Sunday, March 9th, 12:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Petersen Events Center (12,500) -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Television: ESPN-R. Home Record: DePaul 7-8, Pittsburgh 15-2. Away Record: DePaul 3-8, Pittsburgh 5-7. Neutral Record: DePaul 1-2, Pittsburgh 1-0. Conference Record: DePaul 6-11, Pittsburgh 9-8. Series Record: Pittsburgh leads, 2-1.

GAME NOTES: The DePaul Blue Demons will try to secure their spot in the Big East Tournament today, as they do battle with the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Petersen Events Center. The Demons defeated Cincinnati, 60-54, on Thursday to snap a five-game losing skid and keep their Big East Tournament hopes alive. On Saturday, Providence lost to Villanova and because of that DePaul can claim the last spot in the league tourney with a win today. As for Pittsburgh, it is already assured a spot in the upcoming league tourney courtesy of a 9-8 ledger in conference play. The Panthers though, are coming off a 76-62 setback at West Virginia on Monday that snapped their short two-game win streak. Now at 21-9 overall, Pittsburgh returns back home, where it has gone a solid 15-2. The Panthers hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series with DePaul and they have won the last two meetings.

The Demons drained 13-of-26 attempts from beyond the arc and that propelled them to a 60-54 win over Cincinnati earlier in the week. The team shot a decent 40.8 percent from the field, in addition to forcing Cincinnati into 15 turnovers. Draelon Burns made 5-of-8 three-pointers and he finished with 24 points in the win, while Dar Tucker had 15 points and five rebounds. For the season, Burns tops the roster in scoring at 17.6 ppg and his 49 steals also represent a team-high. Tucker is next in line with 13.3 ppg and he collects 4.7 rpg, while Mac Koshwal turns in 10.7 ppg and a team-high 8.4 rpg. Overall, the Demons are netting 72.3 ppg and hitting on 43.3 percent of their chances from the floor this season.

The Panthers lost the battle on the boards, 35-30, and they allowed West Virginia to shoot 49.1 percent from the floor in a setback on Monday. Pittsburgh hit in 43.8 percent of his total shots, but went just 16-of-28 at the foul line and committing 16 turnovers. Levance Fields guided the team in defeat with 15 points and four assists, while Sam Young and DeJuan Blair contributed 13 and 10 points, respectively. For the season, Young paces Pittsburgh in scoring with 18.0 ppg and he is also snaring 6.4 rpg. Blair checks in with 12.0 ppg and he is one of the top rebounders in the conference with 9.3 rpg to his credit. Fields chips in 11.1 ppg and that is to go with his team-best 5.2 apg average. As a team, the Panthers are tallying 73.6 ppg and outrebounding their foes by 4.7 rpg.

Pittsburgh in the more physical team here and it should be able to dominate the low post for the victory today.

Predicted Outcome

Pittsburgh 73, DePaul 63