Creighton University
12-0
Arizona State
6-6
#9 Men's Basketball Tops Arizona State, 96-85, Improves to 12-0
12/20/2016 10:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Foster leads six players in double-figures
Creighton joins UCLA as the nation's second 12-0 team this season. The start matches Creighton's 2003-04 team that also started 12-0. Only Creighton's 1942-43 (16-0) and 1916-17 (13-0) teams have started better in program history. The victory was Creighton's sixth this season against a team from a "Football 5" conference, the most in the country. Five of those wins have come away from home.
Arizona State dropped to 6-6 with the loss.
Arizona State stunned the nation's ninth-ranked team out of the gates, scoring the first nine points before a Khyri Thomas lay-up in transition stopped the bleeding. CU trailed 13-6 before unleashing a 19-9 run that included two three-pointers by Toby Hegner and three trifectas by Isaiah Zierden as CU took the lead.
The Sun Devils would regain the lead at 35-34 on a three-pointer by Tra Holder before the Bluejays closed the half on a 11-5 run. The burst started with a floater by Thomas and jumper by Marcus Foster before Justin Patton converted a left-handed sky hook and three-pointer on consecutive trips. Thomas then threw down a dunk as CU built its largest lead of the half at 45-38.
The Bluejays led, 45-40 at the break, draining 8-of-16 three-point shots in the first 20 minutes. CU owned the lead despite the early deficit and two early fouls by Thomas and Maurice Watson Jr.
Creighton scored on its first five possessions of the second half to build a 56-46 lead thanks to two Watson lay-ups, a Patton dunk and two buckets by Foster.
With Watson on the bench after his third personal, Tyler Clement came in and helped the Bluejays double their lead to 20 at 71-51. The outburst included a three-pointer by Thomas and three hoops from Patton, who dominated stretches of the second half on both ends of the floor.
ASU did have a rally, hustling for several loose balls to create scores in transition and trim the Bluejay lead to 75-65 with 6:42 remaining.
But Creighton would drain six straight shots, including a three-point play by Foster, to hold off the Sun Devil run. Creighton scored its final nine points at the free throw line, as ASU fouled the Bluejays with regularity in the final three minutes, but CU hit 9-of-12 free throws down the stretch to earn the win.
Foster led six Bluejays in double-figures with a season-high 29 points, while Patton had 18 more. The nation's leader in three-point shooting, Creighton shot 14-of-25 from three-point range. Hegner made 4-of-5 shots from long-range to tie a season-high with 12 points, while Zierden sank 4-of-6 from deep to score 12 points. Creighton's bench outscored ASU, 25-4, on the evening. CU shot 53.2 percent for the contest and dished 22 assists on 33 made baskets.
Arizona State was led by 24 points each from Holder and Torian Graham, while Obinna Oleka had 19 points and 16 rebounds. The Sun Devils shot 45.7 percent overall but just 7-of-25 from deep
Creighton will take a few days off for the holiday break before taking the court on Dec. 28 for a 7 pm BIG EAST opener against defending league tournament champion Seton Hall.
NOTES: Justin Patton had three assists in the first half, and finished with four helpers, eclipsing his previous season-high of two ... Patton also blocked three shots to match his season-best ... Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 760 straight games ... Creighton has now won 68 straight games when scoring 42 or more points in the first half ... Creighton has won its first five games away from home for just the third time since World War II. This year's 5-0 start on road/neutral sites includes wins over teams from the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and two wins over the Pac-12 ... Creighton is now shooting 52.1 percent from three-point range away from home while making 12.6 three-pointers in those games ... Greg McDermott improved to 433-267 in his 700th game as a collegiate head coach ... Creighton won for the first time in four road games all-time at Arizona State ... Creighton is one of six remaining unbeaten teams nationally ... Creighton became the first top-25 non-conference road team to beat Arizona State at Wells Fargo Arena since #18 UTEP on December 22, 1983 ... Maurice Watson Jr. had seven assists, passing UCLA's Lonzo Ball for the national lead with 108 helpers this season ... Creighton had two dunks, increasing its season total to 54 in 12 games.
