Tonight’s game has gone final with a 86-40 score, resulting in DePaul’s third straight loss in the Big East. After falling down 31-10 in the first quarter, the game against the nation’s top-ranked team quickly felt out of reach for the Blue Demons, despite a strong second quarter in which the Huskies were held to 13 points. Overall, the home team failed to find much consistency on offense, finishing with 18 total turnovers and 15 made shots from the field. DePaul’s perimeter-centric game plan showed promise, but making four of their 23 shots from deep proved to be far less than they needed to hang with the Huskies.

Both Kate Novik and Michelle Ojo were able to reach the 10-point mark, tied for the team-high, with Novik also leading her squad with nine assists and five total rebounds. Guards Devin Hagemann and Aizhanique Mayo both recorded two of the team’s four total made three-pointers, with Mayo also serving as one of seven players to finish with at least one rebound.

The Blue Demons’ statistical performance was improved from their 102-35 loss against the Huskies on Dec. 7. Nearly two months ago, DePaul recorded double-digit points as a team in only one quarter. In the rematch, the Blue Demons reached that quarter total all but once. They still never held a lead in either game, but the Blue Demons on Wednesday were able to keep the score much closer to UConn’s +39 points per game average scoring margin, the second-strongest mark in the country.

Meg Newman’s make along the baseline got the scoring started for the Blue Demons in the fourth quarter, and Alayna West was able to follow up with a spinning layup, but the Huskies still possess a nearly 40-point lead halfway through the first quarter. The Blue Demons’ bench is still bringing the energy, highlighted by “defense” chants whenever the ball is on the other end of the court. Still, DePaul is being done in in large part by their in ability to retain possession of the ball, wether that includes the Huskies intercepting cross-court passes or knocking the ball loose underneath the basket.

With 10 minutes to play, the Blue Demons face a 64-29 deficit. The home team has yet to have a player reach double digit scoring as they are shooting at a 26% clip as a team. DePaul still has more turnovers committed (15) than made shots from the field (11) as they enter the final frame, and the Huskies have profited 19 more points off of said turnovers than the Blue Demons.

Coming out of Pizzotti’s timeout, the Blue Demons used good ball movement to mitigate the Huskies’ full-court press, ultimately resulting in a wide-open shot from Michelle Ojo, who upped her point total to five. On the following possession, Ojo was called for her third foul of the game.

Down 56-25 halfway through the third quarter, Kate Novik still leads her squad with seven points, four rebounds and two assists. The Huskies have recorded 20 more points in the paint and 19 more points off turnovers as a team as they continue to extend their lead.

The Blue Demons started the second half with a Devin Hagemann make from deep, her second of the night on six attempts, but the Huskies answered quickly with an open look in the paint to double DePaul’s 23-point total as a team. Handsy defense against Kate Novik forced the ball loose, ultimately going UConn’s way following the jump-ball call. On their trip down the court, the Huskies were able to convert from deep despite a close shot contest.

Ally Timm’s shot on the following possession could not land, but the Blue Demons’ energy down low ultimately gifted them a second and third chance to score, with coach Jill Pizzotti calling the timeout to prevent the possession going to another jump-ball call.

With just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Blue Demons trail 49-23.

At the end of the first half, the Blue Demons face a 44-20 deficit against the top-ranked Huskies. Both teams have deployed similar tactics, especially defensively, where essentially every player who brings the ball up is met by a full-court press and even a double-teaming trap. Still, the Huskies have been the much more efficient team in terms of shooting, converting 66% of their shots from the field and 50% from deep compared to DePaul’s 29% and 14%, respectively.

Taking care of the ball has also been a problem for the Blue Demons, who have already committed 14 turnovers, resulting in 20 points for the Huskies. UConn has also been dominant in the paint, where they are outscoring DePaul 28-12.

DePaul’s leading scorer so far is Kate Novik with seven points. Novik also leads the team with a pair of assists and three total rebounds.

As part of the celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, roughly 18 local women’s basketball team from the Chicago-land area were honored during a timeout near the midpoint of the second quarter.

Out of the aforementioned stoppage, the Blue Demons had another open look from deep, but were unable to convert, dropping their efficiency from beyond the arc to 14% on 14 attempts. So far, the Blue Demons’ 12 total turnovers double their six made baskets from the field as they face a 40-16 deficit with just over three minutes remaining in the first half.

Michelle Ojo started the quarter with a tough layup for her first made field goal of the night, but a loose ball foul on the other end of the court by Ojo gave the Huskies a second chance to score. Successful in keeping the Huskies scoreless on the extended possession, the Blue Demons got a three-pointer out of Aizhanique Mayo to double their total from deep early in the second quarter. The Huskies answered with a basket down low on the following possession to extend their lead to 36-16 with six minutes remaining in the second quarter.

With Kate Novik converting a shot from down low to beat the first quarter buzzer, DePaul trails 31-10 after the game’s first 10 minutes. Novik’s six points and two rebounds both serve as team highs, but overall, the Blue Demons are struggling to keep up with an opponent that made 13 of their first 15 shots while forcing seven total turnovers on defense. DePaul has had some good looks from deep, including a cross-court pass to set up a shot on their penultimate possession of the quarter, but a 10% efficiency from beyond the arc has plagued the Blue Demons early.

Coming out of timeout, the Huskies were able to convert a wide-open layup attempt from under the basket, but Kate Novik’s made floater served as a quick answer to keep her team within 10 points of their No. 1 ranked opponent. The Huskies, however, drilled back-to-back three-pointers on their following possession to give them a 24-8 lead with about two and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.

After missing her first shot from deep on the night, Devin Hagemann got another chance from beyond the arc thanks to Kate Novik’s offensive rebound. Hagemann converted for her team’s first three-pointer of the game. Overall, the Blue Demons have struggled to shoot efficiently, knocking in one of their six total attempts from downtown, with several shots coming up significantly short. Halfway through the first quarter, the Blue Demons trail 14-6.

After winning the opening tip, the Huskies got on the board early with a converted floater in the lane, but the Blue Demons were able to force turnovers on each of their next two defensive possessions. Kate Novik, who already had a steal in the first quarter, sank the first basket for DePaul to even the score at 2-2 less than two minutes into the basket.

An aggressive drive to the basket helped the Huskies retake their early lead, but Michelle Ojo was able to cut the deficit to one point after splitting her two shots from the free throw line. A made basket by the Huskies on the following possession gave them a 6-3 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Tonight’s game is set to tip-off, with the DePaul Blue Demons rolling out the following starting lineup:

• G Gina Davorija (Fr.)
• G Devin Hagemann (So.)
• G Natiah Nelson (So.)
• G Kate Novik (Jr.)
• F Michelle Ojo (Gr.)

The UConn Huskies will start the game with the following lineup:

• G KK Arnold (Jr.)
• G Ashlynn Shade (Jr.)
• G Azzi Fudd (Gr.)
• F Sarah Strong (So.)
• F Serah Williams (Sr.)

The game starts now.