Field Level Media
Jan 30, 2021
Marcus Zegarowski had 19 points and five assists and No. 17 Creighton finished the game on a 10-2 run to down DePaul 69-62 in Chicago on Saturday.
Denzel Mahoney and Christian Bishop supplied 14 points apiece for Creighton (13-4, 9-3 Big East), while Ryan Kalkbrenner tossed in 12 points off the bench.
Ray Salnave scored a season-high 21 points for DePaul (3-7, 1-7). Javon Freeman-Liberty racked up 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Bluejays shot 41.1 percent from the field but held the Blue Demons to 36.9 percent shooting.
The first half ended in a 29-all tie.
There were a number of early momentum shifts created by the officiating. The Bluejays grabbed a 21-10 lead by scoring seven unanswered points, including 3-pointers by Zegarowski and Mahoney.
The run ended when Mahoney was whistled for a flagrant foul. Freeman-Liberty made both free throws to begin an 8-0 Blue Demons spurt. Freeman-Liberty capped with two more free throws after Damien Jefferson was hit with a technical foul.
Creighton got back on the board when DePaul's Romeo Weeks was called for a technical and converted three of four free throws, two by Bishop.
DePaul finished the half on an 11-5 run, including nine points by Salnave.
The Blue Demons took a 48-42 lead with 13 minutes left on an 8-2 spurt.
Creighton scored nine unanswered points midway through the half to gain a 54-50 advantage. Zegarowski scored five of those points, with a two-pointer and 3-pointer coming off turnovers.
DePaul scored the next five points, including a 3-pointer by Freeman-Liberty, to take a one-point lead.
Neither side was up by more than two points again until Zegarowski hit two free throws to put the Bluejays up 63-60 with 2:08 left.
Jefferson's layup after a DePaul turnover made it a five-point game.
Salnave made a layup with 37 seconds left. Mahoney answered with two free throws.
The Blue Demons then committed a turnover and Zegarowski drained two free throws to clinch Creighton's victory.
--Field Level Media