Kelly Leads DePaul By Mississippi Valley St. 80-70
CHICAGO (AP) — Jeremiah Kelly hit six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points to lead DePaul to an 80-70 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Monday.
Kelly hit five 3-pointers during a 3:30 span in the first half, part of a 25-12 run that opened a 46-34 halftime lead for the host Blue Demons (2-0).
DePaul, playing a rare on-campus game at McGrath-Phillips Arena, also got 19 points from Brandon Young, 16 from Cleveland Melvin and 10 from Charles McKinney.
The Delta Devils (0-2) were led by 13 points from Paul Crosby and 12 points apiece from Amos Studivant and Cor-J Cox.
Kelly's six 3-pointers were two shy of the school record set by Draelon Burns in 2008.
McKinney had two early 3-pointers, the second giving DePaul its first lead at 9-7 less than five minutes into the game. He added a fast-break layup a minute later for a short-lived 14-7 Blue Demon lead.
The Delta Devils replied with 10 unanswered points for a 17-14 lead. Most came on fast breaks, including a 360-degree twirl under the basket by Kevin Burwell before putting the ball in.
The lead changed hands three more times, the last of the half coming on a Kelly 3-pointer for a 24-22 DePaul edge. Kelly then got hot as the Blue Demons opened a 36-27 lead with 3:10 left in the half.
Kelly got his sixth 3-pointer just 1:04 into the second half.
Mississippi Valley State cut the lead to 67-57 with 5:06 to play following a Brent Arrington 3-pointer and a Crosby bank shot. But the Delta Devils got no closer.
DePaul shot 29 of 56 from the field (52 percent) and 12 of 28 on 3-pointers (42 percent). Mississippi Valley State was 24 of 60 from the field (40 percent).
The Blue Demons opened their season Friday with a 91-71 victory over Texas-Pan American, while the Delta Devils dropped an 80-67 decision Saturday at Notre Dame.
DePaul's next game is Nov. 24 against Minnesota at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. Mississippi Valley State travels to No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.