Greg McDermott Postgame Quotes
On the team's bench effort:
"We got off to rough start and obviously they had a lot of energy. Defensively they switching a lot of screens. Once we settled down we fought it. Fortunately Isaiah (Zierden) when Khyri (Thomas) got the two quick fouls. You have to have someone off your bench. I am blessed to have the luxury of bringing guys like Isaiah and Toby (Hegner) off the bench, guys who have been starters a good portion of their careers. They were a huge force tonight and without question the difference in the game."
On the team's ball movement on the perimeter:
It was really good. Obviously we scored 96 points and did some good things offensively. We turned it over too much, but Arizona State length and they played hard. Once they got behind by 20 they took a few more chances and we didn't react to it very well. Obviously Watson fouling out was big. You know I am happy to come here and get a win. It's hard to get a road win. The game before Christmas, you are always concerned whether they will have one foot on the plane home already, but our guys remained focused and came here and got done what they needed to."
On what he told the team at halftime that lead to more open looks in the second half:
"I felt like we withstood their big run early and we were still standing. Khryi (Thomas) only played six minutes. Maurice (Watson, Jr.) only played 12, so we survived some foul trouble as well. I wasn't pleased with our defense. I think they scored 40 points on 37 possessions. We'd like to keep teams below one point per possession. Unfortunately, the second half wasn't much better on the defensive end. Offensively, we made shots tonight. When we make shots, we are really efficient offensively."
On whether Justin Patton is improving defensively:
"He is and he hasn't been good the last two or three games. We have talked to him about that. I just felt like his hands were in his pockets a lot in the lane and he wasn't as active as he needed to be. I thought the second half in particular, he changed a lot of things at the rim. He puts some fires out on some ball screens. That is what we need from him. His pace on the other end of the floor offensively, just taking his time. Obviously he is very skilled for someone that is 7-foot. I really like what he did on the defensive end tonight."
On if the long break between games is a good thing:
"They are off until the night of the 25th. I was hesitant to do that playing on the 28th, but like I told in the locker room, I am comfortable doing it because I trust them. They can take tomorrow off. They have to get in the gym the 22nd and 23rd. Take Christmas Eve off and get back after it Christmas night. They know what is at stake and they know we can't spend a couple days getting into shape when we need to be preparing for Seton Hall."
On if he has spent anytime watching the Big East this year:
"You know I haven't watched much. You are so busy with what you are doing that you don't have time to watch other games much. Obviously the league is outstanding and we are going to have the Big East tournament champion and the National Champion come to our place the first week of the (conference) season, so we are going to find out a lot about ourselves."
Bobby Hurley Quotes
Opening Statement...
"First off, I have tremendous respect for Creighton, their basketball program and where they are as a team. They are a really complete team with strong guard play that could hurt you everywhere. It was a fun game to be a part of, I respect how my players competed, fought and battled through some tough stretches in the second half. During half time, when it was a 45-40 game, we talked about how we wanted to try and get back to San Diego where we came out and took control of the second half. We never quite clicked on offense to do that, so they then separated from us. That was the point where you learn about the character of the team and you see if they respond appropriately, and the answer was yes. I have respect for our team and how we were diving for loose balls, scrambling to try and create turnover and how we kept pushing through the game. As a coach, that is all you can hope for—that they push themselves and that they play that way that we did. If we can consistently play this way through the season, we will have some success."
On what enabled the team to push through the whole game…
"I just think we had the right mindset and the right approach coming into the game, especially on defense. We were generating stops, we were pushing the ball, and spreading the court. We weren't perfect, there were times where we penetrated and didn't have a great plan, which ended up in a forced shot or a turnover. Eliminating those things would be beneficial, but all in all, I have a real positive feeling for our group, despite not shooting well from three. It seems that it has become our nemesis and we end up not having great percentages behind the three point line. Hopefully, we can get that figured out on a more consistent basis."
On judging results against a top-ten team…
"This is a results game and there aren't any moral victories, but you respect your players as competitors. This was a fast-paced game. Creighton pushes the ball, they have threats in transition and these guys expended a lot of energy from chasing them around the court. We didn't sit in the zone and let guys rest—we scrambled, we fought, we pressed and the five guys that started the game all played over 30 minutes. Even late in the game, they had something left in the tank. It was exciting to see and we are going to keep asking that the effort remains consistent. If we do that, we will have chances to win a lot of games."
