Chicago, IL – DePaul women’s basketball wrapped up its regular season in dramatic fashion, securing a 65-64 overtime victory against St. John’s on Sunday at Wintrust Arena. In a tightly contested game featuring 15 ties and 11 lead changes, the Blue Demons showed resilience, sealing the win with clutch free-throw shooting in the extra period.
On Senior Day, Jorie Allen delivered a standout performance in her final home game, scoring 17 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. She also contributed four rebounds and three assists, capping off a season in which she scored in double figures in all 31 games.
Kate Clarke added 15 points and tied her career high with five assists, while Taylor Johnson-Matthews chipped in 12 points, including the game-winning free throws in overtime.
For St. John’s, Ber’Nyah Mayo led all scorers with 27 points, while Phoenix Gedeon added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Game Recap:
St. John’s started hot, hitting three of its first five three-point attempts to take an 11-2 lead. However, DePaul’s defense locked in, holding the Red Storm scoreless for the final four and a half minutes of the first quarter, closing the gap to 13-10.
A basket from Natiah Nelson tied the game at 14 midway through the second quarter, and a 6-0 Blue Demons run, punctuated by a Clarke three-pointer, gave DePaul a 20-16 lead. St. John’s responded, but a late triple from Anaya Ohiaeri sent DePaul into halftime with a 27-24 edge.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the third quarter, with Clarke scoring five quick points to help DePaul regain control. Both teams struggled offensively, combining for just nine field goals in the period, as the Blue Demons held a slim 42-40 advantage heading into the fourth.
St. John’s opened the final quarter with a 5-0 run to reclaim the lead, 45-42. With both offenses stalling, the score remained tied at 46 for nearly three minutes before Allen took over. She scored 10 consecutive points for DePaul, putting the Blue Demons ahead 54-49 with under a minute left. The Red Storm clawed back, forcing overtime with a putback and free throw in the closing seconds.
Overtime remained a defensive struggle, with both teams relying on free throws. St. John’s led 62-61 in the final minute before Jorie Allen found Kendall Newman for a layup to push DePaul ahead 63-62. The Red Storm quickly answered with a basket from Lashae Dwyer, taking a 64-63 lead with four seconds remaining. However, St. John’s immediately fouled Johnson-Matthews, who calmly sank both free throws to secure the 65-64 victory.
DePaul finished the game shooting 40.4% (23-for-57) from the field, while St. John’s struggled at 28.6% (20-for-70). The win closes out the Blue Demons’ regular season with a hard-fought triumph, sending their lone senior, Jorie Allen, off with a memorable performance.
