MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Creighton mens basketball team picked up its third top-20 road win of February with a 73-65 victory at No. 19 Marquette on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Creighton improved to 21-6 on the season with its fourth straight win. The Bluejays are also 10-4 in BIG EAST play, which is one-half game behind league-leading Seton Hall. The Pirates play Wednesday. Marquette lost for just the second time all season at home, dropping to 17-8 (7-6 BIG EAST).
Creighton built a 27-17 lead in the first half, using a 8-0 run that featured scores from Christian Bishop, Damien Jefferson, Marcus Zegarowski and Denzel Mahoney.A deep three-pointer with seven seconds left in the first half by Mitch Ballock gave Creighton a 32-22 lead at the break.
Zegarowski led CU with eight points before half, while Ballock dished a team-best four assists. Creighton owned a 21-17 lead on the glass and had just four turnovers. Marquette shot just 32.1 percent in the opening half and were 2-of-17 from three-point territory. The nations leading scorer, Markus Howard, without a point on 0-for-3 shooting before the intermission.
The Golden Eagles wasted no time tying the game at 38, opening the second half on a 16-6 run in the first five minutes after both Bishop and Ty-Shon Alexander were shaken up on separate plays. Creighton answered immediately with an 8-0 run of its own that featured a lay-up by Zegarowski and three-balls by Ballock and Alexander to make it 46-38 with 12:38 to play. The lead grew to 13 at 56-43 with 6:55 remaining on a floater by Zegarowski, followed by a three-point play.
Marquette would draw within five points at 65-60 with 1:49 left, but Zegarowski found Jefferson inside for a score as CU ent up seven with 1:24 left. Alexander capped his big night with a dagger with 43 seconds left that put CU up 69-60.
MU was within six (71-65) with 26.3 left after CU missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Howard turned it over and Mahoney notched the steal. Mahoney then iced the victory with two free throws.
Alexander led all players with 22 points, adding five rebounds and four assists. Also in double-figures were Zegarowski (17) and Jefferson (11), the latter of whom added eight rebounds. Mitch Ballock contributed eight points and seven assists.. CU shot 8-of-23 from three-point range on the evening.
Howard had 13 pionts on 4-of-14 shooting, nearly half his season average. Sacar Anim topped MU with 18 points, making 8-of-18 shots. The Golden Eagles were 8-of-33 from three-point range.
Creighton returns to action on Sunday at 3 p.m. when it hosts No. 21 Butler in a game that will be televised nationally by FS1.
