DePaul Stuns Marquette With Record Crowd And Second-Half Surge

Friday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago saw a thrilling turnaround as DePaul men’s basketball stormed back from an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat Marquette 80-75, snapping a six-game losing streak against their Big East rivals. The Blue Demons not only notched their third consecutive Big East home win, but also broke the arena’s student attendance record, previously set at the venue’s 2017 opener. The energy in the building was palpable, and the action on the court more than lived up to the hype.

For much of the first half, it looked like Marquette was in firm control. The Golden Eagles, desperate for a conference win and some positive momentum, raced out to an 11-point advantage early, courtesy of an 11-0 run that had DePaul on its heels. By halftime, Marquette led 44-36, having shot a blistering 60.7% from the field and sharing the ball with 12 assists on 17 made baskets. Six different Marquette players tallied at least five points before the break, showcasing the kind of balanced attack that head coach Shaka Smart has been searching for all season.

But as anyone who’s watched college basketball knows, leads can vanish in the blink of an eye. And on this night, it took DePaul just over two minutes after the break to erase Marquette’s hard-earned advantage. The Blue Demons unleashed a ferocious 14-0 run to open the second half, turning a 44-36 deficit into a 50-44 lead by the first media timeout with 17:50 left. The sequence was a masterclass in momentum: N.J. Benson scored off an offensive rebound, R.J. Smith hit a three, then Benson grabbed another board and CJ Gunn drilled a triple to tie the game. Moments later, Brandon Maclin converted a three-point play, and Gunn capped the run with another deep three, sending the DePaul faithful into a frenzy.

Marquette, stunned by the sudden shift, struggled to regain its composure. The Golden Eagles, who had been so sharp in the first half, looked rattled as DePaul’s defense tightened and the offense sputtered. “I thought in the second half, for whatever reason, we weren’t as defensive-minded as we needed to be,” said Marquette coach Shaka Smart. “I told the guys we were going to score enough to win, we have to stop them enough to win. We did not do that.”

DePaul’s charge was led by CJ Gunn, who turned in a career night with 31 points, including seven three-pointers and 12 second-half points. Gunn was simply unstoppable at times, finding space behind the arc and hitting tough shots under pressure. “You got to make him drive,” Smart said of his team’s defensive approach. “You got to crowd him even more. Stand on top of his shoes, and make him put the ball on the floor. I thought there were some possessions where guys did a better job of that. But too many where he got too many clean looks.”

Gunn’s heroics were complemented by N.J. Benson, who poured in 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds. Brandon Maclin added 12 points, and Layden Blocker chipped in 10, giving DePaul a multi-pronged attack that kept Marquette’s defense guessing. The Blue Demons shot a scorching 53.1% in the second half and went 11-for-24 from three-point range for the game, fueling their comeback and keeping the crowd engaged.

On the Marquette side, freshman Nigel James Jr. led the way with 18 points and a career-high eight assists, continuing his strong run of form. Royce Parham contributed 14 points, Chase Ross finished with 13 points, four assists, and two steals, and Damarius Owens added 12 points. Despite the offensive output, Marquette’s defense simply couldn’t contain DePaul after halftime. The Golden Eagles allowed 1.24 points per possession, one of their worst defensive performances in five seasons under Smart.

The game wasn’t without late drama. After trailing by as many as 15 in the second half, Marquette mounted a furious rally in the final minutes, holding DePaul without a field goal for the last four minutes and trimming the deficit to 79-75 with just 19 seconds left. The Golden Eagles even had a glimmer of hope as DePaul missed free throws, but a missed opportunity on offense and a final Blue Demons free throw sealed the outcome. The Wintrust Arena crowd, which had set a new student attendance record, erupted as the final buzzer sounded.

For DePaul, the victory signaled a potential turning point. After years languishing near the bottom of the Big East, the Blue Demons have now won three straight at home in conference play and are showing signs of life under head coach Chris Holtmann. The balanced scoring, improved defense, and ability to respond to adversity suggest a team on the rise. “This isn’t the Blue Demons of recent vintage,” one preview noted before the game. That assessment rang true Friday night.

Marquette, meanwhile, finds itself in last place in the Big East at 1-7 in conference play. The Golden Eagles have now dropped seven of their last eight and are searching for answers as the season moves into its second half. Injuries haven’t helped—redshirt junior Sean Jones was out with a foot issue, and senior Ben Gold, returning from an ankle injury, was limited to just five minutes in the second half despite hitting two threes. “It comes with opportunity,” Damarius Owens said of his increased playing time. “Whenever my name’s called, I feel like I’m ready. It will be the same in the future. Whatever I’m given, just take advantage of it.”

The advanced metrics tell the story of Marquette’s struggles: their adjusted defensive efficiency for the game was the second worst in five seasons under Smart, and the team’s inability to stop DePaul’s shooters proved costly. Still, the Golden Eagles will have little time to dwell on the loss, as they return home to face Providence on January 19 in hopes of reversing their fortunes.

As the dust settles, DePaul’s comeback win over Marquette stands out not just for the scoreline, but for the way it was achieved. An explosive start to the second half, clutch shooting from Gunn, and a raucous record-setting crowd all combined to create a night to remember for Blue Demons fans. With momentum on their side and belief growing, DePaul looks to keep climbing in the Big East, while Marquette is left to regroup and search for the consistency that has eluded them thus far.