Meyer, making his first start of the season in place of the injured Layden Blocker (quad), hit 5 of 11 from beyond the arc, helping DePaul (5-0) connect on 15 of 39 three-point attempts. Troy D’Amico added 14 points, Isaiah Rivera finished with 12, and both David Skogman and JJ Traynor contributed 11 points each.
Kooper Jacobi led Eastern Illinois (1-4) with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Nakyel Shelton added 17 points, hitting all 11 of his free throw attempts. Zion Fruster chipped in 12 points for the Panthers, who battled back from an early deficit but couldn’t complete the comeback.
DePaul jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the first four minutes of the game, but struggled offensively as Eastern Illinois took control. The Blue Demons went cold for over seven minutes, allowing the Panthers to go on a 13-2 run and take a 13-12 lead with 9:44 left in the first half.
The deficit seemed to spark DePaul, as Meyer drained two three-pointers and Traynor added another to help the Blue Demons regain a 21-18 lead. DePaul closed the first half with a 29-25 advantage, despite both teams committing 10 turnovers.
Eastern Illinois came out strong in the second half and briefly took a 36-34 lead on a floater by Fruster with 17:13 remaining. However, DePaul responded with a 14-0 run, fueled by three-pointers from Skogman and Meyer, to open up a 48-36 lead.
The Panthers weren’t done yet, cutting the deficit to 61-58 with 4:19 left, following a fadeaway jumper by Fruster and a 3-pointer. But Rivera quickly answered with a 3-pointer of his own, and Traynor sealed the win with two free throws, helping DePaul hold on for the victory.
DePaul will look to stay undefeated as they continue their nonconference schedule.
Source: Field Level Media