Creighton University
Central Missouri (Ex.)
Men's Hoops Tames Mules In Exhibition Opener, 78-65
11/9/2008 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton men's basketball team never trailed while winning its lone exhibition of the season, 78-65, over Central Missouri on Sunday. A crowd of 15,048 witnessed the Bluejay win.
Kenny Lawson Jr. had 16 points to lead four Jays in double-figures. In addition, Booker Woodfox (15 points), Kenton Walker (14 points) and P'Allen Stinnett (10 points) scored in double-figures. Creighton shot 45.9 percent for the game, hit 3-of-10 shots from three-point range (30 percent) and made 19-of-27 at the line (70.4 percent). CU narrowly won the rebound battle, 39-38, paced by eight boards off the bench from Walker.
Central Missouri was paced by 15 points from De'Andre Byrd. The Mules made just one of their first 21 three-pointers before Josiah Miller's trey in the final seconds. UCM shot 23-of-62 (37.1 percent) from the field and 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the line.
Stinnett opened the scoring with a three-pointer to help CU take an early 8-2 lead. After Central Missouri closed with 13-10, the Jays scored six points in 46 seconds to go ahead 19-10. The Mules scored six of the final seven points of the first half and trailed just 36-26 at intermission.
Central Missouri got no closer than eight in the second half (38-30) and faced its largest deficit with 4:29 to play while trailing 69-52.
Creighton opens the regular-season next Sunday with 2:05 pm game against New Mexico. That game can be heard on KXSP (590 AM) as well as www.bigsports590.com.
NOTES: The crowd of 15,048 was the largest in Creighton's exhibition history, ahead of last year's crowd of 13,543 for a win over EA Sports ...Creighton is 24-3 under Dana Altman in exhibition play, including seven straight wins ...Creighton's women's basketball team beat Central Missouri by a near-identical 78-56 margin on Saturday ...Central Missouri is a Division II school located in Warrensburg, Mo., the hometown of former Bluejay forward Dane Watts ...Central Missouri lost 80-75 on Thursday at Austin Peay, also in exhibition action.
