Lancers push DePaul to the brink in CBI Quarterfinals

About two minutes into the second half, the DePaul Blue Demons looked well onto their way to a twenty point win the College Basketball Invitational. Instead, a resilient Longwood team charged their Big East hosts to eventually tie the game at 79 with just over four minutes to play thanks to a Damarion Geter three from the right corner.

From there the games defining moment came with 27 seconds left when Juan Munoz was called for a charge, down three. After numerous replays, it was very clear that the call should have indeed been a block, but the moment instead fouled out the Lancer freshman and sent DePaul over the top for a 97–89 victory.

That call, the Lancers performance from the free throw line (14–21), and Max Strus were the main factors in the Longwood loss. Longwood had no answer for the Blue Demons 6'6 senior, who ended the game with 38 points and 5 rebounds. Simply put, Strus is a special talent who will make a lot of money playing basketball at the next level.

The positive story for Longwood, besides this season in general, was the rotation preview that we saw for the next season. Griff Aldrich has really settled on a rotation and a crunch time five that has really paid dividends the last two games. Tonight was Juan Munoz’s coming out party as the freshman guard had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists coming off the Lancer bench. Munoz looked more comfortable, poised, and dangerous with the ball tonight than any point earlier this season.

Shabooty Phillips had an almost quiet 18 points tonight as the Lancers made nine second-half three-pointers. Spencer Franklin was a beast in the paint in his last game as a Lancer with 14 points and 3 rebounds. Sixth-year Lancer Damarion Geter added 13 points and 6 rebounds.

We’ll talk more about the season as a whole, but tonight was a tremendous effort that is the final brick in a solid foundation that Griff Aldrich has created during his inaugural campaign.