DePaul lives to play another day, as Demons pick good time for 1st win
NEW YORK - DePaul set another record Tuesday. Only this time, it was something worth celebrating.
Using a blistering second-half comeback and riding an increasingly intrigued Madison Square Garden crowd, the Blue Demons became the first Division I team to win a postseason tournament game as a No. 16 seed.
After becoming the first Big East team in 15 years to go 0-18 in league play, DePaul erased some of that record's stigma with a 67-57 Big East first-round triumph over ninth-seeded Cincinnati in Manhattan.
As Will Walker dribbled out the final seconds in front of the DePaul bench, the giddy Blue Demons celebrated with high-fives as they left their school-record 18-game losing streak behind.
Walker and Dar Tucker led the Blue Demons (9-23) with 17 points apiece - Tucker delivering 15 of his after the Bearcats seized a 38-31 lead with 16 minutes to go.
Cincinnati (18-13) surrendered its NCAA Tournament hopes, while DePaul reveled in the Big East's decision to invite all 16 teams to the postseason tournament for the first time.
"We've had a tough, long season," DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright said. "We've kept our heads. Got a lot of young guys. I can't tell you how much this experience will help them next year."
The experience has a chance to become even greater with today's second-round game against eighth-seeded Providence (18-12), though the Demons need to rest fast.
Walker, center Mac Koshwal (12 points, 9 rebounds) and freshman point guard Jeremiah Kelly (career-high 12 points, 3 assists) each played 40 minutes against Cincinnati.
Senior Matija Poscic chipped in 8 points and 7 rebounds over 33 minutes as DePaul's bench played just 22 minutes.
Another complicating factor? The Demons are fighting a flu bug that, to this point, seems to be focused on harming the coaches.
If Wainwright appeared less-than-thrilled by his team's first victory since Dec. 28, that's because he was fighting to retain his pregame meal.
DePaul posted its best rebounding margin (44-35) and its best field-goal percentage defense (.358) against Big East foes this year.