Georgetown snaps 29-game Big East losing streak with 81-76 win over DePaul

Graduate+guard+Umoja+Gibson+lays+the+ball+up+over+Hoyas+defenders+in+DePauls+loss+to+Georgetown+Tuesday+night.

DePaul Athletics

Graduate guard Umoja Gibson lays the ball up over Hoyas defenders in DePaul’s loss to Georgetown Tuesday night.

DePaul dropped its seventh Big East conference game of the season after falling on the road to Georgetown by a score of 81-76 on Tuesday night. Hoyas sophomore guard Primo Spears’ 21-point night highlighted his team’s win. 

Georgetown controlled most of the game from start to finish and led DePaul for a total of 29:38 of game time. The Hoyas attempted 22 more free throws than the Blue Demons, a key reason for its victory on Tuesday night.

Graduate guard Umoja Gibson, similar to last Saturday’s game against Providence, kept the Blue Demons in the matchup during the first half, scoring 16 points and grabbing two steals, while connecting on 2-of-2 shots from beyond the arc. 

Gibson’s stellar season continued as the DePaul star finished the game with 24-points, four assists and three steals to go with a three-of-four shooting night from three-point range. He also extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to 10-straight.

DePaul went into halftime with a 37-36 lead over Georgetown and before Tuesday’s loss, the Blue Demons were undefeated on the year when leading opponents at the break.

The second half started off slow for the Blue Demons and they were out-scored by the Hoyas 17-9 in the first few minutes, taking a 53-46 lead. 

Late in the second half, the Hoyas went on a 12-0 run and held the Blue Demons’ offense scoreless for nearly three minutes. 

Just as the game seemed out of reach, DePaul made it interesting, with a run of its own. 

DePaul scored off a fast break layup by Gibson, followed by a three-point make from junior guard Caleb Murphy, but Georgetown clinched the game on a pair of free throws with under 10 seconds remaining, sealing up the 81-76 final score.

Georgetown’s win over DePaul is the squad’s first Big East conference victory since March 13, 2021 over Creighton, which marks 682 days since the Hoyas won a league matchup. The second longest Big East losing streak of all-time belongs to the Blue Demons, which happened between 2010 and 2011 when DePaul recorded 25-straight Big East losses. 

Tuesday’s loss was maybe one of DePaul’s worst performances of the season, as three Blue Demons fouled out and the team was called for 30 total fouls.

Graduate forward Eral Penn continues his impressive play after recording double-digit rebounds in three of his last four games. Penn finished with a game-high 14 rebounds on Tuesday night and held his own against the well-respected Georgetown big man, senior Qudus Wahab. 

Three Blue Demons were sidelined once again, including Nick Ongenda (hand injury), Mo Sall (wrist injury) and Ahamad Bynum (suspended). Junior guard/forward K.T. Raimey made his return to action for the first time since DePaul’s Jan. 1 matchup with Providence. 

DePaul (9-12, 3-7) will host no. 16 Marquette (16-5, 8-2) on Saturday afternoon with tip off scheduled at Wintrust Arena for 1:00 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.