SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Creighton Bluejays Match Player Stats On Nov 25, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 25, 2017

After Creighton played three straight ranked teams, SIU Edwardsville was just what the doctor ordered.

After missing their first seven shots from beyond the arc, the Bluejays made six of their next 10 3-point attempts and used a balanced offensive attack to pull away and beat the Cougars 103-66 on Saturday at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

Martin Krampelj scored a career-high 20 points on 9 of 10 shooting from the field to lead Creighton (4-1).

Khyri Thomas added 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Marcus Foster chipped in with 15 points and Ronnie Harrel Jr. compiled 11 points, eight boards and three assists for the Bluejays, who were coming off wins against ranked Northwestern and UCLA and, most recently a loss to Baylor.

Creighton now has a week to get ready for its next opponent when it travels to Spokane, Wash., to take on No. 17 Gonzaga.

Jalen Henry and Christian Ellis, who came in averaging 3.3 points per game, led the Cougars (1-3) with 19 points.

It didn't take long in the second half for the Bluejays to blow past the Cougars, who only trailed 43-33 at halftime.

In the first five minutes of the second half, the Bluejays extended the lead to 58-38 with Foster and Krampelj doing most of the damage. An old-fashioned three-point play by Thomas pushed the lead to 25 with 13:13 to go.

Two free throws by Harrell gave Creighton a 31-point lead at 81-50, and the Bluejays never looked back.

Creighton's defense was on display. Daniel Kinchen, who averaged 26.7 points last season at Alabama Southern Community College, was held to six points on 2-of-6 shooting from the floor.

The Cougars connected on only 24 of 62 attempts (39 percent) from the field.