Wednesday, December 18, 2002

DePaul defeats FIU, 72-57

ePaul defeats FIU, 72-57, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. Three players scored in double-figures for the Golden Panthers, as Carlos Morban, Al Harris and Eulis Baez each scored 10 points.

DePaul (5-1) doubled up FIU (4-5) in the opening four and a half minutes of the game, 12-6, as Joe Tulley hit two three-point baskets.

Carlos Morban got FIU within two at 14-12 with a steal punctuated by a dunk. That steal moved Morban into sixth all-time in Golden Panther history with 115, passing Bobby Lester.

After the opening eight minutes of the first half, four different Golden Panthers had scored, with three adding four points each.

FIU then took its first lead of the contest at the 11:18-mark, as Morban nailed a three-pointer, 17-16. After Belco Bamba increased the advantage to three on a lay-up, DePaul went on a 10-2 run over the next eight minutes, for a 26-21 lead at the four-minute mark. The Blue Demons would never relinquish the lead after that point.

The Blue Demons would keep the five-point advantage, 32-27, going into halftime as Morban led the Golden Panthers with seven points.

FIU out-shot DePaul, 50-percent (11-for-22) to 43-percent (12-for-28), in the half, but was out-rebounded, 18-11. The Blue Demons used that for a 10-2 advantage in second chance points.

DePaul used a 9-4 run to start the second half to push the lead to ten, 41-31. Al Harris would score FIU's next four points, but those would be the only points over a four-minute span, as the Blue Demons continued its double-digit advantage.

One of the highlights of the half was a Taurance Johnson dunk off a rebound, but was off-set by the DePaul technical foul shots called against Johnson for hanging on the rim too long.

The Blue Demons increased the lead to 21-points, 60-39, at the eight-minute mark as DePaul made six consecutive free throws.

FIU would go on a 12-4 run over the next four minutes, as Morban and Slavtcho Slavtchev hit three-pointers to help cut the score to 64-51, with 3:51 to play.

The Golden Panthers did not foul the last three-minutes, as DePaul would go on to win, 72-57.

Delonte Holland's 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half, led DePaul. The Blue Demons out-rebounded FIU, 33-26.

The Golden Panthers shot 43-percent for the contest (19-for-44) and was 89-percent from the free-throw line (16-for-18).

"DePaul played with alot of energy on the glass," said FIU head coach Donnie Marsh. "Their offensive rebounds (16) made the difference in the game."

FIU played without its starting guard Junior Matias, who is averaging 14.4 points per game, because of a groin injury. Matias will be out at least another week.

FIU tries to end its five-game losing skid as the Golden Panthers conclude its road trip at Washington on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) in Seattle, WA.