After starting its three-game road trip on a high note with a win at Seton Hall last week, DePaul (11-11, 5-4 Big East) fell for the second straight time away from home Thursday afternoon at Providence (16-5, 6-2). The Blue Demons got off to a slow start and made a late-push in the second half, but the Friars held them off 83-72 thanks to a triple-double from sophomore point guard Kris Dunn.
Dunn simply dominated DePaul and was all over the floor. The NBA prospect finished with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He also was a factor on the defensive end with 3 steals.
After trailing 41-23 at halftime and by as many as 20 points in the second half, the Blue Demons made a late attempt at a comeback. Sophomore forward Tommy Hamilton IV cut the deficit to 68-60 with a 3-point play at the 4:08 mark, but DePaul could not get over the hump.
Dunn drained a 3-pointer on the next possession and senior forward Carson Derosiers knocked in two free throws on the following possession to push Providence’s lead back to 13 points.
The silver lining for DePaul was Hamilton’s performance. The sophomore big man had been receiving decreased minutes and struggling from the field in Big East play, but Thursday he exploded for 22 points off the bench on 7-of-8 shooting.
This line comes right after he scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting in a loss at Xavier on Saturday.
DePaul will be pleased to finally return home this weekend, but unfortunately for the Blue Demons they will meet the No. 7/10 Villanova Wildcats on Saturday.
