DePaul Blue Demons Women's B-Ball Rolls to 9-0

Last Sunday, I celebrated my birthday by being “On the Beat” as the DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team beat Georgetown 92-66. Last season's Big East champion Blue Demons moved to 19-2 overall

Georgetown jumped out to a 2-0 lead to start the game, but it was all DePaul after that. The Demons led by as many as 33 early in the 4th quarter. The game was never in question, as DePaul cruised to their tenth straight win as six players scored in double digits.

Sophomore guard Lexi Held led the Demons with 19 points and chipped in with four rebound and 3 assists. It was a big weekend for Held, as she was named the Big East Player of the Week.

Senior guard Kelly Campbell had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Junior guard Deja Church had 12 points, senior forward Chante Stonewall score 11 points and sophomore guard Sonya Morris added 10 points. Off the bench, junior guard Dee Bekelja added 13 points. Also, Campbell had a team high seven assists and Stonewall led the team with rebounds.

The big victory margin allowed Coach Doug Bruno to give plenty of playing time to his bench. Five non starters saw double digits minutes, while two others saw 7 minutes of game action.

The Demons are in 1st place in the Big East with a perfect 9-0 conference record. There is a three-way tie for second between Butler, St. Johns and Marquette, who all have a 6-3 record. On the other end, Georgetown dropped to 1-8, good for a last place three-way tie with Xavier and Providence.

Coach Bruno opened the post-game media session with a statement on the tragic helicopter crash which killed Kobe Bryant and several others. It was a somber moment on an otherwise wonderful day. Coach Bruno was classy and sincere in his sorrow.

An assistant coach on the USA Women's team, Bruno talked of his interactions with Bryant at the 2012 Olympics. "This is like the Day The Music Died," Coach Bruno stated, referencing “American Pie,” the Don McLean song referring to the plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and 'The Big Bopper' J.P. Richardson.

Moving on to the game, Coach Bruno gave credit to Georgetown, who played tough through the end, despite struggling through a tough season. The Blue Demons did not take the Hoyas lightly.

Questions were posed to Held, Campbell and Stonewall, who accompanied Coach Bruno to start the media session. All talked about the bench players getting time and experience. While players never want to leave a game, the threesome spoke of the importance of the bench, especially in the upcoming Big East tournament in March.

A question was posed to Coach Bruno about the possibility of Campbell getting a triple double. He answered that his concern was winning the game and getting experience for the bench. His answer was not harsh in the least, but Coach Bruno immediately seemed to think he had come down hard on the reporter and made it clear that he wasn't criticizing said reporter or the question. This is the kind of person Coach Bruno is.

In my time covering the team, I have seen firsthand how much Coach Bruno appreciates the press. He always ends each media session by thanking the press. It is a sincere gesture on his part, as he has also thanked me individually in private. Obviously, I am not a huge media outlet, but he understands the value of any coverage. He genuinely is thankful.

The Blue Demons return to action Friday, when they host Creighton at Wintrust Arena. They also play host Providence at Wintrust on Sunday. These games are important, since the Big East Conference tournament will be played at Wintrust. More experience on the Wintrust court will be beneficial in the tourney.

The Big East Conference tournament will be held Friday, March 3 through Monday, March 6. The Blue Demons are the two-time defending champs, having beaten Marquette in the last two championship games. While DePaul is currently the favorite, the rest of the field ranking is up in the air.

I was fortunate enough to be at the last two Big East Conference tournaments. The atmosphere is as alive as any sporting event I have attended. Obviously, Wintrust holds many more fans than McGrath-Phillips Arena, the usual home of DePaul. Hopefully, Blue Demon Nation fills the arena. This team deserves a full house.

I was fortunate enough to be at the last two Big East Conference tournaments. The atmosphere is as alive as any sporting event I have attended. Obviously, Wintrust holds many more fans than McGrath-Phillips Arena, the usual home of DePaul. Hopefully, Blue Demon Nation fills the arena. This team deserves a full house.

I'll be there, but until then, I will report on the progress of the team. It's going to be an exciting journey, hopefully ending with another championship celebration March 6!