DePaul Basketball Fails In Overtime: 4 Takeaways

DePaul basketball suffers its fifth straight conference game of the season. The final score was 80-85 with the Blue Demons losing another overtime game to a conference opponent.

DePaul basketball was lead by C.J. Gunn who scored 21 points while shooting 6-14 (42.9%) overall, 5-9 (55.6) from beyond the arc and 4-5 (80%) from the charity strike.

He was complemented by Troy D’Amico who scored 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the loss to the Pirates. D’Amico shot 5-6 (83.3%) from the field, and 4-5 (80%) from both long range and from the charity strike.

Seton Hall was lead by a pair of 24 point performances from Isaiah Coleman and Dylan Addae-Wusu. The latter whom in particular was an all-around star, distributing 7 assists and snatching 3 steals. Coleman in particular nailed a clutch three-point shot to send the game to overtime and swing the momentum in favor of the Pirates.

Here are the takeaways from the game.

Takeaway #1: DePaul basketball must learn to close out in regulation

This is the second time this season that the Blue Demons have lost to a conference opponent in overtime. The first was a 63-70 overtime defeat to the Providence Friars. In that game, the team was outscored 12-5 in overtime.

DePaul basketball ended the first half up 41-26 and led 64-54 with less than five minutes to go in regulation.

Head coach Chris Holtmann spoke on the final play in regulation where Coleman nailed a three-point shot, saying that the plan was to foul on the final play but it wasn’t executed.

This team will have to practice close game situations for awhile, as that’s now two overtime losses in five conference matchups. Against the Pirates, DePaul basketball scored 12 points, more than doubling their previous overtime score. However, it wasn’t enough to seal a win.

It was a better overall matchup compared to their blowout loss to the Villanova Wildcats (56-100), but it still forces the Blue Demon fans to wait for their first conference win in two years.

Takeaway #2: David Thomas

In a rare lengthy performance for the sophomore transfer from Mercer, David Thomas scored 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3-4 (75%) overall and a perfect 4-4 (100%) from the free-throw line. He played in a season high 24 minutes for DePaul basketball.

Thomas played well coming off the bench. While he wasn’t able to help seal a win for the Blue Demons, he showcased that he can play well against a conference opponent, especially one that is good at defending.

Takeaway #3: Shaheen Holloway wins it for the Hall

While talent might not be something Seton Hall basketball can boast about, they can credit their head coach for winning this one.

Holloway’s passion on the sidelines earned him a technical less than 30 seconds into the second half. From that point forward, the Pirates outscored the Blue Demons, 59-37.

Sometimes a head coach can get in the way of his players’ success, but in this case, it was warranted. It seems as if SHU needs some extra juice from time to time and Holloway delivered at the right time.

Takeaway #4: Pirates with impressive ball movement

Offensive has been extremely stagnant for Seton Hall, who ranks 320th in the country with just 11.7 assists per game. That was not the case on Wednesday, as the Pirates had 19 assists, good for a season high.

Dylan Addae-Wusu and Isaiah Coleman combined for a dozen dimes, but other players off the bench also got involved, including Scotty Middleton, who had three.

If the Pirates are to improve offensively without many great shooters, they’ll have to dish out assists by finding the open cutter and making crisp, quick decisions.

Next up for DePaul basketball (9-7, 0-5): vs. Xavier – Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. CST (4 p.m. EST)

Next up for Seton Hall basketball (6-9, 1-3): at Providence – Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST)