Creighton University
Illinois State
Men's Basketball Falls in Valley Semis, Snaps 11-Game Win Streak
3/7/2009 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Illinois State snapped Creighton's 11-game winning streak on Saturday with a 73-49 win in the semifinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The red-hot Redbirds never trailed while draining 13-of-19 three-point attempts, tying a Valley Tournament record for three-point accuracy at 68.4 percent.
The win advances the Redbirds (24-8) to Sunday's championship game, where it will meet Northern Iowa in a 1 pm contest that will be televised nationally by CBS. Creighton is now 26-7 and will await its fate from the NCAA Tournament selection committee next Sunday.
Illinois State nailed three baskets from three-point range to take an early 14-3 lead. The Jays would get within 14-9 before ISU unleashed a 13-0 run. The surge included two three-pointers by Osiris Eldridge and one by Emmanuel Holloway, a slam by Dinma Odiakosa and an Eldridge finger roll in transition. After a CU score ended the blitz, Brandon Sampay would convert a three-point play as ISU's lead reached 30-11. Illinois State made six of its first nine three-point attempts in the opening 12 minutes.
ISU's lead reached as large as 21 (32-11) in the first half before the 'Birds settled on a 35-18 halftime cushion. Creighton's 18 points and 21.9 percent shooting in the first half were both season-lows for a half and left the Jays with its largest halftime deficit of the season. Eldridge led ISU with 11 points in the first half and was one of four Redbirds with five or more points. CU's top scorer in the first half, by comparison, was Kenny Lawson Jr., who had four points.
A three-pointer by Booker Woodfox early in the second half got the Bluejay fans on their feet and drew CU within 44-27, only to see ISU's Eldridge bury a trey of his own from the corner to return the lead to 20 points. The Jays got no closer than 15 points in the second half.
Creighton was paced by Woodfox, who scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime. But less than 24 hours after his game-winning shot eliminated Wichita State, Woodfox was held to 4-of-14 shooting for the game, including 2-of-8 from downtown. Justin Carter pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds -- most by a Bluejay all season -- and collected a team-best three steals. CU shot just 27.4 for the game (17-62), including 18.2 percent from three-point range (4-22) and 57.9 percent at the line (11-19). Creighton outrebounded ISU 39-35, but could only convert its 20 offensive rebounds into seven second-chance points.
Eldridge, who had been mired in a 7-of-39 stretch from three-point range over the previous nine games, sank four of his first five attempts from downtown while also cracking the 20-point barrier for the first time since a Jan. 3 win over Creighton. Oguchi sank 6-of-8 shots from three-point range to finish with 18 points. Also in double-figures was Holloway, who scored 10 points and added a career-high three blocked shots.
With the win, Illinois State will advance to Saturday's championship game against Northern Iowa. The Panthers defeated Bradley by a score of 76-62 in Saturday's first semifinal.
NOTES: Creighton's 18 first half points were its fewest in a half since scoring 18 points in a 50-48 win at Nebraska on Dec. 11, 2004 ...Creighton had been 2-1 when trailing by 10 or more points at halftime this year ...Booker Woodfox's three-pointer with 15:36 to play was his 29th game in a row with a trey, breaking Kyle Korver's school-record ...Creighton had won its last 13 games as the second seed and dropped to 21-5 at the MVC Tournament since 1999 ..Creighton's point total and field goal percentage were both season-lows.
