Deja Church recorded 16 points as No. 1 DePaul took down No. 8 Providence, 97-59.
Balanced Scoring Propels DePaul Over Providence
Box Score | Providence Quotes | DePaul Quotes
CHICAGO — Chante Stonewall and Deja Church each scored 16 points as top seed DePaul advanced to the Big East women’s basketball tournament semifinals with Saturday’s 97-59 victory over No. 8 Providence at Wintrust Arena.
Dee Bekelja collected 14 points and Lexi Held added 11 in the quarterfinals clash as the Blue Demons (26-5) claimed their 17th straight series win over the Friars.
Kyra Spiwak scored 14 points, Chanell Williams had 11 and Kaela Webb added 10 to pace Providence. The Friars reached quarterfinals with a 49-46 Friday victory over Georgetown.
On Saturday, four different players scored in double figures as DePaul sprinted to a 24-14 lead after one quarter. Church collected a team-high seven points in a 21-10 second period as DePaul opened a 47-24 halftime lead.
Near the end of the third quarter the Blue Demon advantage topped 30 before a late Friars bucket cut the lead to 74-45. DePaul reserves collected 23 points in the final period.
Helping propel DePaul was efficient 3 point shooting. The Blue Demons were 15-of-36 from beyond the arc, with eight different players connecting.
The Blue Demons, seeking their third straight Big East tournament championship, will face either Butler or Seton Hall in Sunday’s semifinals.
DePaul beat Providence 80-67 on Jan. 3 and 93-71 on Feb. 2 in two regular season matches.
The Blue Demons, ranked 18th in the most recent Associated Press poll and 16th in coaches’ ratings, look for their 18th consecutive NCAA Division I tournament bid later this month.
Four DePaul individuals received Big East hours prior to the game, including: Stonewall, first team and defensive player of the year; guard Kelly Campbell, second team and sportsmanship award; guard Sonya Morris, second team and most improved; and Held, honorable mention.
Big East semifinals are set for 5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday with the championship at 7 p.m. Monday. All games will be televised on Fox Sports 1.