Saturday, March 7
CenturyLink Center Omaha
1:01 PM
Creighton University
13-18, 4-14BE
73
vs
74
Xavier
19-12, 9-9BE
1
2
F
Xavier
30
44
74
Creighton
31
42
73
Men's Basketball Falls In Home Finale, 74-73, To Xavier
3/7/2015 10:02:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Matt Stainbrook had a career-high 26 points to lead Xavier to a 74-73 win at Creighton on Saturday for the Bluejays fourth one-point loss of the season.
Creighton (13-18, 4-14 BIG EAST) had a shot to win it in the final seconds, but Austin Chatman's three-pointer hit the rim and bounced off. Chatman led CU with 18 points and five assists and was one of seven seniors honored after the game.
Creighton will be the 10th seed at next week's BIG EAST Tournament, where it will meet seventh-seeded DePaul at 8:30 pm Central on Wednesday. Creighton's road to the BIG EAST Tournament title game last year also started with a contest against the Blue Demons, which CU won 84-62. Xavier (19-12, 9-9 BIG EAST) finished as the sixth seed and will open with Butler.
As has been the case for much of the last two months, Creighton played hard, only to fall painstakingly close in the final seconds.
The Bluejays fell behind 8-2 early, but would rally late in the period to take a 31-30 lead at the intermission. The momentum carried into the second half, as CU scored the first five points to take its largest lead all day at 36-30. The teams would continue to trade leads throughout the second half, as XU took its largest lead at 66-60 with 3:08 to go, before one final CU rally.
Chatman drained a three-pointer to halve the deficit before a Trevon Bluiett free throw pushed the Musketeer lead back to four. James Milliken would then steal the ball from Myles Davis and go coast-to-coast for his first dunk as a Bluejay with 1:43 left. Xavier would score three of the next four points to go up 71-66 with 47.5 seconds left. Milliken would drain a three-pointer, and after Davis split two free throws with 37.6 left, two Avery Dingman foul shots brought CU within one with 25.0 seconds to go.
Dingman then forced a held ball against Davis, which gave CU the ball while down one with 20.4 to play. The Jays struggled to inbound the ball before it was intercepted by Remy Abell just past half-court. But as Abell gained possession of the ball, he would turn and throw it to a teammate for a backcourt violation, giving CU the ball. The Jays would find an open Toby Hegner at the top of the key. His three-pointer missed, but senior Devin Brooks was there for the go-ahead tip-in with 7.9 left. Xavier pushed the ball upcourt, where Dee Davis was fouled while in a trap near half-court with 6.3 left. He calmly sank both to give XU the lead.
Creighton had to go the length of the floor in the final 6.3 seconds. Devin Brooks was trapped just past half court and fed Hegner near the top of the key. Hegner dished to his right and Chatman on the right wing, but the senior's shot as time expired hit the left side of the rim and bounced off.
Playing his final regular-season home game, Chatman led CU with 18 points and five assists, making 5-of-9 shots. Milliken recorded 17 points, while Groselle had 11 points in 16 minutes before fouling out. Creighton shot 23-for-46 for the game, including 7-of-17 from downtown and 20-of-32 at the line.
Stainbrook was the only Musketeer to finish in double-figures, and led XU with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-for-14 shooting He had 18 points after halftime. Dee Davis led Xavier with five assists for an offense that shot 52.2 percent overall and 5-of-15 from three-point range. The Musketeers also won the battle of the boards, 34-23.
NOTES: Creighton fell to 18-2 in its last 20 Senior Day's with its first Senior Day setback since 2002. That team won the MVC Tournament and a game in the NCAA Tournament ... Creighton started five seniors for the third time this season ... Xavier extended its nation-leading streak to 33 straight seasons of a .500 or better league record ... After 26 straight wins when scoring 70 points or more, Creighton has now lost two straight when scoring more than 70 ... Creighton had won 10 or more home games in 18 straight seasons, but is currently 9-8 at home with no more contests scheduled ... Creighton fell to 0-4 in games decided by one point this year, tied with Florida and Fairfield for the most one-point losses nationally ... Creighton has lost four games by a single point for the first time since 1979-80 ... Creighton has now lost seven different BIG EAST games in which it was tied or led in the final minute this season.
