The Sports Xchange
Nov 26, 2017
DePaul led wire-to-wire Sunday and placed four players in double figures to secure seventh place in the PK80 Victory Bracket with an 82-69 win over Portland at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.
Max Strus fired in six 3-pointers and finished with 21 points for the Blue Demons (2-4), while Marin Maric added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Tre'Darius McCallum tallied 15 points and Jaylen Butz chipped in 11.
Franklin Porter made four 3-pointers and led the Pilots (2-4) with 16 points. Marcus Shaver, Jr. scored 15 and Josh McSwiggan added 14 points, sinking four 3s.
DePaul took the lead 27 seconds into the game and kept building its margin, converting eight 3-pointers as it opened a 49-33 halftime lead.
Portland made a push midway through the second half, closing within 64-57 with 10:08 remaining as Porter drilled a 3-pointer. But the Blue Demons responded with 10 straight points, closing the run on McCallum's dunk with 7:21 remaining to end the game's competitive phase.
DePaul upped the lead to 20 with just over four minutes left before the Pilots managed to make the final margin a bit more respectable.
Portland shot 14 of 27 from the 3-point stripe and was a respectable 45.3 percent from the field, but the Blue Demons owned the boards 41-29 and also possessed a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint.
DePaul flashed good ball movement throughout the game, dishing out 22 assists on 32 made field goals and committing just 10 turnovers. It turned 14 Pilot turnovers into 19 points.