By Brian HamiltonDePaul did everything right, everything it could. The Demons slowed the tempo, shortened the game. They let No. 4 Syracuse hurry and panic and just cleaned up the mistakes. It was the only way DePaul was going to compete at Allstate Arena, and the Demons did everything they could.
Except make one final shot. Will Walker's 3-point attempt was off the mark in the final 10 seconds and Syracuse escaped with a 59-57 win that was stunning merely for the sheer drama involved.
After a Walker 3-pointer with 1:08 left, Syracuse's Andy Rautins missed on the other end, giving the Demons the chance for the final shot. With roughly nine seconds left Walker hoisted a bomb that bounded off the side of the rim, and though the Demons collected the rebound, they could not get another shot off before time expired.
Wesley Johnson led Syracuse with 16 points, with Walker scoring 21 for DePaul.
The Demons exploded out of the gate to an 18-point first half lead, then weathered a storm to lead by four at halftime.
An early Syracuse run in the second half brought the Orange within one, but the Demons responded. And after a Mac Koshwal layup, DePaul opened up a nine-point lead with seven minutes left.
Then came the thunderous run by the Orange, highlighted by a Wesley Johnson monster dunk in transition and capped by a Kris Joseph finish, a 15-2 burst that thrust Syracuse to a 58-54 lead with three minutes left.
DePaul, which burned its final timeout with 8:28 remaining, had little recourse to stemming the momentum. When Will Walker drained a deep 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining, it was the Demons' first field goal in six minutes, a bit too little, too late.
Photo: Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku and Kris Joseph battle for a rebound with DePaul's Eric Wallace. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
The Demons exploded out of the gate to an 18-point first half lead, then weathered a storm to lead by four at halftime.
An early Syracuse run in the second half brought the Orange within one, but the Demons responded. And after a Mac Koshwal layup, DePaul opened up a nine-point lead with seven minutes left.
Then came the thunderous run by the Orange, highlighted by a Wesley Johnson monster dunk in transition and capped by a Kris Joseph finish, a 15-2 burst that thrust Syracuse to a 58-54 lead with three minutes left.
DePaul, which burned its final timeout with 8:28 remaining, had little recourse to stemming the momentum. When Will Walker drained a deep 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining, it was the Demons' first field goal in six minutes, a bit too little, too late.
Photo: Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku and Kris Joseph battle for a rebound with DePaul's Eric Wallace. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
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Seriously Screamin Deamon 90? Final timeout used at 8:28 is not good coaching.
Just give Tracy Webster the job. He has proven in a short period of time that he deserves a chance at having the "interim" label permanently removed. Plain and simple, the man can coach. From game planning to squeezing every drop of effort out of this outmatched group of Demons, Mr. Webster has this team fighting against top-notch competition. The last play of the game they could have easily gone for the tie as Stoval broke the defense. But, instead, coach Webster designed a play to win. It was executed well, the shot just missed. Nothing to be ashamed of, unless you're a Syracuse fan and concerned about how arguably the best team in the country could allow a double-digit deficit to a program ranked dead last in Div.-I in free throw percentage and one of the meakest offenses. But, then again, this is the same coach who saw his Orange suffer the worst defeat in Syracuse's history at the hands of the Blue Demons at Allstate Arena just three years ago. The Demons can turn it around fast. Webster and this coaching staff are right for the job. Go Blue Demons!