Creighton (13-18, 4-14 BIG EAST) had a shot to win it in the final seconds, but Austin Chatman's three-pointer hit the rim and bounced off. Chatman led CU with 18 points and five assists and was one of seven seniors honored after the game.
Creighton will be the 10th seed at next week's BIG EAST Tournament, where it will meet seventh-seeded DePaul at 8:30 pm Central on Wednesday. Creighton's road to the BIG EAST Tournament title game last year also started with a contest against the Blue Demons, which CU won 84-62. Xavier (19-12, 9-9 BIG EAST) finished as the sixth seed and will open with Butler.
As has been the case for much of the last two months, Creighton played hard, only to fall painstakingly close in the final seconds.
The Bluejays fell behind 8-2 early, but would rally late in the period to take a 31-30 lead at the intermission. The momentum carried into the second half, as CU scored the first five points to take its largest lead all day at 36-30. The teams would continue to trade leads throughout the second half, as XU took its largest lead at 66-60 with 3:08 to go, before one final CU rally.
Chatman drained a three-pointer to halve the deficit before a Trevon Bluiett free throw pushed the Musketeer lead back to four. James Milliken would then steal the ball from Myles Davis and go coast-to-coast for his first dunk as a Bluejay with 1:43 left. Xavier would score three of the next four points to go up 71-66 with 47.5 seconds left. Milliken would drain a three-pointer, and after Davis split two free throws with 37.6 left, two Avery Dingman foul shots brought CU within one with 25.0 seconds to go.
Dingman then forced a held ball against Davis, which gave CU the ball while down one with 20.4 to play. The Jays struggled to inbound the ball before it was intercepted by Remy Abell just past half-court. But as Abell gained possession of the ball, he would turn and throw it to a teammate for a backcourt violation, giving CU the ball. The Jays would find an open Toby Hegner at the top of the key. His three-pointer missed, but senior Devin Brooks was there for the go-ahead tip-in with 7.9 left. Xavier pushed the ball upcourt, where Dee Davis was fouled while in a trap near half-court with 6.3 left. He calmly sank both to give XU the lead.
Creighton had to go the length of the floor in the final 6.3 seconds. Devin Brooks was trapped just past half court and fed Hegner near the top of the key. Hegner dished to his right and Chatman on the right wing, but the senior's shot as time expired hit the left side of the rim and bounced off.
Playing his final regular-season home game, Chatman led CU with 18 points and five assists, making 5-of-9 shots. Milliken recorded 17 points, while Groselle had 11 points in 16 minutes before fouling out. Creighton shot 23-for-46 for the game, including 7-of-17 from downtown and 20-of-32 at the line.
Stainbrook was the only Musketeer to finish in double-figures, and led XU with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-for-14 shooting He had 18 points after halftime. Dee Davis led Xavier with five assists for an offense that shot 52.2 percent overall and 5-of-15 from three-point range. The Musketeers also won the battle of the boards, 34-23.
NOTES: Creighton fell to 18-2 in its last 20 Senior Day's with its first Senior Day setback since 2002. That team won the MVC Tournament and a game in the NCAA Tournament ... Creighton started five seniors for the third time this season ... Xavier extended its nation-leading streak to 33 straight seasons of a .500 or better league record ... After 26 straight wins when scoring 70 points or more, Creighton has now lost two straight when scoring more than 70 ... Creighton had won 10 or more home games in 18 straight seasons, but is currently 9-8 at home with no more contests scheduled ... Creighton fell to 0-4 in games decided by one point this year, tied with Florida and Fairfield for the most one-point losses nationally ... Creighton has lost four games by a single point for the first time since 1979-80 ... Creighton has now lost seven different BIG EAST games in which it was tied or led in the final minute this season.
Team Stats
XU
CU
FG%
.522
.500
3FG%
.333
.412
FT%
.750
.625
RB
34
22
TO
15
11
STL
2
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball Availability - 9/24/25
Wednesday, September 24
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
