Despite an 18-4 run in the second half to cut St. John’s lead to six, DePaul men’s basketball fell to the Red Storm Sunday, 72-64.
DePaul (11-19, 3-14) was down by as many as 20, but clawed their way back into the game. Brandon Young led the Blue Demons with 23 points and Billy Garrett Jr. added 12
. Still, it wasn’t enough to hold St. John’s (19-11, 9-8) off. The Red Storm made crucial blocks late to withhold the Blue Demons’ run. St. John’s had an impressive 14 blocks and out rebounded DePaul 44-27.
“You’ve got to give St. John’s credit, they made four or five terrific defensive plays in the second half that erased the run,” head coach Oliver Purnell said. “(We) fought hard in the second half, but you can’t have a first half like we did. The rebounding totals were a big issue for us.”
D’Angelo Harrison, the Red Storm’s leading scorer, had another big game with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Obekpa also contributed with five blocks and 11 rebounds.
St. John’s led 33-21 at halftime. They went on a 16-2 run at the beginning of the game to establish a commanding lead. DePaul struggled to shoot in the first half, shooting just 31 percent. St. John’s, on the other hand, shot 60 percent in the half.
“We were really anxious in the first half offensively,” Purnell said. “We weren’t playing smart. We were anxious to score.”
After the break, the Red Storm opened the half with an 8-0 run. St. John’s pushed their lead to 20, 48-28, with 14:08 left.
However, the Blue Demons fought back. They forced eight St. John’s turnovers and hit six 3-pointers to spark a 26-9 run over the final 15 minutes. The Blue Demons got within three points after freshman R.J. Curington drained a 3-pointer, cutting St. John’s lead to 57-54 with 4:15 left.
St. John’s, a team that desperately needed a win due to being on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, locked down on defense to clinch the game. Phil Greene IV stole the ball after Young fell to the ground and ran it back for an easy transition dunk, putting the Red Storm ahead 61-54.
DePaul would foul and St. John’s would make late game free throws. Harrison and Sir’Dominic Pointer were sent to the line late, making all six of their attempts. St. John’s went 19-29 from the line, while DePaul went a measly 2-7.
This was DePaul’s 11th loss in the team’s last 12 games. The sole win came on Feb. 25, a 65- 60 win over Seton Hall.
DePaul’s next game will be on Thursday against Butler at Allstate Arena. Seniors Brandon Young, Edwind McGhee and Sandi Marcius will be honored before the game as part of senior night.
“It’s an important game for us,” Purnell said. “It’s senior night and we need to have a little momentum and a little more confidence so we can play a full 40 minutes.”