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There was a moment in Milwaukee where the experience began to click for DePaul.
Blue Demons head coach Chris Holtmann thought back to Jan. 31. DePaul had a 16-point lead on Xavier in the second half.
DePaul lost that game. On Sunday, history didn't repeat itself.
"I think it helps, especially for a group that hadn't been in that position before," Holtmann told reporters after the win over Marquette. "In our two years, we really haven't been in that position in league."
Now, they are.
The Blue Demons haven't officially arrived under Holtmann, but a 62-51 win over Marquette on Sunday was a statement.
The Blue Demons are one of the hottest teams in the Big East as the calendar turns to March. The rise is undeniable now.
The backstory:
Brandon Maclin had 18 points in DePaul's win over the Golden Eagles. He scored 15 points in the first half to help put the Demons ahead 32-14 at halftime.
Then, Marquette began chipping away.
It was a three-point game with 2:46 left in Milwaukee. DePaul trusted NJ Benson, who had six points in the final 2:23 of the game to ice a win in Fiserv Forum. The lessons learned from the road collapse at Xavier came full circle.
"I do think that game helped us," Holtmann said.
The win over Marquette means DePaul has won four of its last five, and three Big East road games in a row.
Sitting at 16-13 overall and 8-10 in the Big East Conference, Holtmann's team sits half game out of fifth place. That would earn DePaul a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.
Winning its final two games of the regular season would mark the first time DePaul has won double-digit Big East games since the program joined the conference in the 2005-2006 season.
Former coach Jerry Wainwright has the most Big East wins in DePaul program history with nine back in 2006-2007.
Holtmann is on the cusp of taking DePaul to another level.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 01: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the DePaul Blue Demons calls out instruction during the first half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Fiserv Forum on March 01, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Gett …
Big picture view:
Part of Holtmann's reclamation project in Lincoln Park is patience.
This rebuild was going to take time, but Holtmann has his team winning games they should win now.
Losing heartbreakers and blowing big leads is a part of the process no team wants to endure, but DePaul weathered those storms. They've learned to
"There's an aggressiveness and a discipline you have to have," Holtmann said. "You got to be aggressive, but you also have to be disciplined. Our guys have really bought into that."
Part of that comes with the production he's been getting from his roster.
Maclin also contributed five rebounds to go with his 18 points. N.J. Benson had a double-double, scoring 10 points while shooting 4 of 8 from the field while adding 16 rebounds. Freshman Kruz McClure shot 2 for 5 from beyond the arc and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points.
Layden Blocker, CJ Gunn and Benson are the most productive players. Blocker and Gunn were held to single digits by Marquette's defense.
"If you told me those three guys would be significantly below their averages, I would take that," Marquette coach Shaka Smart told reporters.
The lessons and talent are coming together for DePaul. The Big East is still a gauntlet with St. John's, UConn and Villanova with all over 20 wins.
But DePaul is becoming a program
"What's been really noticeable with this group all season is they just keep coming," Holtmann said. "They don't have much quit in them."