Huge road win as DePaul beats Arizona State - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Whether it was a statement or just simply a solid performance after a shaky start, DePaul heads back home with its fifth consecutive win.
 
   Brandon Young scored 18 points and had nine assists in leading the Blue Demons to a 78-61 victory Wednesday over Arizona State.
 
   "We talked about this being a statement game because we were coming out to this part of the country," said DePaul coach Oliver Purnell. "And it is probably the best opponent we've played early at 8-1, beat Arkansas. And so we thought it was a statement game for us to come out on the West Coast, on the road, and beat a good team."
 
   Carrick Felix had 12 points and six rebounds for the Sun Devils (8-2), which had won four straight and were 8-1 for only the fourth time in 38 years.
 
   "They brought the energy, they brought the intensity that we didn't bring today," Felix said.
 
   The Blue Demons (7-3) rebounded from a 1 of 9 start from the field and used a 17-4 spurt early in the second half to take a 22-point lead with 10:29 remaining.
 
   "We took some good shots, but they just weren't falling, but we just stayed in it," Young said. "We kept our head up and in the second half, we started making shots."
 
   Worrel Clahar added 14 points and a pair of steals for DePaul.
 
   "They beat us off the dribble, they beat us curling screens, and just really had their way with us when they had the ball," said Arizona State coach Herb Sendek.
 
   The Blue Demons' leading scorer coming into the game, Cleveland Melvin, had 12 points, six under his average, but had 10 rebounds as DePaul had a 44-34 advantage in boards. It was Melvin's third double-double in the last four games.
 
   DePaul's full-court press helped force 13 Arizona State turnovers that were converted in 15 Blue Demon points.
 
   "The press is to get stops on defense, which turn into offense," Young said. "We are a run-and-gun team so once we get stops on defense, we push in transition, and we look to get a bucket."
 
   The Sun Devils only made 23 of 55 from the field and 8 of 19 from the line, while the Blue Demons rebounded to shoot 34 of 68 from the field, 55 percent in the second half.
 
   "At the end of the press, I don't know that we attacked like we could have," Sendek said. "And then we got caught in no-man's land and settled."
 
   The Blue Demons also held the Sun Devils' leading scorer, Jahii Carson, to 12 points on 5 of 16 shooting, and four assists. Carson came into the game averaging 18.6 points a game, fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring and second in assists (5.4).
 
   "They started collapsing, triple-, double-teaming, trying to take the ball out of my hands, trying to take the rhythm," Carson said.
 
   "We keyed real well on him," Young said. "Everybody had to talk and communicate on defense, which we did well, and that's how we stopped him today."
 
   The Sun Devils couldn't take advantage of DePaul's cold start, building a 9-2 lead early, but the Blue Demons ran off a 12-4 run to take the lead for good.
 
   The Blue Demons bounced back from missing eight of their first nine shots to take a 42-33 lead at the break.
 
   Clahar hit a 3-pointer and then got a steal on the subsequent full-court press, making a layup to give DePaul a 40-26 lead with 2:41 left in the first half. Clahar led the Blue Demons with 10 points. Felix and Carson each had eight points for Arizona State.
 
   DePaul picked up six fouls in the first nine minutes and had 13 in the half, but the Sun Devils only made 6 of 13 free throws in the half, finishing the night 8-of-19.
 
   Arizona State was 7-0 at home this season and had won nine straight at home, dating back to last year.
 
   Young became the 11th player in DePaul history with 1,000 points and 300 assists.

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