DePaul women's basketball team secures spot in NCAA tournament

CHICAGO - The Blue Demons are back!

In an unexpected bid, DePaul’s women's basketball team has secured its spot in the NCAA tournament.

Excitement is building at DePaul, as the Blue Demons get set to take on Dayton Wednesday night.

The women's basketball team wasn't expected to make this year's tournament, but will compete as a number 11 seed.

The Blue Demons previously appeared in 17 consecutive NCAA tournaments and were set to make their 18th straight appearance in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled that tournament.

Then, there was disappointment last year when they snapped their streak.

But now, the ladies are back. The women learned the good news Sunday night.

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Both the team, and their coach, are ecstatic for the challenge.

"I try to teach my players, you never cry unless somebody dies, and I couldn’t help myself from crying for these young women yesterday because it almost seemed like the first one," said head coach Doug Bruno.

"It means a lot. This is something I’ve always dreamed of, especially being from Chicago. Just being able to put on the DePaul jersey and go play in the NCAA, that’s something I’ve been waiting for," said player Darrione Rogers.

The winner of Wednesday night's play-in game will advance to face off against number 6 seed Georgia on Friday.