Maurice Watson Jr., Creighton
MBB Minute: Creighton Turns Back Xavier, Villanova Beats DePaul
It’s not unusual in college basketball for a winning team to never trail in a game. That happened in both BIG EAST contests on Tuesday, but the news that Creighton was the team that led throughout in its victory over Xavier certainly earned the Bluejays some notice.
Creighton jumped out to a 21-4 lead against Xavier and withstood a second-half rally, beating the No. 5/4 Musketeers 70-56 before 17,011 at CenturyLink Center in Omaha. Maurice Watson Jr. was the catalyst for the winners with a career-high 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He scored 10 of CU’s 12 points after Xavier had closed the gap to 53-48 with 6:51 remaining.
The Bluejays held the Musketeers to 30 percent shooting for the game. Included in those numbers was Xavier making only 1-of-21 from 3-point range. Jalen Reynolds led XU with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Villanova played its first game in school history as a No. 1 team and defeated DePaul 86-59 at Allstate Arena.
The Wildcats led by 14 points less than six minutes into the contest. Josh Hart paced five players in double figures with 18 points. Daniel Ochefu returned after missing three games with a concussion. He had 11 points in 24 minutes. Eli Cain was the only Blue Demon in double figures with 15 points.
Wednesday’s schedule includes two games and four teams with postseason plans. Butler visits Seton Hall at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Pirates, at 17-6 overall and 7-4 in the BIG EAST, have won four in a row. Butler, 16-7 overall and 5-6 in the league, have won their last two.
At 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, Marquette hosts No. 20/T17 Providence. The Golden Eagles are 15-9 overall and 4-7 in league play. The Friars are 18-6 and 6-5. Both teams are looking to end two-game losing streaks.