Creighton @ Providence preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Providence 74, Creighton 78

Both No. 22 Creighton and Providence picked up key road wins against ranked opponents over the weekend, and the Big East foes will try to build upon those victories when the Bluejays visit the Friars on Wednesday. Creighton knocked off No. 12 Villanova by a 76-61 margin, recording its fourth straight win overall and vaulting into the top 25 of the Coaches Poll for the first time this season.

"I'm really proud of my team," Bluejays coach Greg McDermott told reporters. "There's nobody we respect more than Villanova. It's a heck of a win for our program because of how good Villanova is." Junior guard Denzel Mahoney scored 21 points in the win and has reached double digits in nine of his 11 games since becoming eligible in mid-December. One of those double-digit efforts came in a 78-74 victory over Providence at home Jan. 18, when the Bluejays scored the game's final nine points. That painful loss kicked off a three-game slide for the Friars, who broke back into the win column Saturday with a 65-61 victory at No. 19 Butler.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FSN

ABOUT CREIGHTON (17-5, 6-3 Big East): Mahoney was 8-of-12 from the floor in 27 turnover-free minutes at Villanova, and he is averaging 15.8 points over his last six games. Junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds Saturday, and he continues to lead the Bluejays in both categories with 16.5 and 5.7 per game, respectively. Mitch Ballock, also a junior, hit 5-of-7 from 3-point range versus the Wildcats while boosting his scoring average to 13 points per contest - 16.3 over the last four games.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (12-10, 5-4): Coach Ed Cooley made some changes to his lineup for the visit to Butler, moving struggling leading scorer and rebounder Alpha Diallo (12.8 points, 7.9 rebounds) to the bench. Senior guard Luwane Pipkins, who started the first 19 games before being brought off the bench for the past three, scored a season-high 22 points in 26 minutes in the win. "My team's desperate," Cooley told reporters of the changes. "I told them whoever is the most desperate wins most of the time, and I'm coaching the most desperate team in the country."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Creighton leads the Big East in field-goal percentage (46.5), while Providence is last (40.1).

2. Friars sophomore G David Duke scored a career-high 36 points on 12-of-18 shooting in the loss at Creighton.

3. The Bluejays have won the last three meetings.

PREDICTION: Creighton 73, Providence 71