DePaul senior Jenni Dant is an emotional player. She had plenty of opportunity to emote Sunday.
The 17th-ranked Blue Demons (17-3, 6-1 Conference USA) beat South Florida 74-66 and tied a 26-year-old school record of 20 straight home victories.
“I get excited about playing here,” Dant said after scoring 23 points. “The fans are so close I can hear my mom. I play among exciting players.”
Khara Smith, a 6-foot-2-inch All-America candidate, scored 24 points and had 17 rebounds against a double-teaming defense. She also had four assists on passes of 50 feet or more.
“I knew I’d have a lot of defenders around me, so I tried to box out and get inside position for offensive rebounds,” she said. “I used my body. It’s a weapon of mine.”
South Florida is 14-8, 4-4.