DePaul finally found some semblance of health. They played the Georgetown Hoyas close for the first 35 minutes. None of it mattered. The Blue Demons’ inability to score was the catalyst for a 71-59 loss at Allstate Arena Monday night.

It was a game as ugly as it was physical. Neither team found any flow in the first half. DePaul opened with a 4-0 advantage and played stifling defense, holding the Hoyas to one field goal in the first six minutes. It was the Blue Demons’ defense that kept the game close, as their lack of scoring depth was evident throughout the contest. Georgetown made just nine out of 30 shots in the half and DePaul went into the locker room with a 30-27 lead.

Georgetown didn’t get its first lead until 14:42 remained in the game. A corner three-pointer from Aaron Bowen gave the Hoyas a 35-32 advantage, a lead that John Thompson III’s squad wouldn’t relinquish.

“It was that eight-minute stretch at the beginning of the second half where we didn’t play well and they took control,” head coach Oliver Purnell said.

The Blue Demons kept the game close until about six minutes remained. From then on, Georgetown’s guards were too much to handle. A barrage of jumpers turned the nail-biter into a game controlled by the Hoyas. Georgetown led by 14 with five minutes left.

The ineffectiveness of the offense caused tempers to flare as Tommy Hamilton IV received a technical foul with 10:42 remaining in the game.

The Blue Demons got to within 48-44, but the Hoyas went on a 12-0 run to put the game away.