DePaul Claims its Third #BIGEASTwbb Title in Five Years
By Jack McCarthy
Box Score | DePaul Quotes | Marquette Quotes
CHICAGO — DePaul sharpshooters would not be denied on Tuesday. The Blue Demons buried 16 shots from beyond the arc — one short of tying a single game tourney record — en route to a 98-63 Big East tournament championship victory over top-seed Marquette at Wintrust Arena.
The championship is the third in five years for DePaul (26-7) and first since back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.
“Tonight we put it together for about 30 minutes and when it comes together it’s real special,” said Blue Demon head coach Doug Bruno. “We made shots and the game always becomes easier when you make shots.
“Our team has been getting it together down the stretch,” said Bruno, whose team returned to the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 this week. “We didn’t play very effective basketball in late mid-February against a couple of really good teams. We got waxed by a really good Georgetown team and then our team got it together and has been getting it together since.”
Five players hit double figures behind Blue Demon guard Amarah Coleman’s 27 points and a 5-for-7 performance from beyond the arc.
Coleman earned tournament most outstanding player honors.
Teammate Ashton Millender hit four 3-pointers and had 16 points, Chante Stonewall and Mart’e Grays each had 14 and Kelly Campbell added 10.
DePaul hit 16-of-35 (45.7 percent) from 3 point range and 38-of-74 (51.4 percent) overall.
“They (the Blue Demons) were phenomenal in all areas and obviously we were not,” said Golden Eagles coach Carolyn Kieger. “They were shooting lights out but that’s what DePaul does. We’ve got to be tougher in those moments.”
Amani Wilborn scored 12 points and Natisha Hiedeman added 10 for Marquette (23-9) which hit 25-of-72 (34.7 percent) from the field and was out-rebounded 52-34.
DePaul's 98 points were the most by a winning team in a title game in Big East tournament history while the 35-point margin of victory is the fourth largest in any tourney game. The Blue Demons’ 40 made 3 pointers in three tourney game also set a conference record.
DePaul hit 3-of-8 on 3-point tries on the way to a 22-17 lead by the close of the first quarter. Wilborn countered with seven to pace Marquette.
Four different DePaul players hit 3-pointers on consecutive trips downcourt to open a 34-21 lead, just less than three minutes into the second quarter. With two minutes to go it was 49-28 following Millender’s trey and 52-29 after she hit another — her fourth of the night— with 40 seconds showing.
The Blue Demons, who closed the half with nine unanswered points, were 8-of-12 from beyond the arc in the second quarter and 11-of-20 for the half.
DePaul’s lead topped 30 as Stonewall’s 3-pointer at the 4:09 mark made it 67-36. The Blue Demons closed the period with an 83-48 lead
The margin hit 40 points at 91-51 with 5:36 to play on freshman reserve Dee Bekelja’s layup.
Marquette beat DePaul 86-78 in last year’s Big East title game at Milwaukee’s Al McGuire Center.
The Golden Eagles and Blue Demons were picked 1-2 in a conference pre-season poll and tied for the league regular season championship. Marquette earned the top seed on a tie breaker.
The Big East championship was the first on DePaul’s new Wintrust Arena home court. The Blue Demons will also host the tourney in 2019 and 2020. DePaul also hosted the Big East finals from 2014-16 before Marquette took a turn last year.
BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Amarah Coleman, DePaul
All-Tournament Team
Sydney Lamberty, Creighton
Cynthia Petke, Georgetown
Amani Wilborn, Marquette
Mart’e Grays, DePaul
Kelly Campbell, DePaul