DePaul vs Lewis game recap

Recap

DePaul basketball engaged in an Exhibition game in Lincoln Park Thursday against a foe from the suburbs. Lewis University hung with DePaul all game, as the Blue Demons hung on to win by halting Lewis on the last possession of the game, winning 72-68. DePaul rotated the majority of their bench against the flyers as 10 different players saw minutes. Lewis look good for stretches of the game as DePaul couldn’t seem to generate any dominance down low.

Observations

-Mike Henry looks to be settling into the DePaul system. He looks sharp and like he wants to have the ball in his hands. Hopefully he can keep momentum going.

-Rashaun Stimmage’s absence is already being felt as DePaul under in the basketball. Lewis outscored DePaul 44-26 in the paint. This cannot continue as DePaul looks to make waves against even bigger and faster Big East power forwards.

-DePaul scraped this win out due to their 3-point shooting. Aaron Simpson went 2-2 and Durrell McDonald went 2-3 respectively. Lewis only went 3-14 from the perimeter.

Moving Forward

DePaul needs to continue to work ball all over the floor on offense. Billy Garrett Jr. was usually guarded well until he created an opportunity by either driving or passing. DePaul can bring consistency from its’ starters and its’ bench if they spread the floor. DePaul will struggle to beat strong nonconference teams if they rely on their first look and not looking for the open man. There are a lot of new players stepping into roles where they will play more minutes and be more accountable then ever before on both sides of the court. DePaul begins the regular season against UIC on Friday. This game marks their last game at the McGrath-Phillips Arena in Lincoln Park before they continue their nonconference schedule at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont.