It was a slow start for both teams, as neither team scored more than two points, and the score was tied 2-2 at the first media timeout.
Things continued to go slow for both sides, as neither Xavier nor DePaul could get their offense going. The score was tied 5-5 with 11:48 left in the first half.
The scoring finally picked up after, with the score being 17-14 in favor or DePaul with 6:43 remaining in the first half.
It continued to be a tight game, with DePaul maintaining an edge of 21-20 with 3:54 until the end of the first half due to second chance points, in which they were outscoring Xavier 9-0.