Creighton University
Bradley
Men's Basketball Battles Back To Topple Braves 74-70 in MVC Tourney Quarterfinals
3/7/2008 7:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Fresh off a 42-point game in which he scored Creighton's final 10 points to lead the Jays to a win over Bradley last Saturday, Cavel Witter did it again. The sophomore guard had 15 points, including Creighton's final six, to lead the defending tournament champs to a 74-70 win over the Braves on Friday afternoon in quarterfinal round action of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Creighton fell behind 7-0 in the opening minutes before unleashing a fury of three-pointers. The Jays drained seven triples in a seven-minute span to open up a 28-14 lead that eventually reached as large as 36-18 in the first half. Creighton took a 40-27 halftime lead into the break, keyed by 11 points off the bench from Valley Sixth Man of the Year Booker Woodfox.
Bradley slowly chipped away at Creighton's lead. The Braves held CU without a field goal for a five-minute span down the stretch to retake a 69-68 lead with 2:36 to go. Once again, Witter was up to the challenge.
His lay-up gave the Jays a 70-69 lead with 2:27 to play, and he followed with an 18-foot jumper from the top of the key to push the lead to three.
Creighton got a defensive stop, then an offensive board that allowed them to milk the game clock down to 25 seconds left. Bradley's Daniel Ruffin was fouled in a drive to the lane, but the 86 percent free-throw shooter missed the first before making the second to draw BU within two with 5.1 to play. Witter then recieved the inbounds pass and was fouled a second later. He hit both free throws to ice the four-point win, Creighton's second narrow win over BU in six days.
Witter scored 15 points and had eight assists to lead four Bluejays in double-figures, while Woodfox piled up 14 points. P'Allen Stinnett and Dane Watts both scored for the Jays, who won their event record 36th overall game at the league tournament. CU shot 42.6 percent and after making 7-of-15 treys in the opening half hit just 1-of-11 after the break. CU owned a 39-38 edge on the glass and outscored the BU bench 39-10.
Bradley was paced by 21 points from Theron Wilson. Jeremy Crouch haad 15 points while Matt Salley had 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. The Braves shot 44.6 percent from the field but made just 5-of-24 treys after making 14-of-28 in the previous meeting.
Creighton advances to the MVC Tournament semifinals, where it will take on top-seed and #20 Drake (26-4). TIp-off is scheduled for 1:30 pm, and the game will be televised on FSN Midwest. The game can also be heard on KXSP (Big Sports 590 AM).
