Evanston, IL – DePaul delivered an impressive defensive performance Friday night, defeating Northwestern 67-47 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Blue Demons carried a narrow 27-23 advantage into halftime before out pacing the Wildcats 40-24 in the second half. DePaul’s defensive pressure, length, and rebounding advantage ultimately provided the pathway in the 20-point victory.
DePaul’s 6’6 sophomore guard Kruz McClure led the team in scoring 18 points including four assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes of action. McClure converted 7-of-15 field goal attempts, including going 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. The Ohio native demonstrated more scoring versatility while using a combination of smooth shooting mechanics, controlled penetration getting downhill, and showing touch at the basket. He converted a difficult runner off the glass and provided further finishes through traffic. His length and skill set allowed him to create scoring opportunities both off the dribble and within the flow of the team’s offense. In the final six minutes, McClure scored eight points including a pair of three-pointers to maintain separation down the stretch.
UTRGV transfer Koree Cotton provided an efficient offensive performance as well finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, and one steal in 34 minutes of work. The 6’6 senior guard shot 6-of-9 from the field and went 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. His production mainly consisted of a combination from perimeter shooting and aggressive attacks to the basket in transition. Cotton showed some flexibility in the air on finishes including a plus hangtime finish off a pump fake dribble drive for reversal conversion. He scored a quick seven points out of half time to immediately provide a spark and help extend DePaul’s advantage before the first media timeout.
Belgium native Noah Meeusen showed more of his accurate connective passing skills tonight. The fluid 6’5 Arizona State transfer converted on just 1-of-5 from the field, however contributed six assists and five rebounds in 24 minutes of action off the bench. Meeusen’s primary offensive impact came through his ability to distribute and create opportunities for teammates. He also was able to consistently draw contact to get to the charity stripe where he finished 6-of-6. His ability to generate primary opportunities off the break or secondary options off the reversal pass helped generate scoring opportunities for other guards and bigs.
The Wildcats were led by 6’3 sophomore guard Jake West who finished with a game-high 20 points and added two rebounds, and one assist in 37 minutes. West converted on 7-of-17 field goal attempts, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. The Pennsylvania native demonstrated confidence creating off the dribble utilizing hesitations, jab steps, and cross overs to create separation and then get into sequence. His ability to go into pull-up jumpers from the elbows and baseline areas was evident vs lengthier or athletic guards. Despite DePaul’s aggressive defensive pressure, West was able to utilize IQ and positioning to get to spots and create challenges vs taller defenders. He scored 13 of his 20 during the second half to help trim DePaul’s advantage to 11 with under eight minutes to go.
Northwestern guard LA Pratt added 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 36 minutes of action. The 6’5 Northeastern transfer finished 5-of-13 from the field, however missed all three attempts from three-point land. His aggressive downhill approach provided meaningful value during the opening 10 minutes of play. He consistently looked to attack defensive breakdowns after ball screens and took advantage of slower-footed bigs to gain angles to convert at the basket.
DePaul controlled the rebounding battle 45-28, including a 19-12 advantage on the offensive glass. The Blue Demons also recorded 11 blocked shots while holding Northwestern to 30.2% shooting on just 4-of-16 from three-point range. DePaul’s plus size and length helped maintain security in those categories.
This article was written by Michael Schneiderman of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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