Postgame Quotes: Creighton | Providence
NEW YORK (AP) — Khyri Thomas scored 19 points and Creighton went on a game-changing 13-2 spurt with leading scorer Marcus Foster on the bench with foul problems early in the second half in posting a 70-58 victory over turnover-plagued Providence in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament Thursday night.
The win was only the second in the last five games for the sixth-seeded Bluejays (24-8), and it set up a semifinal matchup against seventh-seeded Xavier (21-12), which knocked off second-seeded Butler in the opener of the nightcap doubleheader at Madison Square Garden.
Second-ranked and top-seeded Villanova will play Seton Hall in the other semifinal of the tournament that lost its second, third and fourth seeds (Butler, Providence (20-12) and Marquette) on Thursday.
Foster finished with 15 points but he was only on the floor for one point in the game-deciding run. Cole Huff added 10 points and freshman of the year Justin Patton had nine points and eight rebounds.
Kyron Cartwright had 15 points to lead Providence, which committed 15 of its 22 turnovers in the second half.