DePaul lets painful one get away against Rutgers

When Big East wins come around every 24 months or so, the ones that slip away are particularly painful to accept.

DePaul needed just 15 minutes to build a 17-point lead against Rutgers on Tuesday night, but let it slip away in 3-point dribs and putback drabs that made the process that much more agonizing.

The Scarlet Knights took their first lead on Mike Rosario's rainbow 3-pointer with 5:42 to go and hit 4 clutch free throws late for a 68-64 Big East victory before a sparse crowd at the Allstate Arena.

DePaul guard Mario Stula wrenched off his protective face mask as the buzzer sounded while captain Will Walker, as he has done in the past, tried to pull his jersey over his face in disgust.

"There's a lot of things we wish to get back," said DePaul junior center Mac Koshwal. "Unfortunately it don't work like that."

Rutgers (14-12, 4-9), which scored 16 of its 23 second-chance points during the second-half rally, snapped a 17-game road losing streak.

"The road is tough," Rutgers coach Fred Hill said. "I told the guys right after we beat Georgetown (Sunday), 'We just beat the No. 7 team in the country. It's going to be a tougher game out at DePaul than what you just did at home.' "

The Demons (8-17, 1-12), who failed to earn their second Big East regular-season win in the last 32 tries, squandered Koshwal's career night.

Not only did Koshwal deliver a season-high 24 points to go with 12 rebounds - his 23rd career double-double - he posted 8 of DePaul's 15 steals. Koshwal asserted himself inside from the game's opening possession despite the presence of 7-footer Hamady Ndiaye, the nation's No. 3 shot blocker.

"I'm an energy type of player," Koshwal said. "Just try to be everywhere, try to keep moving. The past few weeks with my (right-foot) injury, I was a little out of shape. I'm starting to get that shape back."

Koshwal produced 15 points in the first 17 minutes and drew Ndiaye's third foul with 3:05 left in the first half.

DePaul looked like it would continue to blossom from there, but Rutgers switched to a 3-2 zone that stifled DePaul's shooters.

The Blue Demons tied their season-lows for 3-pointers (2) and 3-point tries (10). Walker had 19 points to abet Koshwal, but he tried just one 3-pointer after halftime.