DePaul looks to knock off No. 21 Providence
No. 21 Providence looks to give DePaul its seventh straight loss to ranked opponentsDECEMBER 30, 2021•ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aaron Thompson - Puts on passing showThompson racked up seven points (3-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt), one rebound, seven assists and seven steals across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 63-59 victory over DePaul.
ImpactThompson eclipsed the five-assist mark for the fifth time this season. The guard logged four assists in the first four minutes of play to light a fire under his teammates. In the final seven minutes of the second half, he recorded two back-breaking steals to prevent DePaul from getting enough momentum to complete the comeback. Through his four December starts, the senior has averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists during 34.8 minutes.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Jayden Taylor - Records 13 points in winTaylor closed Wednesday's 63-59 win over DePaul with 13 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), four rebounds and one steal across 26 minutes.
ImpactTaylor was one of three Butler players to record double-digits in the win over DePaul. The forward's motor wouldn't quit as his teammates slowed down, he scored the final two buckets from the floor for Butler to put them up 10 points with under six minutes to play. Over his last three December starts, the freshman has averaged 10.3 points and four rebounds during 26.7 minutes.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Simas Lukosius - Leading scorer in victoryLukosius racked up 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 63-59 win over DePaul.
ImpactLukosius led Butler in scoring coming off the bench thanks to some otherworldly first-half shooting. The freshman logged 13 points in the opening period of play and his teammates were happy to feed the hot hand. He recorded a career-high 15 points on top of a career-high nine shot attempts from the floor. He emerged as a scoring threat in this win, and finally got the turnover issue that blighted his starts earlier this season under control. Through the first three games this season, the guard tallied 14 turnovers, over his last five games he has recorded only three.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Nick Ongenda - Contributes 10 pointsOngenda supplied 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-7 FT), three rebounds and one block in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 63-59 loss to Butler.
ImpactOngenda made a splash with a monster dunk in the first two minutes of play. He wouldn't play his normal minutes, the junior was ejected for leaving his team's bench and as a result, he missed a portion of the game. He still logged a career-high-tying seven free throw attempts but struggled in an uncharacteristic fashion from the stripe. Through the first eight games of the season, he shot 72 percent from the free-throw line, in his last three appearances he has made just 22 percent. He will look to leave this game behind him, even though he was one of three Blue Devils to tally double-digit points on the night.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Javon Freeman-Liberty - Aggressive in lossFreeman-Liberty amassed 13 points (4-16 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 63-59 loss to Butler.
ImpactFreeman-Liberty struggled in the first half by going one for six from the field. He didn't have much better luck shooting in the second half but, landed a trey in the biggest of moments. His three-point make pulled DePaul within two points of Butler in the final minute of play. Despite his struggles shooting the ball, he displayed great intangibles and was aggressive in the passing game. He recorded a season-high four turnovers in the process but without his ball movement, the loss could've turned into a blowout. Through his five December appearances, the senior has averaged 16.2 points, seven rebounds and 3.2 assists during 35 minutes.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Philmon Gebrewhit - Chips in six pointsGebrewhit finished Wednesday's 63-59 loss to Butler with six points (2-6 FG, 2-5 3Pt), one rebound and one steal over 25 minutes.
ImpactGebrewhit persevered after committing two turnovers in the first five minutes of play. Head held high, he entered the second half and opened the scoring for DePaul with two treys in the first four minutes. He added his steal midway around the ten-minute mark but, didn't register another shot after his second three-point make. The junior is 16-for-51 from three-point range this season, but his shot is clearly improving as the weeks go on.
DECEMBER 30, 2021•ROTOWIRE
