DePaul Demons Cruise Past UC-Riverside in Season Opener

DePaul University commanded an early lead over UC-Riverside Friday night, helping to secure a win in the school's season opener to its 90th basketball season.

The Blue Demons (1-0) turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 24-point one, thanks to back-to-back steals by Cleveland Melvin, according to a Chicago Tribune story. The final score was 91-59.

The Chicago Tribune reports: 

The Highlanders (0-1) never got closer than 18 while the Blue Demons' lead topped 30 points with a late three-pointer from Stuart Pirri as reserves closed out the game.

Josh Fox scored 17 points while Austin Quick added 15 for UC-Riverside. Robert Smith, the Highlanders' top returning scorer, had nine points and sat out part of the second half with a leg injury.

DePaul's Brandon Young accounted for 20 of the team's accrued points Friday, the report says.

The newest addition to the team is Los Angeles, CA, transfer student Greg Sequele, who committed to the Blue Demons Thursday night, according to Brian Snow of Scout.com. He selected DePaul over USC and Kansas State, says the DePaul Blue Demons Bleacher Report.

"The 6-foot 8-inch power forward was originally part of Washington State's 2011 class but was later forced to go to junior college after not meeting NCAA requirements," the report says.

But Sequele's transfer is not immediate. He will play this season out at Citrus Community College in California before making his way to Illinois. In his most recent season at College of Southern Idaho, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, the Bleacher report says.

The Blue Devils face off next against Gardner-Webb Thursday at the Allstate Arena. The game is part of the Cancun Challenge.

For details about Friday night's win, read the full Chicago Tribune story.