Purdue Fort Wayne, led by Quinton Morton-Robertson’s impressive performance, secured an 82-74 victory over DePaul in their season opener. The game, which took place in Chicago on Tuesday night, marked a competitive start to the season for both teams.
Morton-Robertson stood out with a game-high 24 points, while Rasheed Bello contributed 15 points to propel Purdue Fort Wayne to victory. The Mastodons displayed their prowess by scoring 20 of the final 26 points in the game. Morton-Robertson particularly shone with four successful 3-point attempts, helping his team go 9-for-18 from beyond the arc.
Jalen Jackson also played a crucial role for Purdue Fort Wayne, contributing 13 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Roberts added 13 points to the visitor’s tally.
Despite DePaul’s best efforts, including Chico Carter Jr.’s 18 points and eight rebounds, and Jeremiah Oden’s 13 points and eight rebounds, they narrowly missed achieving double-doubles. Jaden Henley and K.T. Raimey each contributed 11 points.
Unfortunately for DePaul, their point guard Jalen Terry was sidelined due to an ankle injury, resulting in the team committing 22 turnovers during the game.
DePaul displayed an impressive second-half performance, starting 10-for-15 from the field, in contrast to Purdue Fort Wayne’s 4-for-14. This surge allowed the Blue Demons to gradually erase an eight-point halftime deficit.
Oden’s layup off an offensive rebound tied the game at 53 with 11:26 to go. A Henley fastbreak layup at the 9:53 mark gave the Blue Demons their first lead since it was 4-2.
Morton-Robertson, however, countered with a layup with 6:43 left, giving the Mastodons a 62-61 lead. DePaul attempted a comeback with a 7-0 run, but Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a 9-0 surge. Jackson’s runner with 55 seconds to go ultimately put the Mastodons ahead 75-70.
At halftime, the Mastodons held a 41-33 lead, having surged ahead by as many as 13 points in the first half. Bello played a crucial role in Purdue Fort Wayne’s balanced attack, contributing 10 points, along with five rebounds and two assists before the break. Morton-Robertson followed with eight points, while Jackson and Roberts chipped in seven apiece.
Purdue Fort Wayne capitalized on DePaul’s erratic ball movement, which resulted in 14 turnovers against just six assists for the Blue Demons. Additionally, foul trouble for top DePaul returner Da’Sean Nelson, who played just four first-half minutes, hindered the hosts.
It’s worth noting that DePaul was without transfer forward Mac Etienne, who was sidelined due to illness.
In terms of field goal percentages, the Mastodons shot 44.4 percent, while DePaul finished at 49 percent.
