DePaul walked into a TBD venue on March 1, 2026 and did what road teams have to do in March: take the air out early, build a margin, then survive the counterpunch. The Blue Demons beat Marquette 62-51, leaning on a dominant second quarter and enough late-game composure to close out a Golden Eagles rally.
The decisive stretch: DePaul’s 32-14 second quarter
The game swung hard before halftime. DePaul posted 32 points in the second quarter while holding Marquette to 14, a separation that functioned as the night’s defining margin. With Marquette entering at 10-19 and in a LWLLL skid, that kind of early deficit forced the Golden Eagles into a chase game — and DePaul was comfortable dictating terms.
Marquette’s fourth-quarter surge wasn’t enough
Marquette finally found its offensive rhythm late, scoring 37 in the fourth quarter. The problem: DePaul answered with 30 of its own in the same frame, preventing the run from becoming a true takeover. The combination of DePaul’s earlier cushion and its ability to trade points down the stretch kept the outcome from tilting.
Game flow, by the numbers we have
DePaul won the scoring battle in both halves that were recorded: 32-14 in the second quarter and 30-37 in the fourth. That second-quarter avalanche did the heavy lifting, and the fourth quarter became more about managing the margin than hunting a knockout.
What it means going forward
For DePaul (16-13), the win reinforces strong recent form (WWLWW) and shows a blueprint that travels: defend early, create separation, then withstand the late variance. For Marquette (10-19), the late scoring burst is something to build on, but the larger concern remains the inability to avoid extended droughts — the kind that turn a game into a math problem before the final push arrives.