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DePaul tops USF in OT, forces deciding Game 3 of CBI final

The Bulls rally from a 15-point second-half deficit before falling.
 
USF's LaQuincy Rideau, left, drives toward the basket during a game against UConn earlier this season in Storrs, Conn. Rideau had a career-best 35 points in Wednesday's loss at DePaul [AP Photo/Steven Senne]
USF's LaQuincy Rideau, left, drives toward the basket during a game against UConn earlier this season in Storrs, Conn. Rideau had a career-best 35 points in Wednesday's loss at DePaul [AP Photo/Steven Senne]
Published April 4, 2019|Updated April 4, 2019

USF, among only 10 men's teams still playing at this point, had its improbable season extended yet again Wednesday.

This time, against its will.

Despite point guard Laquincy Rideau’s long-range clinic, the Bulls fell to DePaul, 100-96, in overtime in Game 2 of the best-of-three College Basketball Invitational (CBI) finals at McGrath-Phillips Arena on the Blue Demons campus.

Game 3 is at 7 Friday in Chicago and will be broadcast on ESPNU. A victory gives USF (23-14) its second postseason championship, and its first since winning the 1990 Sun Belt Conference tournament.

Rideau had 31 of his career-best 35 points after halftime. For the game, he finished 7-for-8 from 3-point range and almost single-handedly crafted the Bulls’ comeback from a 15-point second-half deficit.

“He carried us," coach Brian Gregory said on USF’s radio broadcast.

“I thought he should’ve shot the ball more in the second half. He passed up some shots at that stage that we needed because he was the only one making those shots for us. He was a warrior out there for us tonight.”

Rideau scored 13 in a row at one point during the rally. Sophomore David Collins, held without a field goal in the first half, capped it with a layup with 3:53 to play, tying the score at 77.

His transition dunk 48 seconds later gave the Bulls their first lead since the early stage of the first half.

From there, they missed five consecutive field goals before redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna’s 3-pointer with 28 seconds to play, tying the score at 82. DePaul (19-16) couldn’t get a shot off on its final possession, resulting in overtime.

A 6-0 Blue Demons spurt in the extra session gave the hosts just enough breathing room.

Yetna had his 15th double double of the season (26 points, 13 rebounds). Collins, who hit the winner against DePaul in Game 1 Monday night, finished with 12.

Max Strus scored 20 of his 32 points in the first half for the Blue Demons, and Paul Reed finished with a career-high 28 points and added 16 rebounds and three blocks.

DePaul is undefeated (4-0) when scoring at least 100 points this season.

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls. Information from Times news services contributed to this report.