Creighton Bluejays vs Marquette Golden Eagles Match Player Stats On Feb 06, 2021

Christian Bishop scored 14 points, Damien Jefferson added 13 and both players snagged a game-high eight rebounds to help No. 15 Creighton edge host Marquette 71-68 Saturday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, Marquette (9-10, 5-8 Big East) cut the deficit to three on a D.J. Carton 3-pointer with 45 seconds to go and came within two points on another Carton 3-pointer moments later.

The Bluejays swished 3-of-4 free-throw attempts in the final minute and held on after Koby McEwen's attempt at a game-tying 3 with less than two seconds left was off the mark.

Creighton (14-5, 10-4) regrouped from Wednesday's home loss to unranked Georgetown, shooting 48.3 percent from the field to earn its fourth victory in five games. The Bluejays boasted a 19-4 edge in second-chance points and a 38-26 advantage in rebounding.

Marquette lost for the fourth time in five games despite a game-high 16 points from Carton. Jamal Cain tallied 14 points and seven rebounds, while Theo John scored 10 points.

Marcus Zegarowski (13 points) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) also finished in double figures in scoring for the Bluejays.

After Cain swished a 3-pointer to start the second half, the Golden Eagles missed their next five shots. The Bluejays surged to a 12-point lead with 12:52 remaining as Creighton used its efficiency to consistently find answers on the other end.

Creighton's bench outscored Marquette's 17-14 as the Bluejays improved to 12-0 when the bench scores in double figures.

After hitting a season-best 12 3-pointers Dec. 14 in an 89-84 upset of the then-No. 9 Bluejays, the Golden Eagles were just 9-for-29 from long range Saturday.

Creighton closed the first half on a 13-2 run to take a 38-33 lead in the break. The Bluejays shot just under 50 percent (15-for-31) in the opening 20 minutes.

--Field Level Media