Field Level Media
Jan 21, 2019
Ty-Shon Alexander scored 26 points, and Mitch Ballock made four free throws in the final 26 seconds to propel Creighton to a much-needed, 91-87 victory over Georgetown on Monday night in Washington.
The Bluejays (11-8, 2-4 Big East) snapped a four-game losing skid. The Hoyas (12-7, 2-4) dropped their second consecutive game and fell for the fourth time in five games.
Alexander shot 8 of 16 from the floor, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range, to lead Creighton. Davion Mintz added 17 for the Bluejays.
Capped by Ballock's late efforts, Creighton finished 18 of 24 from the free-throw line. Georgetown made 11 of 16 foul shots.
Jessie Govan led the Hoyas with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Josh LeBlanc and Matthew "Mac" McClung each had 10 points for Georgetown. Freshman point guard James Akinjo notched a career-high 11 assists but was held to just six points on 2-of-11 shooting.
The game was tied 74-74 with 6:36 remaining. The Bluejays survived a drought of nearly five minutes without scoring from the field to earn the win.
Georgetown took a 42-41 lead into halftime. The Hoyas had an eight-point lead with 11:23 to go until the break, but a four-minute scoring drought erased that cushion in a half that was played at a breakneck pace.
Creighton never led in the first half.
Govan led the Hoyas across the board with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists prior to halftime. McClung also had 10 points at the half, but he didn't score after intermission.
Akinjo, Georgetown's second-leading scorer, did not start due to a coach's decision, and he did not score in the first half. The freshman didn't enter the game until the 12:43 mark and went 0-for-5 from the floor prior to halftime.
Alexander led all scorers with 16 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Alexander retreated to the locker room before the end of the half after rolling his ankle.
Georgetown travels to New York on Sunday for a second crack at St. John's, which beat the Hoyas on their home floor for the first time in 16 years on Jan. 5.
Creighton returns home to play Butler on Friday. The Bluejays will try to avenge a 15-point loss to the Bulldogs back on Jan. 5.
The Hoyas and Bluejays will meet again on Feb. 23 in Omaha, Neb.
--Field Level Media