Duquesne Dukes vs DePaul Blue Demons Match Player Stats On Dec 07, 2021

Javon Freeman-Liberty scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half while adding nine rebounds and five assists as DePaul capped a season-opening, eight-game homestand with an 87-67 win over Duquesne Tuesday night in Chicago.

DePaul (7-1) boasted a 43-35 edge on the glass and snagged 15 offensive rebounds. Yor Anei paced the Blue Demons with 11 boards.

Nick Ongenda (13 points), Brandon Johnson (13) and Philmon Gebrewhit (11) also scored in double figures for DePaul, but it was Freeman's hot hand that ultimately proved the difference. The Blue Demons' leading scorer finished 11-for-17 from the floor and had seven straight points to cap a 9-0 run that stretched DePaul's lead to 66-52 with 7:38 to play.

DePaul drilled 10 of its 21 3-point attempts. Freeman-Liberty and Johnson had three treys apiece.

Duquesne (3-7) trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half, unable to keep pace with a Blue Demons attack that shot 53 percent and scored 12 fast-break points. Tre Williams posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Dukes and was 8-for-12 from the floor.

Leon Ayers III followed with 13 points for Duquesne, while Kevin Easley (12) and Jackie Johnson III (11) were next.

The Dukes shot 40.6 percent and committed just 10 turnovers, two less than the Blue Demons. Easley chipped in six rebounds for Duquesne. The Dukes had 16 offensive rebounds en route to a 17-12 edge in second-chance points.

Both teams struggled to sub-30 percent shooting in the first 10 minutes before regaining an offensive rhythm.

DePaul took a 36-30 lead into the break, shooting 42.4 percent compared to 41.4 percent for Duquesne. Williams led all scorers with eight points at halftime

Tuesday marked the schools' first meeting since Jan. 26, 1991. The Blue Demons hold a 15-13 edge in the all-time series, including at 11-4 advantage in Chicago.

--Field Level Media