Heartbreak for DePaul as 1st trip to Big East semifinals slips away with late collapse at MSG
NEW YORK (AP) — At long last, downtrodden DePaul was finally about to produce its own indelible moment at the Big East Tournament.
A big upset was in the bag for the Blue Demons — and their first trip to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
And then it slipped through their fingers.
After building a 17-point cushion in the second half against No. 2 seed Creighton, the 10th-seeded Blue Demons blew an 11-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation and lost 85-81 in a double-overtime thriller Thursday night that nobody saw coming.
For a once-proud program that's always been a Big East afterthought, it was an excruciating postseason defeat.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” first-year coach Chris Holtmann said. “They played their hearts out.”
Since joining the Big East for the 2005-06 season, DePaul has never been seeded higher than seventh in the conference tournament. After years of early exits, this was only its fourth appearance in the quarterfinals — and the school hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2004 while in in Conference USA.
But after getting outscored by 17 points per game while going 3-29 last season, including 0-20 in the Big East, the Blue Demons (14-19) showed significant improvement with an overhauled roster under Holtmann, who made seven straight NCAA Tournaments during his previous stints at Butler and Ohio State.
“There’s no question that this group has laid a foundation moving forward in a real positive way,” Holtmann said. “Obviously hurts on a night like tonight, but I’m really proud of this group.”
Creighton (23-9) scored the final 11 points of the second half and tied it 62-all when point guard Steven Ashworth took an inbounds pass, turned and nailed a long 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining.
Ashworth, a second-team All-Big East selection, finished 3 for 16 from the field — including 2 of 10 from 3-point range.
Ryan Kalkbrenner blocked Troy D'Amico's attempt at a winning 3 in the final seconds, Isaiah Rivera missed a hurried 3-pointer just before the buzzer, and the Bluejays had forced overtime with an improbable comeback.
DePaul didn't wilt, though. An 11 1/2-point underdog on BetMGM Sportsbook, the Blue Demons erased an eight-point deficit in the last 90 seconds of the first OT.
Layden Blocker scored all 11 points for DePaul in that period, including a floater over the outstretched arm of the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner to tie it at 73 with 1.8 seconds left.
Kalkbrenner, who scored all but six of his 32 points after halftime, finally helped Creighton put it away in the second overtime with the aid of late free throws from freshman guard Ty Davis after Ashworth fouled out 30 seconds into the first OT.
“Ton of credit to DePaul. Coach Holtmann has done an unbelievable job of instilling his culture in a short period of time with a bunch of guys that weren’t on the team last year. That’s very difficult to do,” Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said.
Following a six-game skid, DePaul had won three in a row — including a 71-67 victory over No. 7 seed Georgetown in the first round Wednesday night.
“To finish the way that they finished and to play as well as they have here in New York, I mean, let’s be honest, we were really fortunate to win that game,” McDermott said. “They outplayed us for virtually all the game.”
Indeed, the Blue Demons led for more than 38 minutes and trailed for less than seven.
And when it was finally over, fans of several Big East teams applauded DePaul players and coaches as they walked off the floor.
“It means a lot to the program," said Blocker, who finished with 25 points. "This is our first year together with coaches and staff and to get this far, trying to turn the program around means a lot. It was a great experience for us. I’m proud of our fight tonight. That’s all you can ask for.”
___
AP freelance writer Everett Merrill contributed to this report.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
-
Big East tournament semifinals prediction: Can Marquette beat St. John's in New York?
The Golden Eagles play the Red Storm in the Big East tournament semifinals on Friday. Here's our prediction for that game.Yahoo Sports - 6h -
St. John's vs. Marquette odds, prediction: 2025 Big East Tournament semifinal picks, bets from proven model
SportsLine's model just revealed its college basketball picks for the Marquette Golden Eagles vs. St. John's Red Storm in the Big East Tournament semifinals on Friday nightCBS Sports - 5h -
UConn vs. Creighton odds, prediction, time: 2025 Big East Tournament semifinal picks from proven model
SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball predictions Creighton Bluejays vs. Connecticut Huskies on Friday in a 2025 Big East Tournament semifinal game at Madison Square GardenCBS Sports - 1h -
Karaban, Johnson help UConn men pull away from Villanova for 73-56 win in Big East Tournament quarterfinal
NEW YORK – Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson took over down the stretch as the UConn men’s basketball team pulled away from Villanova for a 73-56 win in the quarterfinal round of the Big East ...Yahoo Sports - 11h -
Arizona pulls away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal
Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis scored 19 points apiece and Arizona pulled away late to beat Kansas 88-77 in a Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night. Veesaar ...Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Men's Big East Conference tournament games today: Time, TV schedule to watch semifinals
Here's what you need to know about Friday's slate of games at the Big East tournament, including tip off times and how to watch:Yahoo Sports - 6h -
UConn uses late run to beat Villanova 73-56 in Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal
Alex Karaban scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to help Connecticut rally for a 73-56 victory over Villanova in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden on ...Yahoo Sports - 11h -
Ryan Kalkbrenner rallies Creighton past DePaul 85-81 in 2OT in Big East Tournament quarterfinal
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 32 points and scored the go-ahead basket in the second overtime after Creighton scored the final 11 points in regulation.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Providence plays Butler in Big East Tournament
Butler Bulldogs (13-18, 6-14 Big East) vs. Providence Friars (12-19, 6-14 Big East) New York; Wednesday, 4 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bulldogs -1.5; over/under is 147.5 BOTTOM LINE: ...ABC News - 2d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
UNC vs. Duke: How to watch tonight's ACC semifinal college basketball game
The Duke Blue Devils will play the UNC Tar Heels tonight in the 2025 ACC Tournament semifinals, here's how to watch.Yahoo Sports - 6m -
BBC and ITV secure new Six Nations deal to keep championship on free-to-air television
New deal ensures ITV secures all of England’s matches for the duration of the four-year partnership with the BBCYahoo Sports - 6m -
ACC Tournament - North Carolina vs. Duke Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats
UNC Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 10m -
Free Agency: Cowboys adding second-round experience in RB swap with Panthers
The Cowboys know Miles Sanders well after he spent four years with the Eagles and two with Carolina. Now he'll join an evolving RB room in Dallas.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
PA Football Top Returning Players - Pioneer Frontier Offense
PA Preps names the top returning players for this conference for the 2025 season now! SUBSCRIBERS: Click to the see the full article here now!----------------- What other coverage am I ...Yahoo Sports - 10m
More in Sports
-
Women's Bracketology: Stephen F. Austin seals spot, but all eyes on Ivy Madness
With the final two teams in the field facing off Friday, the center of the Bracketology universe is Providence, Rhode Island.ESPN - 3m -
How Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese powered the Rose to the semifinals
Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese have positioned the Rose to make a run at Unrivaled's inaugural title.ESPN - 4m -
TKO Boxing explained: What we know about Dana White's role and its plan, what could still happen in the future
White and Turki Alalshikh made the announcement about the new league coming to boxing, but many details are still to be announcedCBS Sports - 5m -
UNC vs. Duke: How to watch tonight's ACC semifinal college basketball game
The Duke Blue Devils will play the UNC Tar Heels tonight in the 2025 ACC Tournament semifinals, here's how to watch.Yahoo Sports - 6m -
BBC and ITV secure new Six Nations deal to keep championship on free-to-air television
New deal ensures ITV secures all of England’s matches for the duration of the four-year partnership with the BBCYahoo Sports - 6m