On multiple players logging a lot of minutes…
"Yeah. You like to see the guys play well, but not all five of them did. There were certainly individuals that feel like they left something on the table tonight and could have done better. All in all, it never broke our spirit and how we competed. Hopefully the guys that did have great individual games understand the correlation between how hard you play and how hard you compete on both ends. There were numerous guys you could say that for. Obi had 16 rebounds, Torian had a big point total and six rebounds, Kodi fought really hard and Tra had a really good all-around game with assists and points."
On defensive approach to a well-shooting team…
"They have a lot of shooters and there were times that we did possibly lose a few guys on their set plays. They put an enormous amount of pressure on you, because they have Foster and Watson who can drive so effectively. We won the paint. We didn't win the game, but we won the interior part of this game. They just outshot us from the three point line. That was the difference in the game."
On stopping the corner pocket threes…
"We were trying to keep the ball handler in front. Watson is hard to keep in front and he forces you to get help. We are more of a help and recover man team, so that may have something to do with the corner shots. I'll have to go back and look on that."
On Tra's play…
"I talk with Tra and tell him that I want him to have fun playing basketball. He looks like he is enthusiastic about playing the game and using his creativity out on the court. He did that and he was affective getting the ball in the paint to make some plays for us."
Player Quotes: Tra Holder and Kodi Justice
Kodi Justice
On the difference between the first and second half…
"We came out a little stagnant. Were a little tired to start off then we picked it back up. They made quite a few three's to get going. We were behind quick but never gave up. We kept fighting to the very last minute. If we can keep playing like that, win or lose, I love playing in games like that."
Tra Holder
On the energy in the arena…
"It definitely helps to have a lot of people there. It gets the adrenaline going. I hope to see that more often. There were a lot of plays where my teammates and I were motivated just by having people cheer us on. If we have those on a consistent basis we are going to compete at a high level and try to win against good teams like today."
Kodi Justice
On the defensive intensity…
"There are some games where we are really intense and we pick up on defense and we are flying all over the place, where we are taking charges, blocking shots and diving on the ground for loose balls. I felt we had that today. When we play like that it's exciting to play. It gets the crowd going and it gets us going. Then, when we get stops and get on the offensive end we have a lot of people that can score the ball."
Kodi Justice
On Creighton getting open shots…
"They got open shots when a couple guards got loose here and there and we missed a couple of coverages. They shoot 55% as a team. It was tough. They made difficult shots, they hit open shots. When a team comes here and hits 14 threes it's hard to come out with a victory but I felt like with our effort we were still out there competing."
On the perimeter defense leading to kick outs…
Tra Holder
"Myself and the rest of the guards have to do a better job of containing the guards of getting to the key. Our mindset was to shoot over the bigs and stay with the wings. Next time we come up to a team that plays similar to them we have to do that better. Then, it will limit the threes."
Kodi Justice
On playing a lot of minutes…
"I mean we are young. That is what we are here to do. We are here to play basketball. So, if somebody is playing 35 minutes we are going to go get in the cold tub and get ready for Thursday. It is what it is. We are just happy to be here to keep playing."
Tra Holder
On continuing the intensity…
"I think we played really scrappy. I think it was one of our most scrappy games during the season. We had our chances. We will watch film tomorrow and see what we have to do and what got them that lead in the second half."
"In the beginning of the game we were up and they didn't hit many threes in the beginning. Then, we went loose. We are in shape, we just can't have those mental breakdowns."
On their size…
"Most teams are big. We are a smaller team, but with our scrappiness and our hustle and our fight what is the difference between six-foot-six and six-foot-nine? We have guards that are athletic, big, and strong. We are not too worried about big guys. We are going to be scrappy, doubling the post, and rotating. That is just what we are going to have to be this year. With younger guys like Jethro (Tshisumpa) and Andre Adams getting in their role and getting used to college basketball. We are going to be scrappy with us guards. When they get their minutes they are getting reps to prepare themselves for Pac-12 play."
Kodi Justice
On Jethro Tshisumpa's progress…
"From where he was from day one to where he is at it is tremendous to see where he is. The sky is the limit for him. He is just a defensive player for us right now. Wait until he gets an offensive game. He is understanding our offense and defensive schemes. The more and more he picks up the better he is going to keep getting."
