DePaul heeds wake-up, knocks off Milwaukee

School's out at DePaul for the holidays, but the basketball team found a way to pick up 2 credit hours in humility last week.

When DePaul visited Indiana State last Wednesday, the Blue Demons expected their Big East pedigree to wow the Sycamores into submission.

That attitude led to a 22-point beating in a game that wasn't even that competitive and a change of heart for the Blue Demons.

“The Indiana State game kind of woke us up,” said DePaul senior Mike Stovall. “Going out there and playing them, we just thought we were going to go in and walk over them because they're a lower team.

“That woke us up right there. We just know that we have to come out and play hard against whoever we're playing.”

The Blue Demons' decision to improve their efforts paid off with a 61-47 nonconference win over Milwaukee on Tuesday night before approximately 2,500 at Allstate Arena.

Not only did DePaul (4-6) hold an opponent to its fewest points since an 83-46 win over Southern University on Dec. 19, 2008, it won the battle of the boards for just the second time this year.

Milwaukee (5-7) committed 20 turnovers and shot just 39 percent.

“The defense was as good as you need,” said DePaul coach Oliver Purnell. “Pressure was there. We turned them over (20 times). We forced them into some quick shots and we rebounded it, which fueled our running game a little bit.”

Sophomore forward Tony Freeland, who lost his starting spot to Cleveland Melvin on Tuesday, led everyone with 14 points. That included a Melvin tipin credited to him.

Melvin, the freshman forward who opted out of a Connecticut commitment to become Purnell's first recruit, produced 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in his first start.

Purnell rewarded Melvin after he was the most consistent Demon in the Indiana State loss as well as Saturday's overtime loss to Ball State.

“Did very well,” Purnell said. “He was a big part of our pressure. He gives us a lot more quickness in that lineup when you're pressing. And he gives you another shotblocker because he's off his feet so quick.

“He's just getting more comfortable ... understands how hard he has to play. He's playing much harder now that he did. He's getting out of that high school trot.”