Javan Johnson scored a career-high 24 points with 10 rebounds as DePaul won its fifth straight season opener, 72-66 over visiting Loyola Maryland on Monday night in Chicago.
Johnson went 9 of 13 from the floor, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Oklahoma transfer Umoja Gibson added 12 points and Da’Sean Nelson scored 10 for the Blue Demons, who shot 43.1 percent but finished 14 of 18 from the free-throw line.
Kenny Jones had 20 points and freshman Deon Perry scored 13 for Loyola, which outscored DePaul 41-34 in the second half. However, the Greyhounds shot 40 percent and went 8 of 17 from the free-throw line on the night.
After DePaul took a 13-point lead into halftime, Jones opened the second with a 3. However, Johnson scored the next five points.
The Greyhounds, though, scored 10 of the first 16 points of the second half and got within nine on Chris Kuzemka’s 3-pointer. Then Gibson’s 3 with 14:03 left in regulation gave DePaul back its double-digit cushion.
Loyola used a 7-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back Jones’ baskets, to get within 53-47 at 7:56 to go. But DePaul’s 6-foot-10 Yor Anei hit a hook shot, then made a steal that led to Jackson’s 3 that put the hosts up 58-47 and in control.
The Blue Demons, picked to finish last in the Big East in the league’s preseason poll, hit four of their first eight shots and used a 10-2 run to lead 12-5.
Loyola, picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League, got within 19-14, but DePaul strung together an 8-0 run — highlighted by Ahmad Bynum’s 3 and an old-fashioned three-point play from Jalen Terry.
The Greyhounds, meanwhile, went more than 5 minutes without a point before Perry’s bucket with 3:56 remaining in the opening half.
The Blue Demons shot 46.9 percent, scored 20 points in the paint and 12 off 10 Loyola turnovers to lead 38-25 at the break.
DePaul played without injured returning starter Nick Ogenda (hand) and South Florida transfer Caleb Murphy.
–Field Level Media
