DePaul nudges Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 63-58
DePaul has to reach back to the late 1990s for a start like this.
The Blue Demons improved to 9-3 with one of their most consistent efforts of the season in Wednesday night’s 63-58 victory over Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
“I’m a happy camper,” DePaul coach Oliver Purnell said. “I’m just really pleased with the way we played. We took care of the basketball, and it’s good to finish up our nonconference schedule in a strong fashion.”
Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young scored 16 points apiece as the Blue Demons won their fifth straight.
The Mustangs (8-4) had a chance to force overtime when they trailed 61-58, but reserve Dylan Royer missed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left. Melvin was fouled on the subsequent rebound and hit two free throws to secure the victory.
Jamee Crockett added 10 points for the Blue Demons.
David Hanson paced Cal Poly with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Will Taylor and Amaurys Fermin each scored 11.
DePaul last opened 9-3 in 1999-2000. A victory would have given Cal Poly its best start in 18 seasons of Division I basketball.
The Blue Demons missed seven straight shots while Cal Poly used an early 10-2 surge to open a 14-9 lead. The Mustangs then went cold for 10 minutes while DePaul rattled off 13 straight for a 22-14 edge with 5:06 showing.
The Mustangs didn’t hit a field goal for more than 12 minutes until Will Donahue broke the drought with a minute left before halftime. The Mustangs were 7-for-26 from the field but 7-for-10 on free throws in the first half.
“I thought it was the 12 possessions in the first half,” said Cal Poly coach Joe Callero. “The first 6 to 8 minutes we were 5-for-12, and then we went 0-for-12. We bounced back, but we were down by seven at half.”
DePaul led 28-21 at the break.
Shooting improved for both teams in the second half, and the Mustangs crept within three points in the last 3:27. The last three-point gap came after Hanson’s layup with 30 seconds left pulled Cal Poly within 61-58.
Melvin missed two free throws with 23 seconds left, and the Mustangs rebounded and rushed downcourt, but Royer’s 3-pointer was unsuccessful.
“I thought we played well down the stretch,” Purnell said. “We didn’t make all of our free throws, but we made two or three key ones. And defensively we came up with a couple of steals.”
The game was the first between the Big East and Big West programs.
DePaul’s 1999-2000 team included Steven Hunter, Quentin Richardson, Bobby Simmons and Paul McPherson. That group opened the season 11-3 before finishing 21-12, including an 81-77 overtime loss to Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Cal Poly has one more nonconference game before opening Big West play Jan. 2 at home against UC Santa Barbara. DePaul is idle until Jan. 1, when it entertains top-ranked Syracuse in a Big East opener.