DePaul faculty, staff, students joined the Screamin' Demons Band and spirit squad to cheer on the women's basketball team at a pep rally before the team heads to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th consecutive year. DePaul will play against Oklahoma in College Station, Texas on March 16. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
The DePaul community sent the women's basketball team off in style yesterday, March 14, as the Blue Demons head to their 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. The BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion will face first-round opponent Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Friday, March 16 in College Station, Texas.
"Congratulations to Head Coach Doug Bruno and the Blue Demons on another outstanding season," says DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D. "Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our student athletes and coaching staff, the Blue Demons earned a No. 5 seed in the tournament - the highest seed since 2011. We are proud of you and will be cheering you on near and far."
In the last five years, the women's program has won five consecutive BIG EAST Conference regular-season titles and three BIG EAST Tournament crowns. They will be riding a six-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament and have won 12 of their last 13 games.
Fans wishing to attend the game can purchase tickets in the DePaul section at Reed Arena by calling the DePaul ticket office at (773)-325-SLAM (7526).
The Blue Demons' first-round game is scheduled to be telecast on ESPN2. Live streaming on Watch ESPN is also available.
On game day, DePaul, students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Lincoln Park Campus Game Watch at 11 a.m. Friday, March 16 at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Admission is free and complimentary pizza, popcorn and soft drinks will be served. Raffle drawings for students, faculty and staff will take place throughout the game featuring T-shirts, hats and the highly coveted DIBS bobble head.
Members of the media and the DePaul community gathered at a pep rally on March 14 to send the women's basketball team off in style to the NCAA Tournament. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)