CHICAGO (AP) N.J. Benson's 16 points helped DePaul Blue Demons defeat Chicago State Cougars 92-62 on Monday in a season-opening contest for both teams.

Benson also had 10 rebounds for the Blue Demons. Layden Blocker scored 16 points, going 5 of 10 from the floor, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 from the line. Theo Pierre-Justin finished 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 12 points.

Marcus Tankersley led the Cougars in scoring, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Chicago State also got 16 points from Stephen Byard. Doyel Cockrill III also had 10 points.

DePaul took the lead for good with 19:40 remaining in the first half. The score was 46-21 at halftime, with Pierre-Justin racking up 10 points. DePaul outscored Chicago State in the second half by five points, with Benson scoring a team-high 11 points after halftime.

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