DePaul’s losing streak extended to five games Sunday after dropping its ninth Big East game of the season against Seton Hall by a score of 69-65. The Blue Demons led by 13 points with ten minutes left in the first half, but an offensive dryspell resulted in a Pirates victory.

The Blue Demons fall to 9-15 on the season and 3-10 in Big East play. Sunday’s matchup in Newark, New Jersey could go down as the team’s biggest collapse of the season considering DePaul’s strong start in a hostile environment. 

DePaul opened the game with a 15-2 run, highlighted by its defense holding Seton Hall from scoring a basket for nearly half the first period. The Pirates squad recorded its first made field goal at the 10:40 mark.

Seton Hall eventually woke up, bouncing back with an 18-4 run of their own, while holding the Blue Demons offense to two points in the final 2:50 minutes of play.

DePaul finished the first half connecting on only one of its final eight field goals. Later, the team underwent another dry spell when it made only one of 10 field goals. Head coach Tony Stubblefield’s offense has struggled with consistency this season and instead lives off the team’s offensive momentum.

Surprisingly, graduate forward Javan Johnson had a quiet game and was held scoreless for the second time in the first half this season for the Blue Demons. Johnson was zero for six shooting in the first half and was zero for two from beyond the arc while recording a plus minus of -2.

Johnson finished the game scoreless for the first time this season.

In the first half, junior guard Kadary Richmond led Seton hall and recorded 10 points, while DePaul’s junior forward Da’Sean Nelson recorded eight points off the bench

Seton Hall’s offense was hot after the break, going on a 12-2 run early in the second half that lasted over four minutes. The Pirates extended the run and went on a second 18-4 run, but this time it lasted around seven minutes, while DePaul offensively could not find anything to land.

Still, Stubblefield’s team didn’t give up and made a push late in the second half at attempting an improbable comeback. Graduate guard Umoja Gibson hit a deep three-pointer to cut DePaul’s deficit, 58-50 at the 3:21 mark that sparked a 7-0 run.

Gibson then scored an under the rim contested layup to cut the Blue Demons deficit to five, but the slim deficit proved to be as close as DePaul would come to erasing Seton Hall’s lead. 

Gibson took over in the final minutes, but it was not enough to overcome DePaul’s offensive struggles, and the team did not see much offensive production outside of the graduate point guard.

Gibson had a productive day and finished with 21 points, two rebounds and two assists, while making three of 10 shots from beyond the arc.