ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — Zoey Ward scored 20 points and DePaul used a decisive second-quarter run to pull away from Evansville for a 90-65 women’s NCAA Division I victory on Tuesday at Allstate Arena. DePaul improved to 1-0, while Evansville fell to 0-1. The Blue Demons shot 29 of 65 from the floor and 13 of 35 from three-point range, while the Purple Aces finished 23 of 52 and 7 of 24 from beyond the arc. DePaul also made 19 of 23 free throws, and Evansville made 12 of 14. Attendance was 948.

Evansville opened with the game’s first 10 points and stunned the home crowd. Kaiden Kreinhagen hit a 3-pointer with 8:05 remaining in the first quarter, Kelyn Johnson followed with a 3 off a turnover, Kreinhagen made a layup and Mireia Mustaros added a layup to make it 10-0. DePaul answered with Louis Volker’s baskets inside, but Evansville kept the pressure on. Johnson hit two more 3-pointers in the period, and Jayden Scott’s 3 with 42 seconds left gave the Purple Aces a 23-14 cushion. DePaul closed the quarter with 3-pointers from Ally Timm and Mikaia Litza to trim the deficit to 23-17. Ward made two free throws for DePaul earlier in the quarter, and Marina Artero scored a layup for Evansville.

The Blue Demons took over in the second quarter. After Evansville’s Artero made one free throw, DePaul ripped off a 14-1 run that flipped the game. Ward made two fastbreak free throws, converted a layup and later added another layup, while Timm hit a 3 and Volker made a turnaround jumper. That surge gave DePaul a 31-24 lead. Evansville answered with a Scott jumper and a late 3 from Avery Kelley, but DePaul carried a 37-33 advantage into halftime. Ward’s activity on the offensive glass and in transition keyed the comeback, and the Blue Demons never trailed again. Kate Clarke also hit a 3 and a transition jumper for DePaul in the second quarter, while Doyinsola Modesayor Lijirin and Gina Davorija scored inside.

DePaul extended its lead in the third quarter. Ward opened the half with a 3 off a turnover, Timm hit another 3, and the Blue Demons began to separate. Mustaros and Johnson kept Evansville within striking distance with layups and free throws, but DePaul’s depth wore down the Purple Aces. Modesayor Lijirin scored inside and made free throws, and Davorija beat the buzzer with a 3 to give DePaul a 65-50 lead after three quarters. DePaul outscored Evansville in the paint and turned 20 Evansville turnovers into extra possessions, finishing with 15 offensive rebounds to Evansville’s six. Ward added a driving layup and a turnaround jumper in the third, while Mustaros scored on a floating jumper and a driving layup for Evansville.

The Blue Demons put the game away in the fourth. Litza hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to push the lead to 25 points, and Davorija added a layup and two fastbreak free throws. Evansville got a driving layup from Kelley, two free throws and a floating jumper from Scott, and a late layup from Maria Serrano, but the Purple Aces could not mount a serious threat. DePaul’s 13 3-pointers and 19-for-23 effort at the free-throw line helped offset a solid shooting night from Evansville, which made 12 of 14 free throws. DePaul scored 90 points on 75 possessions for an offensive rating of 120.1, while Evansville scored 65 points on 73 possessions for an offensive rating of 89.5.

Ward led DePaul with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. Davorija, a 5-9 guard from Glenview, Ill., who previously played at Glenbrook South High School, added 13 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 19 minutes. Litza finished with 15 points, two rebounds, six assists and one block in 27 minutes, and Volker posted 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. Modesayor Lijirin chipped in nine points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. For Evansville, Mustaros, a 6-1 forward who previously played at Ins Argentona, scored 15 points with three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. Scott had 13 points, two rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes. Kelley, a 5-6 guard who previously played at Reitz Memorial, added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. Johnson scored 11 points with three rebounds, four assists and one block in 29 minutes, and Artero contributed five points, five rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes.

DePaul finished with seven assists and 14 turnovers, while Evansville had six assists and 20 turnovers. The Blue Demons’ 15 offensive rebounds helped them control second-chance opportunities, and their defensive pressure forced Evansville into a difficult night from the perimeter after a hot start. DePaul also held a 7-6 edge in assists and converted more consistently at the rim in the second half.

DePaul is scheduled to host Fort Wayne next, while Evansville is set to visit Lindenwood. DePaul’s upcoming schedule also includes Stonehill, Northern Illinois, a trip to Notre Dame, Bradley, IU Indy, Loyola Chicago, Northwestern, Bucknell and Villanova. Evansville’s upcoming slate includes Lindenwood, Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, IU Indy, Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri State, Austin Peay, North Alabama, Western Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin.

Before tipoff, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Evansville 68, DePaul 67, while Interstat’s ELO system had DePaul with an 88.5 percent probability to win.