The DePaul Blue Demons’ senior night started with the recognition of four individuals — forwards Michelle Ojo, Meg Newman and Justis Odom, as well as student manager Ashley Tedjo — for their ongoing contributions to the program. By night’s end, following the team’s 71-64 loss, two of those seniors, Ojo and Newman, were candid in how they will remember this season, their time at DePaul and what it has meant to them.

“This year’s definitely tested my ability to get outside of myself,” Newman said. “My struggles offensively, my struggles with my physical health, just how can you serve others even when things aren’t going your way. I’ve just tried to be as selfless as I can through my own personal adversity. At the very least, I hope I’ve done that.”

Newman was slated to be one of the team’s focal players heading into the season, but an injury and Ojo’s emergence as one of the team’s most reliable players forced Newman to take a step back in the Blue Demons’ rotation. Tonight, earning her first start since Jan. 13, Newman started the game alongside Ojo, and the two combined for 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Their bond is evident, even with the loss.

“Meg Newman. As a teammate, I gained another sister, honestly,” Ojo said. “She’s somebody that you can go to for anything. It doesn’t have to be basketball related, school related. She’s just a great human being, and it’s very hard to come by people like that these days. As a player, Meg has been one of the teammates that’s helped me grow as a leader, and I’ve been grateful to try to lead beside her. I feel extremely blessed to have been Meg’s teammate.”

The sentiment is not one-sided.

“I thought that I would get through this without getting emotional,” Newman said as she welled up following her final game at Wintrust Arena. “I’ve loved playing with Michelle. Michelle’s the first teammate that I’ve had in my five years that’s the same age as me, and that’s been really cool. I’m grateful for that. But I’m even more grateful for who she is. Shelly is the sweetest, most thoughtful, will be in the middle of the play, someone just got knocked on their butt, and she’ll turn and be like ‘Are you okay? Is everything alright?’ I’ve never crossed paths with someone more thoughtful.”

Newman added that, in Ojo, she has gained “a friend for life,” which, for Newman, is “way more important than ever putting a ball in the basket.”

Fellow senior forward Justis Odom has not enjoyed the same level of playing time as Ojo and Newman, but coach Jill Pizzotti stressed how crucial Odom’s leadership has been for the young squad.

“Justis is another good leader through her experience. She’s a really intelligent young woman, and I think through her different experiences in college basketball, it brings a lot to a team in terms of how to navigate through difficult times. She’s been through most of it,” Pizzotti said.

While the Blue Demons ultimately came up short of ending their home schedule with a win on senior night, there is still a road ahead for the team as they look to close out the year on a stronger note.

“This season has just been unexpected, but I’m really thankful, I’m really grateful for all the people I’m surrounded by,” Ojo said. “As we go into this last game and the tournament, we’re looking to finish off with a bang.”

The Blue Demons will close out the regular season with a road matchup against the Georgetown Hoyas on March 1 before heading to Connecticut for the Big East tournament, which tips of on March 6.

Despite a four-point halftime lead, the DePaul Blue Demons were ultimately unable to hold onto tonight’s game, losing to the Butler Bulldogs by a final score of 71-64.

The Blue Demons had four players finish with double digit points, including senior Michelle Ojo, who led the way with 13. Ojo, Meg Newman and Alayna West all finished with a team-high five rebounds, with Natiah Nelson leading the charge with four assists. In what was the team’s final game at Wintrust Arena this season, the Blue Demons showed sparks on both ends of the court, winning the turnover margin by seven, but it was ultimately not enough as they dropped their third game in four attempts within the conference.

After tying the game at 58, DePaul allowed a 7-0 run by the Bulldogs to set up a steep climb over the last minute of gameplay. A layup by Michelle Ojo has made the deficit a little more palatable, but after Butler’s made three on the other end, the Blue Demons are down 68-60 with 46 seconds remaining, and will likely be forced into fouling for any hope of a comeback.

After Gina Davorija tied the game at 53 with a layup, Butler’s offensive foul gave the ball right back to the Blue Demons, who came up fruitless on the other end. The Bulldog’s next layup gave them a two-point lead, but it was lost quickly as Devin Hagemann hit her second three of the night. The back and forth continued as Butler buried a layup with an and-one opportunity, which they converted. A flurry of missed shots on the Blue Demons’ following possession resulted in several offensive rebounds and ultimately, a Michelle Ojo trip to the line, where she hit both of her shots. With four minutes remaining, the game is tied 58-58.

Facing an eight-point deficit with seven and a half minutes remaining, Alayna West cut into the Bulldogs’ lead with a pair of made free throws. A full court press resulted in a loose ball and a West steal, which made its way to Natiah Nelson for a transition layup. West got another steal on the following possession, and after a pair of offensive rebounds by the Blue Demons, West found her way back to the free throw line, where she again hit both of her shots. In the blink of an eye, DePaul’s eight-point deficit has turned into a one-possession game as the home team trails 53-51 with six minutes remaining.

