Miami (OH) RedHawks vs DePaul Blue Demons Match Player Stats On Dec 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 21, 2017

With top-ranked Villanova next on the schedule, DePaul needed time to remember to focus on Miami (Ohio) before pulling away for an 83-66 non-conference victory Thursday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Graduate transfer center Marin Maric, who played against Miami frequently during three seasons at Northern Illinois, led DePaul (7-5) with 22 points in just 24 minutes. Junior forward Max Strus scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half.

Miami (7-5) led for much of the first half, but frittered it away with a season-high 25 turnovers. Freshman guard Nike Sibande scored 17 points and junior point guard Darrian Ringo, the nation's No. 5 assist man, contributed 15 points and eight assists.

Miami claimed a 17-12 lead on senior forward Rod Mills' 3-pointer from the corner with 9:48 left in the first half, but then the RedHawks turned it over on six of their next seven possessions.

DePaul accepted the gifts gratefully and transformed them into a 14-0 run. Maric started the spree with two free throws and a dunk, then Strus canned a 3-pointer, took a steal coast-to-coast and added another swished 3-pointer as the Blue Demons built a 26-17 bulge with 4:22 left.

Sibande's 3-pointer ended Miami's drought at 6 minutes, 28 seconds and the RedHawks added two more 3-pointers, but Strus' buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave DePaul a 35-26 advantage at the break.

The Blue Demons let the RedHawks hang around early in the second half -- Ringo's 3-pointer at the 15:19 mark cut the lead to 41-35 -- but DePaul converted 8 of its next 9 shots to push its advantage to 60-44. Again, it was Maric who sparked the run as the 6-11 graduate transfer cashed a 3-pointer before junior guard Eli Cain (19 points) followed with back-to-back 3s from the same spot on the left wing.