GAME NOTES: As the season starts unraveling for the DePaul Blue Demons, they will try to put a stop to a four-game losing streak when they host the Creighton Bluejays Tuesday at Allstate Arena in a Big East showdown.

DePaul had been battling mediocrity all season long, but managed to stay afloat with some crucial wins over big-name opponents. But the Blue Demons have now lost four straight, with a 68-63 defeat at the hands of Georgetown on Saturday serving as the most recent. DePaul is 6-9 against Big East competition this season.

Creighton has struggled heavily this season after garnering a three-seed last year in the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays have lost two of their last three, with a 58-56 defeat last Monday against Butler serving as the team's latest outing. Creighton is a mere 3-11 in league play, and is just 2-8 on the road.

DePaul owns the advantage in the all-time series, 16-10. The two sides collided back on Jan. 7 in Omaha, but it was the visiting Blue Demons that came away with the 70-60 win in enemy territory to extend their series lead.

Creighton gave Butler all it could handle last Monday in Omaha, as the Bluejays took a 29-25 advantage into intermission. The Bulldogs were the ones that came out firing in the second half behind 55.6 percent shooting, also holding Creighton to 41.7 percent shooting in the frame to pull off the road comeback. The Bluejays finished the game shooting 43.8 percent from the floor, and were led by Austin Chatman and Devin Brooks in the scoring department, as each player netted 17 points in defeat. Brooks pulled down five rebounds, and trailed Rick Kreklow (seven rebounds) on the glass. Butler hit 3-of-7 from both 3-point distance and the free-throw line in the contest, but managed to knock down enough jumpers to down the Bluejays.

Chatman has had to take over as the go-to offensive weapon after Creighton lost some of the best scorers in the country during the offseason. Without Doug McDermott leading the charge, the Bluejays have had to rely on Chatman and his 10.6 ppg mark to get the job done. Chatman also leads the team with 103 assists on the season, but his stat line is diminished with a 35.1 percent shooting touch from the floor. Isaiah Zierden has been out for a few weeks now with a partially torn MCL, so his second-leading 9.5 ppg are missed in the team's paltry offensive effort. Brooks and his 5.1 rpg average lead the team on the glass. The Bluejays enter the matchup netting 66.7 ppg on 41.2 percent shooting, and are giving up 66.9 ppg to opponents in the same span.

DePaul and Georgetown battled it out throughout Saturday's contest at the Verizon Center, but it was the Hoyas who came out on top after connecting on 44.6 percent of their shots from the field. The Blue Demons were held to 38.9 percent shooting in the contest, yet held a lead as great as five points midway through the opening half. Forrest Robinson netted 17 points to pace the Blue Demons in the loss, while Jamee Crockett chipped in with 13 points on 5- of-8 shooting. Billy Garrett dished out a team-best seven assists and notched eight points in the losing effort, in which DePaul connected on 9-of-24 from 3-point range.

Garrett took over as the team's leader somewhat prematurely last season as a freshman, and now as a sophomore he's been tasked with the same responsibility. He has stepped up and helped the Blue Demons start to climb out of the Big East basement. He leads DePaul in scoring this season with 13.1 ppg, adding in a team-high 108 assists with an 83.3 percent shooting touch from the free-throw line, where he has attempted 186 shots. Myke Henry is second on the squad when it comes to scoring, netting 12.4 ppg, followed by Crockett's 11.4 ppg and Tommy Hamilton's 10.6 ppg. There generally hasn't been a shortage of offense for the Blue Demons this season, who average 71.2 ppg on 43.9 percent shooting. The problem has been on the defensive end, where DePaul gives up 74.1 ppg to opponents, ranking last in the Big East.

Creighton has managed to pull out of a huge tailspin that materialized in the form of a nine-game losing streak earlier this season, but the Bluejays haven't, and won't, fully recover. DePaul playing at home should get enough of an offensive effort to take down the offensively challenged Bluejays.