DePaul Snaps Losing Skid, Beats Cincinnati

NEW YORK - Will Walker and Dar Tucker scored 17 points apiece and DePaul ended its 18-game losing streak with a 67-57 victory over Cincinnati on Tuesday in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

The 16th-seeded Blue Demons (9-23) avoided the most losses in a season in school history and advanced to the second round against eighth-seeded Providence on Wednesday.

Mac Koshwal had 12 points and nine rebounds for DePaul, which last won Dec. 28 against Alcorn State.

Deonta Vaughn had 15 points for the Bearcats (18-14), who dropped to 0-3 all-time in the Big East tournament.

Cincinnati led 41-38 before the Blue Demons went on a 15-2 run during which the Bearcats missed 13 of 14 shots from the field.

Tucker, limited to five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, scored all his points in the second half - nine in the final 5:30.\

DePaul and Providence square off at Noon ET/11 a.m. CT on ESPN and WSCR (670 AM) in Chicago.

Game Notes

Today’s win was the first BIG EAST Championship victory for DePaul. The Blue Demons are 1-1 all-time in the tournament.

The Blue Demons advance to face Providence, the No. 8 seed, in Wednesday’s second round.

DePaul snapped an 18-game losing streak. The Blue Demons’ last win was a 90-67 decsion against Alcorn State Dec. 28.

DePaul has scored exactly 67 points in its two BIG EAST Championship games, including a 75-67 loss to Villanova in the first round of the 2007 tournament.

DePaul had four players reach double figures in scoring.

DePaul’s starters accounted for 66 of the Blue Demons’ 67 points.

DePaul Forward Mac Koshwal and guard Will Walker played all 40 minutes.

Cincinnati dropped its fourth straight game. The Bearcats are 0-3 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship.

This is the first season of 16-team championships in BIG EAST men’s and women’s basketball and the respective No. 16 seeds won both first round games. Cincinnati’s women’s team was a 60-54 winner in overtime against No. 9-seeded Marquette.

Box Score