Max Stus, DePaul

CHICAGO - DePaul coach Dave Leitao knows Longwood University well, having coached against the Lancers four times during his tenure at Virginia. But on Monday night at McGrath-Phillips Arena, the Lancers perhaps wished he didn't know them that well.

DePaul got a game-high 38 points from Max Strus and a career-high 23 points from Paul Reed to advance to the Roman CBI tournament semifinals by beating Longwood 97-89 in the first meeting between the two teams.

"It really is about winning right now, by any means necessary," Leitao said.

Strus helped move that philosophy further forward in March, with his 38 points the second highest scored in a game in CBI tournament history. DePaul's 97 points is the second-highest given up by the Lancers this season and it is No. 6 all-time in CBI history.

"Max had a tremendous amount to do with [tonight's result], with his ability to lead and to make big, big shots in big, big moments, and to make big plays," Leitao said.

Strus scored the first six points of the second half to give DePaul its biggest lead up to that point at 54-36. Longwood went on a 11-0 run to close to 56-52. Five straight points from Strus pushed DePaul's lead to 69-57.

"I love playing here; it's a shooter's gym," Strus said.

Strus's 15 made field goals is No. 1 all-time in CBI history. He shot 5-11 from behind the arc to go along with six assists and two assists.

Reed scored six of DePaul's first 12 points as DePaul led 12-11. DePaul launched a 9-0 run on the strength of Strus's 3-pointer as he had 10 points at the 13:11 mark. Reed had a game-high 12 rebounds.

"I don't know that I called [Reed's number} for one play today," Leitao said. "He has the knack to be at the right place at the right time and put the ball in the basket."

Over the last five CBI tournaments, 52 games have been decided by 10 points or less, including five of the eight first round games this season. And for a little while, it appeared that might the case tonight as Longwood tied the game at 82 on a free throw by Damarion Geter with 3:50 left in the game.

But DePaul's bench then showed its face and its force as Lyrik Schreiner drove the lane and converted a 3-point play with 2:02 to play to give the Blue Demons an 89-85 lead.

"[Schreiner] is a guy who late in the game has not had the opportunity to play extended minutes, and he is playing solid defense and offensively moving the ball around and getting the ball to Eli and to Max," Leitao said. "And when the floor was spread he saw that opening to the lane, he went with force, which is what you have to do. This time of the year it has to be somebody like that to make contributions in order for the team to win."

The Blue Demons had problems holding leads in games earlier this season, but they shot 5-6 from the line in the last 27 seconds to secure the win.

"It was time to buckle down," Strus said. "We knew what was at stake- you lose, you go home. We took it upon ourselves with what we were doing on defense."

Home teams are now 8-1 in this year's CBI tournament. And since 2008, 27 teams that participated in the CBI went on to play in the NCAA tournament the following season, and another 19 played in the NIT the following season.

The Lancer's leading scorer, Shabooty Phillips, finished with a team-high 18 points, but he did not score his first points until 5:41 of the first half. On Longwood's play before Phillips' first points, Reed stripped Phillips at mid-court, streamed down the floor on the break, and converted a 3-point play after dunking and getting fouled by Phillips.

Longwood (16-18) is now 0-11 versus current Big East teams.

DePaul moves into third all-time in school history in points scored for a season, and its eight 3-pointers moves it up to fourth all-time.

Femi Olujobi scored his 1,000 career collegiate point in the first half and his eight boards gives him 500 collegiate rebounds. Strus became the 7th player in DePaul history to score at least 600 points in a season.

DePaul plays Coastal Carolina in the semifinals at McGrath-Phillips Arena this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Loyola Marymount plays at South Florida in the other semifinal game.

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