Creighton University
DePaul
Men's Basketball Tops DePaul 83-75, Wins Las Vegas Classic
12/23/2008 7:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Booker Woodfox scored 26 points and earned MVP honors as Creighton defeated DePaul, 83-75, in the championship game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic on Tuesday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
Creighton won its seventh straight game and is now 10-2. DePaul had its three-game win streak snapped and dropped to 7-4.
The Bluejays led for all but 90 seconds, going up by as much as 15 before DePaul closed within two points in the final minutes.
After DePaul guard Jabari Currie hit an off-balance three-pointer to open the scoring, Creighton unleashed a 15-0 run in the next five minutes that included three-pointers by Woodfox, P'Allen Stinnett and Cavel Witter.
Woodfox would counter a few DePaul scores with a circus shot for a three-point play, then a deep trey from far behind the NBA line. CU led 23-9 at the 11:58 mark. DePaul responded with a 13-6 run over next eight minutes, closing within 29-22 at the 3:53 mark.
After DePaul narrowed the gap to 31-24, CU put together a 10-2 run that took just 70 seconds for a 15-point margin, its largest of the night. The flurry was bookended by a three-pointer and dunk from Stinnett and also included a trey from Kaleb Korver and reverse lay-up by Kenton Walker.
Blue Demon swingman Dar Tucker scored seven in a row, capped by a 360-dunk, as DePaul closed within eight at 41-33. Creighton led 43-35 at the half thanks to a 9-2 spurt by DePaul over the final two minutes of the half.
CU would quickly extend its second half lead to 14, opening the second stanza with a 7-1 stretch. Kenny Lawson Jr. had a pair of baskets and Woodfox drained his fourth trey of the night as DePaul called its third timeout of the evening.
DePaul would once again cut into the lead, this time using a 10-2 run to make it 52-46. Tucker opened that stretch with a three-point play, and ended it with a trifecta from the top of the key.
CU would push its lead back to 62-48 after a steal and score from Dotzler, but DePaul reeled off nine in a row to close within 62-57 at the 8:48 mark. Lawson would drain his fifth bucket of the half to halt the scoring spree, but Will Walker would drain on a three on the other end as the Blue Demons closed to within four.
DePaul got within three after a Walker free throw. He would miss the second, but Michael Bizoukas would snare the rebound and dish to an open Mac Koshwal, who slammed it home and get the Demons within three. Creighton answered with a three-pointer on its ensuing possession, a trey from Woodfox that was his fifth of the game.
DePaul cut an eight-point deficit in half on one possession. Koshwal hit a free-throw and grabbed an offensive board on his subsequent miss. Tucker then hit a deep trey. After CU missed a shot, the Blue Demons got within two on Walker's jumper from the corner. Woodfox would miss a three-pointer and Koshwal grabbed his 20th board. Given the chance to take its first lead since 3-0, Walker would miss a three-pointer from the left-wing and Lawson grabbed the board.
Cavel Witter would push CU's lead to three on a pull-up jumper with 58.5 seconds left. DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright called a full timeout with 48.2 seconds left to set up a play. Walker missed another three-pointer and Koshwal's follow would be off the mark. Woodfox would drain two at the stripe with 29.2 left to put CU up six. Tucker missed a three-pointer and it went out of bounds. Witter went to the line with 19.9 left and made two to put CU up 81-73.
Currie scored an uncontested lay-up with 13.5 left but Witter made two more at the line to seal an 83-75 victory.
Woodfox led Creighton in scoring for a sixth straight game, pumping in 26 points in 27 minutes. He hit 7-of-12 shots from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range, and also hit all seven free-throw attempts. Also in double-figures with 14 points was Stinnett, while Lawson scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Creighton shot 28-of-60 for the game (46.7 percent), including 9-of-28 (32.1 percent) from three-point range. CU also hit 18-of-19 free-throws (94.7 percent). The Jays took care of the basketball, making a season-low eight turnovers, while also forcing DePaul into 18 miscues.
A pair of sophomores led DePaul. Tucker had a career-high 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the floor. Koshwal grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds to go with 13 points. Walker had 12 points while Currie scored 10 to round out four Demons in double-digits. DePaul shot 49.1 percent from the field (28-57), 35.3 percent from three-point range (6-17) and just 13-of-24 at the line (54.2 percent). Thanks largely to Koshwal's effort inside, DePaul outrebounded the Jays 42-28, including a 25-10 advantage after intermission.
Creighton returns to action on Sunday night at 7:05 pm when it opens Missouri Valley Conference play with a game against Wichita State at Qwest Center Omaha.
NOTES: Saint Louis defeated Fresno State, 56-52, in the third-place game of the Las Vegas Classic ...Josh Dotzler had four steals to move into sole possession of fifth place on CU's all-time steals list with 161 ...Creighton has now won nine events under Dana Altman, including tonight's Las Vegas Classic, two Guardians Classics and six MVC Tournaments ...Creighton has won seven straight games ...Creighton outscored DePaul 27-8 off turnovers ...Kenny Lawson Jr. joined MVP Booker Woodfox on the All-Tournament Team.
