Georgetown takes down DePaul 71-59
Markel Starks scored 26 points and Georgetown continued its mastery of DePaul, winning 71-59 on Monday at Allstate Arena.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera added 17 and Jabril Trawick had 15 for the Hoyas, who were coming off a 64-60 upset win Saturday in New York over then-No. 7 Michigan State. That victory came after a stretch of five straight losses and defeats in the Hoyas’ last six of seven.
Georgetown (13-9, 4-6 Big East) also prolonged its dominance of the Blue Demons, topping DePaul for the second time this season and 14th straight time overall. The 14 consecutive wins are the most for one Big East team against another, and DePaul hasn’t beaten Georgetown since Jan. 22, 1994.
The Hoyas didn’t take their first lead until an Aaron Bowen 3-pointer with 14:43 remaining in the second half, but then took their first double-digit advantage with 6:26 left at 56-44, part of a 10-0 run. That was aided by DePaul’s shooting, which was 32.1 percent during the second half.
Starks, Georgetown’s leading scorer who had 21 points during the Hoyas’ 61-54 win over DePaul on Dec. 31, went just 6 for 18 from the floor but hit three 3-pointers and 11 of 14 free throws. After shooting 4 for 24 in his previous two games, No. 2 scorer Smith-Rivera was 3 for 11 but 3 for 6 during the second half of a game the teams combined to attempt 67 free throws.
Monday’s game was the start of a stretch of games for Georgetown mostly against teams struggling in conference play. On Saturday they face Butler, then after playing Providence, the Hoyas visit St. John’s and Seton Hall.
The Hoyas got off to a slow start. DePaul took a 30-27 lead into the break and led by as much as nine, holding Georgetown to 30 percent shooting from the floor. That included the Hoyas making just one of their first 13 shots.
Brandon Young led DePaul with 15 and Billy Garrett Jr. had 12 as the Blue Demons (10-13, 2-8) lost their fifth straight.
DePaul’s R.J. Curington was named the Big East’s Rookie of the Week. He scored a career-high 22 points during the Blue Demons’ 77-72 loss Sunday to Providence, and had 10 against Georgetown.
The Blue Demons were once again without leading scorer Cleveland Melvin due to suspension. Melvin, who came into Monday as the Big East’s seventh-leading scorer at 16.7 points per game, is suspended indefinitely and missed his third straight game.
DePaul did get back guards Garrett (illness) and Charles McKinney (ankle) after each missed two games. Neither started, but Garrett entered with 17:06 left in the first half while McKinney checked in with 11:45 remaining.