Senior forward NJ Benson was named to the Big East Honor Roll today after his performance against Creighton on Feb. 11, which featured 23 points and 10 rebounds.
He shot 90.9% from the field in the game, which is the best field goal percentage by a Blue Demon with 10 or more field goal attempts. He made 10 of his 11 attempts.
Late in the game — and down one — Benson was matched up with Creighton guard Austin Swartz.
In the postgame press conference, Benson shared he knew the pressure he was under: if he did not get a stop, the Blue Demons would lose.
Benson got the stop, allowing for a defensive rebound and an opportunity to score, which senior guard Brandon Maclin seized to give DePaul the lead.
The Blue Demons won 72-71 because of that layup and one final stop.
After the game, head coach Chris Holtmann said that he had “never seen” Benson “guard like that.”
“He made a big-time play at the right time,” Holtmann said. “He was really good offensively, too. He really responded like a senior.
“NJ really cares about DePaul. He cares about the team doing well. Cares about leaving a good legacy here.”
Benson is the third leading scorer on the team with 10.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounds per game with 7.1.
Related stories:
- CJ Gunn named to Big East Honor Roll for second time this season
- ‘Whatever it takes to win’: How doubted player Brandon Maclin has defied expectations
- Who do DePaul students think is the greatest NBA player of all time?
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