espnW Women's Basketball

CHICAGO -- Keisha Hampton scored 21 points, while Anna Martin and Jasmine Penny added 13 apiece to lead DePaul (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) to its fifth straight win, 69-52 over St. John's on Wednesday.

The Red Storm (5-4, 0-1 Big East) crept to within six points at 50-44 with 9:16 to play but never got closer as Hampton scored seven points in a 19-8 Blue Demons surge.

DePaul (7-1, 1-0) committed a season-high 20 turnovers and was outrebounded 43-40, but St. John's couldn't take advantage, shooting just 18 for 67 (26.9 percent) from the field.

Eugeneia McPherson led the Red Storm with 18 points, Nadirah McKenith had 13 and Amber Thompson added 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Katherine Harry had four points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Demons.

The Blue Demons built a 35-24 halftime lead thanks to an 11-2 run in the final 3:53 of the opening half. St. John's couldn't take advantage of 10 DePaul turnovers, shooting just 7 for 34 (20.6 percent). The Red Storm was 10 for 13 from the free throw line.

DePaul shot 27 for 55 from the field (49.1 percent), and outscored St. John's 36-26 in the paint and 10-2 off fast breaks.

St. John's plays top-ranked Baylor on Sunday at Madison Square Garden as part of the Maggie Dixon Classic. DePaul hosts Southern Illinois-Edwardsvillle on Friday then meets Tennessee (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) on Sunday, also in the Maggie Dixon Classic.