DePaul Demons get the victory despite rough second half
DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright understands nothing is going to come easy for the Blue Demons this season, especially when they start matching up with opponents in the rugged Big East.
That might explain why Wainwright looked more haggard than happy Saturday afternoon as DePaul held a commanding 39-19 halftime lead over Indiana State at Allstate Arena.
"With the shots we were getting, I think we could have been ahead 25 or 30," Wainwright said. "We're not 20 points better than anybody right now. But I think they kept their composure and did what they had to do."
The Blue Demons did beat the Sycamores 75-70 and are 4-0 for the first time since 2002.
Even though they were badly outplayed by winless Indiana State (0-4) in the second half, Wainwright tried keeping it positive.
"I think are kids are in a great frame of mind," Wainwright said. "They never dropped their heads. I don't think anybody would say our kids are afraid. If anything, you'd probably say they have too much courage."
Wainwright is dead-on in one respect - the Demons aren't much older than your average high school team.
With sophomores Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal and freshmen Jeremiah Kelly, Devin Hill and Michael Bizoukas all logging heavy minutes against ISU, rough patches were almost expected.
A long one came right after intermission. After going 0-for-10 on 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, the Sycamores came out of the break with back-to-back bombs, cutting DePaul's lead to 39-25.
Indiana State - coached by former Palatine High School star Kevin McKenna - continued its run until DePaul's lead was trimmed to 6 (43-37) with 14:26 to play.
"We were getting shots, we just weren't making them," Tucker said of the Blue Demons' ragged play in the second half. "But we really didn't get down too much. We fought it out and got the win."
Tucker paced DePaul with 26 points despite making just 3 of 11 3-pointers and missing a dunk, but the high-flying guard did hit 6 free throws down the stretch.
Kelly also stepped up in the final minute, scoring on a layup off a steal and making a free throw.
"It makes me feel good," said Kelly, who converted a big 3-pointer a week earlier while helping DePaul hold off Illinois-Chicago. "It doesn't matter if you're a freshman or a senior. I'm just trying to get a win."
If the Blue Demons hope to keep streaking in the right direction, Wainwright said they have to learn how to finish shots and beef it up on the boards.
In the second half Saturday, DePaul shot just 29 percent (10-for-34) and was outrebounded 23-21.