Butler’s 14-5 run dominated much of the third quarter, and now entering the final frame of their home schedule, the Blue Demons face a 50-43 deficit. Coming out of half, the Bulldogs won the third quarter 20-9, effectively erasing the Blue Demons’ narrow halftime lead. Meg Newman’s 10 first-half points still lead her squad, but the senior forward has been unable to add to that total after the break. Michelle Ojo and Natiah Nelson are both close behind with nine points each, but the Bulldogs already have two players with double-digit scoring totals.

An offensive onslaught for Butler has given them a 44-41 lead with three and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter. The three-point lead is tied for their largest of the night, but much of the Blue Demons’ current deficit is self-inflicted, specifically from four committed turnovers over the last three and a half minutes of game time. DePaul will look to counter Butler’s 8-2 run when they come out of timeout.

Devin Hagemann drilled a three-pointer to start the second half scoring for the Blue Demons, but the Bulldogs have answered back with a pair of made layups in the first minute and a half of the quarter. Hagemann successfully drew an illegal screen violation on the defensive end, putting Butler’s 6-0 run to rest before Michelle Ojo converted a layup to give her team a 39-36 lead with six and a half minutes remaining in the frame.

Halfway through their final home game of the season, the Blue Demons are holding onto a four-point lead. Meg Newman, who is making her first start since Jan. 13, leads her squad with 10 points and four total rebounds. Three players — Kate Novik, Alayna West and Natiah Nelson — are leading the charge with two assists each. As a squad, the Blue Demons are outscoring the Bulldogs 24-16 in the paint, and have also scored five more points than their opponent in transition. DePaul has outscored Butler in both quarters, including a 19-17 split after the first frame and a 15-13 edge in the second.

Facing a two-point deficit, Butler quickly jumped back into the driver’s seat by nailing a shot-clock-expiring three-pointer, but Natiah Nelson’s hook shot game her team the one-point advantage right back. A few possessions later, Ally Timm’s three-pointer connected to give her team a 30-26 lead entering the final two minutes of the first half. With Butler set to take the ball out of bounds, the four-point lead is currently the Blue Demons’ largest of the night.

After tying the game at 19, the Blue Demons stepped up on the defensive end, coming in the form of a big block from Alayna West on Butler’s layup attempt. West followed up the defensive stand by drawing a charge on Butler’s next scoring attempt. She then found Meg Newman under the basket on the other end of the court for her second assist of the night. With Natiah Nelson scoring a layup on the following possession, the Blue Demons took their first lead of the second quarter by the score of 23-21.

Coming out of timeout, Butler’s trip to the free throw line not only provided two made shots, but a two point lead with about three minutes left in the first quarter. After allowing an offensive rebound on the following defensive possession, Devin Hagemann was able to get the ball back for the home team, who answered with a Gina Davorija-made layup to even the game at 16 apiece. Butler answered right back by drilling an elbow three on the other end, but a traveling violation on their next possession led to Alayna West getting fouled on her drive to the basket. After hitting one of her two attempts, the Blue Demons face a 19-17 deficit in the final minute of the first quarter.

Devin Hagemann’s mid-range jumper served as the Blue Demons’ first basket of the game, and Michelle Ojo kept the offense rolling with a turnaround layup a few possessions later. Fellow forward Meg Newman tacked on a spinning jumper in the paint, followed up by Kate Novik picking up a lose ball and tossing up a shot to give the Blue Demons their first lead of the night. With about six and a half minutes remaining in the opening quarter, DePaul is up 8-7.

DePaul is set to take the court at Wintrust Arena for the final time this season, starting the game with the following lineup:

• G Devin Hagemann (So.)
• G Kate Novik (Jr.)
• G Natiah Nelson (So.)
• F Michelle Ojo (Gr.)
• F Meg Newman (Sr.)

Butler’s opening lineup is as follows:

• G Kennedy Langham (Jr.)
• G McKenna Johnson (So.)
• G Nevaeh Jackson (Jr.)
• G Saniya Jackson (So.)
• F Mallory Miller (So.)

Before the opening tip, head coach Jill Pizzotti presented Novik with a ceremonial game ball commemorating her 1,000 career points, a milestone she eclipsed in the Blue Demons’ 76-67 win over Xavier on Sunday.

The game starts NOW!

The senior night festivities started pre-game for the Blue Demons, who took a moment to recognize the seniors in and around their program, including student manager Ashley Tedjo, forward Justis Odom, forward Michelle Ojo and forward Meg Newman. With one more regular season game remaining until the Big East tournament, tonight will be the final outing at Wintrust Arena for all those honored.