edge on the offensive boards. The Blue Demons converted those extra opportunities into 20 second-chance points, their highest total in a BIG EAST game this season.

DePaul also excelled at the free-throw line, knocking down 14-of-15 attempts for a season-best 93 percent, and shared the ball efficiently with 20 assists on 27 made field goals. The Blue Demons have now recorded 20 or more assists in seven games this season.

Beautiful Waheed paced St. John's with 20 points, leading three Red Storm players in double figures.

How It Happened
The Blue Demons used an early 7-0 run to build a 9-5 lead. St. John's answered with seven of the next nine points to reclaim the advantage, but Timm's midrange jumper as the quarter wound down put DePaul back in control with a 19-15 lead at the end of the first.

St. John's pulled within one, 24-23, in the second quarter before baskets from Hagemann and Nelson pushed the margin to 28-23. DePaul then turned up the defensive pressure, sparking a 6-0 run to take its largest lead of the half at 34-25 and force a Red Storm timeout. The Blue Demons closed the quarter on an 11-1 surge to carry a 39-26 advantage into the break.
The Blue Demons outrebounded St. John's 20-11 in the first half and assisted on 13 of its first 16 field goals.

St. John's opened the second half on a 7-0 run, forcing an early DePaul timeout and trimming the deficit to a single possession. After nearly four and a half scoreless minutes, Timm knocked down her first three-pointer of the game to push the Blue Demons back in front 42-38. The Red Storm answered with a transition triple to reclaim their first lead since the opening quarter with just over four minutes left in the period. DePaul responded behind back-to-back and-ones from Ojo to regain a five-point edge, but St. John's scored the final two baskets of the quarter to pull within one, 50-49, heading into the fourth.

It was a back-and-forth start to the fourth quarter as the teams traded baskets, with DePaul holding a 59-57 advantage at the media timeout. Following a defensive stand and a basket from Kate Novik, the Blue Demons extended the lead to 68-64 with 1:05 remaining. Ojo added a layup to make it 70-64 with under 30 seconds to play, and Devin Hagemann iced the game at the line, knocking down a pair of free throws to secure the 72-68 victory.

Up Next
The Blue Demons hit the road to visit Seton Hall Saturday, Feb. 14. Tipoff from Walsh Gymnasium is set for 12 p.m. CT with coverage on ESPN+

Follow the Blue Demons
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Basketball, please visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram, and Facebook.