DePaul continues rapid rise by sweeping Marquette

Brandon Maclin scored 18 points to lead DePaul to a 62-51 victory at Marquette on Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.

It was the fourth win in five games for DePaul (16-13, 8-10 Big East), who also got 10 points and a game-high 16 rebounds from NJ Benson. It's the first time DePaul has won at least eight Big East games since 2006-07.

Nigel James Jr. led Marquette (10-19, 5-13 Big East) with 14 points and seven rebounds while Chase Ross, who battled through a shoulder injury, added 12.

After the Golden Eagles went on a 9-0 run to take an early advantage, it was ugly for them from there the rest of the half.

DePaul ended the half on a whopping 21-1 run as Marquette did not make a field goal in the final 7:38.

The Golden Eagles went 0 for 10 from beyond the arc in the half, and 5 for 22 (22.7%) from the floor. They also committed eight turnovers that led to 15 DePaul points as the Blue Demons took a 32-14 lead into the break.

The halftime break helped Marquette. To begin the second half the Golden Eagles found their stroke, matching their entire first-half scoring total in the first four minutes of the second.

Later in the half, Marquette rattled off a 16-2 run, knocking down five of seven shots from the floor and turning DePaul over four times in that stretch. The Golden Eagles got the deficit down to as little as three.

DePaul was tested, but it responded and held on. The Blue Demons shot just 8 of 23 in the second from the floor, but made 11 of 15 attempts from the line.

It was a forgettable night in that category for Marquette. The Golden Eagles went just 11 for 22 from the charity stripe for the game.

DePaul swept the regular-season series against its local rival for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Blue Demons also won their third consecutive Big East road game for the first time in program history.