DePaul falls short in Big East opener
An old feeling returned to DePaul basketball Monday night:
Heartache.
In a thoroughly winnable Big East opener against visiting Seton Hall, the Blue Demons somehow found a way to come unhinged down the stretch and lost 74-66.
The defeat dropped DePaul to 12-2 and left some among the 6,364 at Wintrust Arena wondering if the marvelous nonconference start will be long forgotten by the time of Selection Sunday in March.
Preseason All-America guard Myles Powell (27 points - 18 in the second half - plus 5 steals) sparked the victory for the Pirates (9-4, 1-0). He was playing in his first game since sustaining a concussion during a loss at Rutgers two weeks ago.
"They got the ball in Powell's hands and he showed why he is the player he is," DePaul's Dave Leitao said afterward.
"He took some of our youthful energy and used it against us, especially getting Romeo (Weems) up in the air a few times."
Charlie Moore - the touted Blue Demons point guard - was once again a glaring fountain of inconsistency for DePaul.
He forced shots, repeatedly took the wind out of the offense and was 4 of 15 (27%) from the floor, finishing with 13 points and 8 turnovers.
Still, Leitao expressed - or at least feigned - surprise when asked about Moore's implosiveness and what can be done to lessen its impact.
"Everyone can play better," Leitao said. "Everyone.
"This league, with all 10 teams being high level, will come down to late-game execution, and we weren't good enough."
The Blue Demons were good enough to lead by as many as 10 early and walked off at the half on top 37-31.
Further buoying DePaul was the fact that solid play by Devin Gage and Darious Hall was enabling Leitao to go an effective seven deep.
A Moore triple with 17:39 to play gave the Blue Demons their last high-water mark at 40-33.
Then Seton Hall began displaying the same throat-latch defense than enabled it to upset No. 7 Maryland 52-48 two weeks ago.
With Powell and running mate Myles Cale (16 points) leading the way, the Pirates would scrap into a 48-45 lead.
But thanks to the play of Paul Reed (17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocked shots) and Jalen Coleman-Lands (10 points), DePaul stayed within range.
There were four ties in the final 4:58, the last at 66-all with 2:18 to go.
But that's when Powell, Cale and big man Romaro Gill punched into a 72-66 advantage inside the final minute.
DePaul - with Moore flailing at QB and the panther-like Reed trying to cover too much of the floor - had no closing response.
"(Seton Hall) has been in big battles," Leitao said.
"They're mentally tough and they're not going to let you go anywhere. That made a big difference."
Seton Hall was also playing without 6-11 power man Sandro Mamukelashvili, who suffered a broken wrist during a defeat at Iowa State on Dec. 8. He will likely still be out when the Blue Demons visit Seton Hall on Jan. 29.
Even with the tone-setting downer, hope will likely spring eternal regarding an NCAA Tournament bid for DePaul deep into the winter.
Since the Big East went to its current 10-team alignment six years ago, the conference has averaged slightly more than five tourney bids per year, peaking with seven in March 2017.
Through it all, DePaul has been one of the few left-behinds.
A 9-9 Big East record would move the Blue Demons into the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden in March on the bubble as a 21-win team.
But after the late-game collapse in front of an enthusiastic home crowd Monday night, the only thing certain about the current DePaul team is that nothing is certain.
Except for that vague, uneasy feeling that returned in the decisive moments against Seton Hall: Heartache.
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports & Media column appears Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com.