NEW YORK — DePaul is heading to the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference Tournament for the primary time in six years with a win now not many expected.
Paul Reed had 23 issues and 12 rebounds and the lowly Blue Demons received their first convention event sport since 2014 with a come-from-behind 71-67 over seventh-seeded Xavier in a first-round sport on Tuesday evening.
“We just came out and stuck with the plan, the game plan,” stated guard Charlie Moore, who added 18 issues and 9 assists for 10th-seeded DePaul (16-16). “Came out, gave energy. Tried to limit their rebound, offensive rebound attempts, just play defense as a team. I thought we did a great job of that tonight.”
The win will ship the Blue Demons, who received 3 of 18 convention video games this season, to a quarterfinal showdown towards second-seeded Villanova on Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.
“For everybody this time of year a lot at stake,” DePaul trainer Dave Leitao stated. “Want to live to play another day. And in order to get to where you want to get to, you’ve got to take it one step, one possession at a time. I thought we did do that.”
Tyrique Jones had 22 issues to steer Xavier (19-13). Zach Freemantle matched his occupation prime with 18 and Naji Marshall scored 15 for the Musketeers, who made 1 in their closing 10 pictures.
The two first-round video games on Wednesday evening — St. John’s beat Georgetown within the opener — would be the closing ones with out fan restrictions. The league introduced right through the DePaul-Xavier sport that the rest of the convention’s event will likely be performed underneath a limited attendance coverage.
Attendees will likely be restricted to student-athletes, coaches, match body of workers, crucial group and convention body of workers, tv team of workers, credentialed media and quick members of the family of the taking part groups. Schools will likely be restricted to 200 tickets in line with establishment.
It received’t subject for seventh-seeded Xavier. It had used a 13-point run to take a 59-53 lead with 9:18 to play, however the Musketeers scored 8 issues the remainder of the way in which in failing to win a event sport for the primary time since becoming a member of the league seven years in the past.
After falling in the back of by means of six issues, Moore hit a 3-pointer and Reed slammed house a dunk round a shot by means of Xavier’s KyKy Tandy to get inside 61-58. DePaul would ultimately take the lead for excellent on a shot by means of Reed within the paint for a 64-63 lead with 4:15 to play. Jaylen Butz scored inside of with 2:47 to move and Moore made two unfastened throws to up the benefit to 69-63 with 29 seconds left.
“I think basketball is a game of runs,” Marshall stated. “Like you said, they was up nine, we were up six. Next thing you know we lose the lead. Coach said there, we were pretty tired. Crashed the offensive glass towards the second half. Like he said, we was tired. And we didn’t execute our system on defense or offense.”
DePaul used a 13-2 run to open a 35-24 lead past due within the first part, however Freemantle hit two 3-pointers in a 10-Three spurt to near the space to 38-24 on the part.
UP NEXT:
DePaul: Will face second-seeded Villanova on Thursday evening within the quarterfinals. The Blue Demons, who are actually 3-12 within the Big East Tournament, misplaced two times towards the Wildcats this season.
Then once more, Xavier beat DePaul two times this season, too.
Xavier: This loss may just knock Xavier into the NIT. “That’s up to the people on the committee, obviously,” Xavier trainer Travis Steele stated of the NCAA Tournament. “I think we play in the toughest league in the entire country. You look at our strength of schedule, I think it was fifth heading into the Big East in the entire country. And we’ve beaten some good teams. Again, I think we deserve to be in there. But, again, at the same time it’s not up to us.”