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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- Lesser competition does not bring out the best in
DePaul.
The No. 20 Blue Demons played their second straight ho-hum game Thursday night, as they beat Nicholls State 67-43 behind freshman Steven Hunter's 17 points.
Bobby Simmons added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue
Demons (5-2), who held Nicholls State to 29 percent shooting from
the field. Paul McPherson scored 11 points for DePaul, which has
won four of its last five games.
But the Blue Demons weren't happy after their 24-point win, which followed a seven-point victory over Monmouth on Monday.
"The last two games, I haven't seen the intensity, starting in
the locker room," McPherson said. "The guys are laid back, not
focused and concentrated -- even myself. If we play this way against
St. John's (on Tuesday), we're in for a bad game."
DePaul coach Pat Kennedy sounded like a man whose team had lost.
"I'm obviously concerned with where we're at offensively,"
Kennedy said. "We've got a lot of work to do in the next three
days if we're going to be ready for St. John's."
Kennedy blamed the efforts against Nicholls State and Monmouth
on poor practices. Minor injuries have limited some players, while
talent disparity has given the starters a swelled sense of how good
they are.
"There's such a gap, we're getting a false sense of what we can do offensively," Kennedy said.
The Blue Demons (5-2) forced Nicholls State into four early
turnovers and several bad shots while taking a 15-2 lead.
Nicholls State (2-2) pulled within seven, but Hunter scored
eight points during a 13-0 run that extended DePaul's lead to
35-15. Hunter had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and three blocks in
the first half to help the Blue Demons take a 38-21 halftime lead.
Early in the second half, Nicholls State lost starting forward
Marlon Green with a separated left shoulder, which he injured while
diving for a loose ball.
"He sprained a ligament and will be out 2-3 weeks, which is
pretty good considering what the injury looked like to me," said
coach Rickey Broussard.
James Banks' 3-pointer cut DePaul's lead to 39-27 with 16:17
left, but the Blue Demons' press helped set up transition dunks by
McPherson and Hunter that boosted the lead to 46-27.
Arthur Haralson scored 11 points for Nicholls State, which
played for the first time since Nov. 29.
Hunter said fans will see a better effort against St. John's.
"The bigger our competition level, the better we play," he said. "St. John's is one of the marquee teams on our schedule."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Nicholls State Clubhouse
DePaul Clubhouse
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