Zegarowski leads No. 9 Creighton past St. John’s 94-76
NEW YORK (AP) — Clicking on offense all night, No. nine Creighton experienced tiny problems placing its the latest decline in the rearview mirror.
Marcus Zegarowski scored twenty factors, taking pictures six for seven from 3-level variety, and the Bluejays cruised to a ninety four-76 victory above St. John’s on Thursday.
Denzel Mahoney experienced sixteen factors and freshman heart Ryan Kalkbrenner added a period-most effective 15 off the bench to assist Creighton (5-two, 1-1 Significant East) bounce again from a residence defeat in its conference opener Monday night.
”When you appear off a decline like we did versus Marquette, you hope your group will react,” coach Greg McDermott mentioned. ”I felt like we responded in exercise and naturally that planning carried above to the begin of the activity.”
Damien Jefferson experienced 10 factors, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, and Christian Bishop added 11 factors and 10 rebounds – becoming the to start with pair of Creighton players to have a double-double in the identical activity since Martin Krampelj and Ronnie Harrell Jr. versus Nebraska in December 2017.
”I know that on this group I’m not heading to be the guy that scores thirty each individual night, but I can also be the guy who receives defensive stops and receives multiple rebounds and just encourages my teammates the most effective way I can,” Jefferson mentioned. ”I consider to be the most effective teammate I can.”
Julian Champagnie led the Crimson Storm (5-4, -3) with seventeen factors, and freshman Posh Alexander experienced 13. Rasheem Dunn added 10 factors and seven assists.
”I experience like we’re continue to hoping to get to know each and every other, as much as taking part in with each and every other,” Dunn mentioned.
St. John’s experienced whittled an early sixteen-level deficit to two in the second half when the seven-foot Kalkbrenner strung with each other four baskets down very low to spark a 22-4 run that set Creighton firmly in management yet again. Mahoney’s 3 built it seventy four-54 with a tiny additional than six 1/two minutes remaining.
Zegarowski, the Significant East preseason player of the calendar year, was for seven from over and above the arc in the decline to Marquette. But he was right on concentrate on this time, draining consecutive 3s to make it eighty-58 with underneath 5 minutes remaining.
Creighton shot fifty seven% from the area and concluded a sizzling 13 of 23 (also fifty seven%) from lengthy variety.
It was a bit of payback for the Bluejays, who led wire-to-wire at a just about vacant Carnesecca Arena on the St. John’s campus. Creighton was rated No. 10 in the region when it received blown out ninety one-71 by the Crimson Storm in the identical developing previous March.
In point, St. John’s experienced gained 3 of the preceding four meetings – each and every by at the very least 15 factors.
”We are continue to hoping to get the ‘blue collar’ out of our basketball group,” second-calendar year St. John’s coach Mike Anderson mentioned. ”Our fellas previous calendar year, they took satisfaction in their protection.”
Let’s Complete THIS
The previous time these teams have been on the courtroom with each other was March twelve for a Significant East Event quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s led top-seeded Creighton 38-35 at halftime when the rest of the tournament was canceled mainly because of the coronavirus outbreak – nullifying the to start with-half data.
Turned out, Creighton and St. John’s have been the previous two faculties to begin a activity in the 2019-twenty period. By the finish of the working day, the NCAA Event experienced been scrapped.
WELCOME ABOARD
Duke transfer Alex O’Connell scored 6 factors in twelve minutes off the bench in his Creighton debut. He missed an open up layup early in the activity.
”I assumed he was definitely nervous,” McDermott mentioned. ”He’s received a lot to study about our process.”
O’Connell just turned out there to enjoy Wednesday when the NCAA granted all Division I transfers rapid eligibility this period.
Significant Image
Creighton: With balanced scoring from its veteran lineup, the Bluejays easily dealt with the Crimson Storm’s strain protection and rebounded properly from their 89-84 decline to Marquette. Toss in a major bounce-again overall performance from Kalkbrenner, scoreless in 5 ineffective minutes versus the Golden Eagles, and Creighton seemed a lot additional like a top-10 group that was picked second in the league’s preseason poll and misplaced by only just one at No. 5 Kansas previous week.
St. John’s: Following opening 5-1 out of conference, St. John’s has dropped its to start with 3 Significant East video games and is having difficulties on protection. With no lovers permitted in the arena, the Crimson Storm have been outrebounded forty four-26 and handed a lopsided defeat in their to start with league residence activity.
”We have just received to get improved,” Anderson mentioned. ”We have to observe movie and get improved.”
UP Upcoming
Creighton: Stays on the East Coastline to enjoy Sunday at Connecticut (3-) in the Huskies’ to start with Significant East activity since 2013. UConn has been working with COVID-19 issues and has not played since Dec. 3 soon after quite a few video games have been canceled or postponed.
St. John’s: Will host Georgetown on Sunday night, the second meeting in 8 times in between the previous rivals owing to Significant East schedule changes forced by the coronavirus. Following foremost by seven with underneath 3 minutes remaining in regulation at McDonough Arena previous weekend, the Crimson Storm misplaced ninety seven-ninety four in additional time. The rematch will mark the Hoyas’ to start with visit to Carnesecca Arena in Queens since the 1980-eighty one period – the calendar year in advance of Patrick Ewing arrived at Georgetown and Chris Mullin at St. John’s. The courses have played at Madison Square Garden at any time since.
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