Blue Demons Could Not Take Advantage of Seton Hall’s Struggles from 3-Point Land and the Free-Throw Line
If there was ever a game that was ripe for the taking, it was this one. In a game with 47 fouls and 49 free-throws, DePaul blew a nine point lead to lose to the Seton Hall Pirates 64-57. Granted, it was a game between the two team with the highest free-throw rate in the conference. It was ugly. The only reason that DePaul was in the game was due to the awfulness of the Pirates from the free-throw line and 3 point land. Seton Hall shot 29 free-throws at a rate of 48.3%, and a horrific 22.2% from 3 point land on 27 shots. These flaws were the only thing going for the Demons.
So how did DePaul lose? As I mentioned in the preview to this game, if DePaul shot better than 16% from 3 point land and defended better from 3 Point range, the Demons might have a chance. They did just that, but, and this is a big but, the Demons had 20 turnovers, shot 26.7% from three-point land, and 35.7% from two-point land. Dreadful. Yet they were in the game until the final minute. Down by 5 at the 1:11 point, Darious Hall drew a charging foul on the Pirates’ Quincy McKnight. DePaul attacked the rim, Charlie Moore missed a jumper and Jaylen Butz got the rebound, drew the defense to his side, and passed to a cutting Romeo Weems who lined up for a dunk that would bring the Blue Demons to within 3, but as he had 4 other times in the game, Seton Hall’s Romaro Gill blocked the dunk at the rim to preserve the 5 point lead. It was the last great effort of the game. A couple of free-throws and a couple of missed shots lead to the final line of seven.
The Good
DePaul’s Defense
The Blue Demons played a tough team tough. Seton Hall struggled from 3 point land making only 6-27 for 22.2%.
The Men in Blue also forced 18 turnovers. The down notes were that the Pirates made 53% of their shots inside the arc and got all of DePaul’s big men in foul trouble.
This was the lowest Points Per Possession game for the defense (other than against UIC and Cleveland State). Considering the opponent, the 13th Best at Effective Field Goal percentage in the country, that was pretty awesome.
Romeo Weems
Mostly guarding Powell and McKnight, Weems held both guys under an offensive rating of 100. Powell had a 85 and McKnight had a 92. Granted Powell had 24 points, but he shot 7-21 from the field and took 13 free-throws making 8.
Weems needs to become more assertive on offense. He took only 6 shots, going 1 for 1 from 3 point land, and unfortunately 1-5 from 2. But on a night when he is being left open, he need to prepare himself to shoot and confidently take the shot. He ended up being the only Demon with a Offensive rating over 100, ending with a 103. He finished with 8 points.
The Bad
Coaching
DePaul’s last lead of the game was at the 6:45 point of the 2nd half. At the 10:08 mark, DePaul was still up 5 at 48-43. Then a run occurred. At the end of the run with 4:33 left the Blue Demons were down 7, 58-51. Why do I bring this up? Throughout this 15-3 game deciding run, Dave Leitao with 3 timeouts in his pockets, did nothing. He waited until the Demons were down 7. You have 3 timeouts; stem the tide!
The Offensive Game Plan
I am not sure what the game plan was. It appears that it was to try to take on Romaro Gill and Ike Obiagu in the post. It ended in those two Pirates blocking 8 shots combined along with altering many other attempts. 5’11” Moore was trying to take them on. 5’11” Markese Jacobs tried to take them on. Reed, Butz, and Nick Ongenda had almost as many fouls as shot attempts, as they combined for 14 fouls and 15 shots. Whatever the plan was, it did not work. It ended up with most possessions ending with Charlie Moore or Jalen Coleman-Lands taking a wild shot or Moore turning the ball over.
The team make 0.75 Points Per Possession. Horrific.
This was the lowest Points Per Possession on the season.
Paul Reed only had a usage rate of 13% for the game. Roughly 1 in 10 possessions ended with Paul doing something. Paul did seem passive, and it did seem like Gill and Obiagu were in his head, but for Reed to only take 7 shots and get to the line once in 29 minutes seems out of whack. The lowest shot total prior to this was against St. John’s, the first game, when he was also in foul trouble. Prior to that he only took 6 shots against Alcorn State, when he went 6-6 in a laugher.
Moore and Coleman-Lands
Combined for the game, Charlie Moore and Jalen Coleman-Lands went 5-16 from 2 (31.25%) and 3-12 from 3 (25%). They also combined for 9 turnovers (8 were Charlies.)
The two took 49% of the shots and made only 42% of the points.
They didn’t get other players involved. Granted, maybe that was the game plan, and it didn’t help that the entire front line was in foul trouble, which gets us to the next ‘the Bad’.
The Referees
The Refs were awful the entire game to both teams. In the first half, the referees called 14 fouls on Seton Hall. It killed the flow of the game. In the second half, the refs called 15 fouls against the Blue Demons. Paul Reed and Nick Ongenda both fouled out, and Jaylen Butz ended with 4. Butz got a technical foul on a play in which he was elbowed first and retaliated. The refs actually went to the scorers table to take a look, and still only gave a tech to Butz. Great work.
Ongenda got one of the weakest techs this writer has ever seen when after a dunk the ball fell back to him. He unthinking knocked the ball forward which happened to hit a Seton Hall player in the stomach. Nothing intentional, just unthinking. That was his 5th foul. What a way to go out in a game. On one of those two techs, the refs were so out of it, they were going to give the ball back to the Demons after the technical free-throws. Mind blowing stuff.
Getting the DePaul big men in foul trouble did put an unwanted burden on Moore and JCL and made the it easier for the Pirates to attach the basket when they were cold from the outside.
How in the Hell Did DePaul Lose a Game in Which Their Opponent Shot 22.2% from 3 Point land, 48.3% from the Free-Throw Line, and had 18 Turnovers? How is that Possible?
DePaul shot 35.7% from 2 Point Land, 26.7% from 3 point Land, and had 20 turnovers!! Yeah for us.
What’s Next
On to Marquette. DePaul plays the 5-4 Marquette Golden Eagles on Saturday, February 1st at 1PM.
Marquette is Markus Howard surrounded by 3 guys who shoot the 3 Point Shot at a 40% rate, plus one guy who shoots 33%, and Theo John who just brutalizes everyone and blocks a few shots, and does all the dirty work, except shoot 3 point shots.
Remind me again, How did we lose a Game when our opponent shot 22% from 3 and 48% from the Free-Throw line?
