Layden Blocker scored a team-high 18 points on Friday, helping DePaul post a 75-61 victory over Georgia Tech in the Emerald Coast Classic semifinals in Niceville, Fla.
Brandon Maclin added 16 points, while NJ Benson totaled nine points and nine rebounds for the Blue Demons (5-2), who outscored Georgia Tech 50-29 in the second half in their first nonconference win over a power conference team since beating Louisville in December 2023. RJ Smith chipped in nine points off the bench in the win.
Reserve Akai Fleming led Georgia Tech (5-2) with 13 points, followed by Mouhamed Sylla’s 10. Kam Craft and Jaeden Mustaf each poured in nine points, while Lamar Washington had a game-high seven assists in the loss.
DePaul will face the winner of LSU and Drake.
After leading by seven at halftime, Georgia Tech pushed the margin to nine on Mustaf’s layup with 17:42 left.
DePaul answered with five straight points from Blocker to start an 8-0 run, pulling within a point. Then Maclin and Kaleb Banks’ 3-pointers gave DePaul a 44-40 lead at the 12:28 mark.
Benson’s dunk gave DePaul a 52-48 advantage before Craft’s layup and Kowacie Reeves Jr.’s mid-range jumper knotted the score at the 6:56 mark.
Blocker’s trey and Maclin’s layup then began a 7-1 Blue Demons’ spurt.
After Sylla’s dunk trimmed the Yellow Jackets’ deficit to four with 3:23 left, Maclin’s layup, Blocker’s mid-range jump shot and Benson’s putback dunk gave DePaul a 67-57 lead with 1:42 remaining.
Kruz McClure and Banks’ back-to-back 3-pointers stamped an 8-0 DePaul run to give the Blue Demons a 14-9 lead midway through the first half.
With Georgia Tech trailing by three, Fleming scored the first four of the Yellow Jackets’ 10-0 spurt, giving them a 30-23 lead with 1:18 left in the opening half.
CJ Gunn split a pair of free throws with two seconds left to cut DePaul’s halftime deficit to 32-25. Craft’s seven first-half points led all scorers while eight different Blue Demons cracked the scoring column in the opening 20 minutes.
