The scene after a mini-brawl midway through the second half.

 

History seems to keep repeating itself for the DePaul Blue Demons as tonight another second half breakdown winds up costing them the game. DePaul had led UConn 37-34 at halftime.

When the second half began, the Demons initially picked up where the left off. After getting ahead 49-47, the Demons started to miss shots and UConn was able to turn them into points.

They went on a 10-0 run and left DePaul scoreless for two whole minutes. UConn’s Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatwright, and Omar Calhoun led the charge and began to hit one shot after another.

After Connecticut went up by 10 midway through, the Blue Demons got desperate and started taking shots at will with little success. UConn went on another run of 8-5 and never looked back.

The Huskies shot 11-22 from three point range, 30-50 from the field, forced 11 turnovers. DePaul still made a valiant defensive effort despite their short comings on offense.

The Demons forced 17 UConn turnovers with 14 of those turnovers coming from steals. They also had some blocked shots and they kept UConn out of the paint.

Of course the Huskies would adjust by going nuts from the three point line. Oliver Purnell’s team was unable to stop Connecticut from hitting those shots as they kept finding open guys in pressure situations.

Eventually the Demons defense looked lost out there. And before you knew it, UConn’s biggest lead was 20 points. It was a rough day for both the Blue Demons and the 8,660 fans who showed up in force tonight.

Tonight was the last chance for the Demons to salvage their forgettable season. Now it’s just about trying to finish the season on a positive note.

Next up for DePaul is their second to last home game of the 2012-2013 season when the Louisville Cardinals come to Rosemont on Wednesday night.

After that the Blue Demons finsh the regular season on the road with games at South Florida and Syracuse, then come home to wrap things up with Pittsburgh.

After that it’s onto to New York City for the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Here is the box score from tonight’s game: And here is what Coach Purnell had to say after the game:

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Just about everyone here at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont is out of breath after the first half we all just witnessed. It’s been back and forth from the opening tip. DePaul’s biggest lead was five, UConn’s biggest lead was six. This game has been tied four times with just two lead changes.

The Huskies have been draining three pointers but the Demons have countered by attacking the basket and forcing UConn to foul putting them at the free throw line.

The Demons have also been able to score on a few fast breaks. On defense DePaul has been doing slightly better with the rebounds. Even though the Huskies lead 16-12 in that category, DePaul has done better then they did in the first halves of their last two games.

DePaul is still struggling in the turnover department as they coughed up the ball six times. But they also forced nine turnovers so it balances itself out.

Cleveland Melvin leads the Blue Demons with 10 points and 6 rebounds. If the Demons are going to stay ahead and win this game, they will need to do the following:

Keep up the pressure on defense, continue to rebound, continue to force turnovers, take away the three point shot and score, score, score. This would be a huge win to lift the spirits of this DePaul team.

Now let’s see if the Demons can keep up this pace and take home their 12th win of the 2012-2013 season. Here are the current stats:

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The Allstate Arena is empty at the moment, but soon enough both teams will be taking the court for warm ups and the fans will begin to file into Rosemont.

Tonight the DePaul Blue Demons are looking to win consecutive home games for the first time since December when they won three home games in a row.

That task will be easier said than done as the power house Connecticut Huskies make their way into the Windy City tonight. The 18-7 (8-5 Big East) Huskies have won four of their last six, not bad for a team that’s barred from postseason play this year.

Despite the fact that they are on probation, they have played hard all year and are one of the top teams in the Big East Conference this season.

What makes their accomplishments this year even more special is the fact that their roster has six underclassmen. And all of them have done their part to make this team successful.

As for the Demons, they are trying to salvage what’s left of yet another failing season. DePaul is just 2-11 in conference play this year and 11-15 overall.

Their last home game was seven days ago against Rutgers, DePaul pulled it all together and won 75-69. Earlier this week Oliver Purnell’s bunch traveled to Washington D.C. where they were pounded on by Georgetown by the final score of 90-66.

UConn is just as talented as G’Town if not more. So DePaul will need a team effort and a lot of luck if they are going to get a victory here tonight.

Both teams are even size wise but that’s where the similarities end. The Huskies are a hard nosed defensive team. They don’t make a whole lot of mistakes, and they can score both inside and outside.

DePaul will need to jump on them early if they are to have a chance to win this game. They need to get physical with UConn, protect the paint, and contain the perimeter. Grabbing a few rebounds wouldn’t hurt either.

On offense the Demons need to limit turnovers, score early and often, assert themselves when it comes to offensive rebounding, and put pressure on the Connecticut defense.

The formula always sounds easy but once the game begins it will be a lot harder. You can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports