Creighton University
Arkansas-Little Rock
Quick Starts To Each Half Lead MBB Past UALR, 80-65
11/22/2009 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton started the game with a 14-4 run and opened the second half with a 17-2 flurry, never trailing in an 80-65 win over UALR on Sunday afternoon before 16,183 fans at Qwest Center Omaha.
Creighton won its second straight and is 2-1 on the season, while UALR dropped to 1-3 this year.
Creighton never trailed in the first half, scoring the first six points of the game and going ahead 14-4 in the first six minutes. Creighton's lead would grow as large as 33-15 with 4:40 to go in the first half before UALR mounted a 15-2 surge to close the first half down just 35-30. During that span, the Jays were just 1-for-6 with three turnovers on the offensive end while allowing UALR to score in seven of its final eight trips.
The Bluejays took advantage of a pair of UALR technical fouls to put together a 10-0 burst early in the second half in a 46-second span. Ahead 38-32 with 17:57 to play, UALR's Wayne Burton was issued a technical foul while awaiting a Bluejay inbounds pass. P'Allen Stinnett would drain both shots at the line. On CU's ensuing inbounds, Stinnett would be fouled while shooting. He would make his first attempt, but the Jays grabbed the offensive board when he missed the second and fed Kaleb Korver, who nailed a three-pointer. Korver would then get a steal in the backcourt and find Antoine Young, who rattled in a trey for his first points of the season to give CU a 47-32 lead.
After Solomon Bozeman threw away a no-look pass and UALR was called for another foul, UALR head coach Steve Shields would be whistled for a technical foul for arguing outside the coaching box. Stinnett would sink another free throw, pushing CU's lead to 48-32 at the 17:11 mark. The flurry was the nucleus to Creighton's 17-2 run to start the second half, which quickly returned CU's lead to a 20-point margin.
The Trojans had one more run left in them, closing within 65-52 with 4:38 left, but the Jays scored on seven of its final eight possessions to block any further rally.
Creighton had five players in double-figures, led by 13 points and five assists from Stinnett. Kenny Lawson Jr., narrowly missed his first career double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds to go with a pair of blocked shots. Also in double-figures were Korver with 12 points and Young and Cavel Witter with 10 each. Creighton made 11 three-pointers and won the rebound battle, 37-32.
UALR got 16 points each from Bozeman and Matt Mouzy. The Trojans committed 18 turnovers and shot 40.4 percent for the game.
Creighton returns to action on Thursday at 11:05 am Central when it plays nationally-ranked Michigan in the opening game of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. The game can be heard on Big Sports 590 AM and will be televised by ESPN2.
NOTES: Justin Carter, who remains sidelined with a partially torn MCL in his left knee, cut his hair for the first time in five years last night. Instead of the dreadlocks that extended to the middle of his back, his hair is now closely cropped ..Creighton has made four or more three-pointers in 71 straight games ...Creighton has won 14 straight games played on Sunday's ...This was the 21st time in 102 games at Qwest Center Omaha that Creighton did not trail ...Four players saw their first action of the season for CU, as Chad Millard, Casey Harriman, Matt Dorwart and Derek Sebastian all saw time.
