DePaul’s defense melted Kevin “Butter” Johnson’s offense, withered Curtis Withers’ shot and made sure 7-foot Martin Iti didn’t get it (the ball).
But none of that mattered Tuesday night because Charlotte’s Demon Brown threw down 34 points on a flabbergasting assortment of long-range jumpers to lift the 49ers to a 75-70 Conference USA opening-night victory at the Allstate Arena.
Whether tossing in shots off the glass from 30 feet or falling off the court from the deep corner, the league’s leading three-point shooter last year made the Blue Demons regret they didn’t have such an appropriately named player in their lineup.
“We watched the tape and they take those shots every day,” said DePaul forward Quemont Greer, who had 16 points. “We weren’t really surprised they were going in.”
Playing hustling, scrappy defense, DePaul (7-5) contained the league’s top-scoring team in most ways–the 49ers had only one other double-digit scorer–but any time Charlotte needed a bailout, Brown’s number was called.
The 6-1 guard hit 8-of-14 three-point shots on his career-best night, including a heave off the backboard from a neighboring area code, with slightly more than one minute left, when DePaul was trying to rally.
“It was very important, obviously,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. “It was one play we didn’t execute well and he saved us. It’s a big win for us.”
Brown made too many remarkable shots to chalk them up to simple good fortune, but he admitted his huge three-pointer was accidental.
“That shot was definitely luck,” Brown said.
DePaul had five double-figure scorers and built a 33-29 halftime margin, but Charlotte (9-3) changed the complexion of the game with a 12-0 run midway through the second half.
Freshman guard Sammy Mejia made it clear he is driving the DePaul bus from now on, turning in a 16-point, 13-rebound showing. Mejia said he was focused on stealing rebounds from the taller 49ers and being more aggressive for the conference opener.
“Everybody has to go out hard every night,” he said. “Every game matters. Every game counts.”
The Blue Demons, who were outrebounded 45-34, clearly missed 6-9 Andre Brown, sidelined for the fourth game with a knee problem.
Moreover, their 15-turnover carelessness frequently left coach Dave Leitao with a look on his face that implied he had just eaten spoiled fish.
On the plus side, the Blue Demons did hold Charlotte below its 86.6-point average and forced 16 turnovers. “The game plan coming in was to disrupt their rhythm,” Leitao said. “I thought for the majority of the game we did that.”
DePaul’s usual top scorer, 6-7 forward Delonte Holland, who also leads the league, was limited to 12 points. He fouled out after jamming an ankle on the last play of the first half and missing second-half warm-ups.
“He tried his best to play through it,” Leitao said.
