National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Creighton 75, Xavier 72
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, March 10, 2017
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Officials: # John Gaffney, # Ed Corbett, # Brian O'Connell
Attendance: 19812

Justin Patton and Marcus Foster scored 21 points apiece to help Creighton beat Xavier 75-72 in the semifinals of the Big East Conference tournament Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Cole Huff scored 11 points for sixth-seeded Creighton (25-8). Khyri Thomas had 10 points and eight assists.

J.P. Marcura scored 22 points for seventh-seeded Xavier (21-13). Trevon Bluiett scored 18 points and Quentin Goodin had 11.

Creighton took a 67-65 lead on a 3-pointer by Tyler Clement, but Xavier tied the game on two free throws by Malcolm Bernard. The Bluejays went up 70-67 on a 3-pointer by Foster. The Musketeers tied the game on a 3-pointer by Bluiett with 16 seconds remaining, but a clutch 3-pointer by Foster with eight seconds left helped the Bluejays hold on for the win.

Xavier trailed briefly early in the first period but otherwise controlled the opening half. The Musketeers staged an 8-0 run to take an 11-5 lead on a 3-pointer by Marcura. They went up 18-9 on a jumper by Bluiett and led 29-20 following a 3-pointer by Goodin.

The Bluejays battled back to get within four on a 3-pointer by Huff with 3:22 to go. The Musketeers carried a 37-31 lead into the break following Foster's layup with three seconds remaining.

Xavier stretched its lead to eight early in the second half, but Creighton responded with an 11-2 run to go up 42-41 on a 3-pointer by Thomas. The Bluejays took a 53-48 lead on a 3-pointer by Isaiah Zierden and led 62-57 following a basket by Foster, but the Musketeers mounted an 8-2 run to take a 65-64 lead, setting the stage for an exciting finish.

Creighton shot 54.7 percent and made 13 of 20 3-pointers. Xavier shot 48.2 percent and made 9 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Top Game Performances
 
Xavier   Creighton
J.P. Macura 22 Scoring Marcus Foster 21
Quentin Goodin 4 Assists Khyri Thomas 8
RaShid Gaston 6 Rebounds Khyri Thomas 4
Trevon Bluiett 3 Free Throws Made Marcus Foster 3
Malcolm Bernard 3 Steals Tyler Clement 1
Sean O'Mara 2 Blocks Justin Patton 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Xavier 72 48.2 9-21 9-11 13 27 4 8 12
Creighton 75 54.7 13-20 4-6 20 19 4 2 12