SIU Edwardsville @ Creighton preview

One bad shooting night isn't going to stop Creighton from relying on the 3-pointer Saturday when it battles visiting SIU-Edwardsville. The Bluejays missed 25 times from beyond the arc in suffering their first loss of the season Tuesday to No. 24 Baylor, but a date with the Cougars and their porous defense should be just what they need to bounce back.

The Bluejays' two best shooters from deep - Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas - were a combined 3-of-19 in the 65-59 loss, but coach Greg McDermott will not dissuade them from shooting. "The last thing I am going to do is tell my shooters to quit shooting," McDermott told the media. "It'll never happen. It'll never come out of my mouth." The 3-pointer was, after all, one of the main reasons the Bluejays were able to knock off then-No. 20 Northwestern and No. 23 UCLA in back-to-back games. The Cougars, who are led by the Ohio Valley Conference's leading scorer in junior Daniel Kinchen (21.8 points), have allowed their four opponents to shoot 41.7 percent from 3-point territory this season.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2

ABOUT SIU-EDWARDSVILLE (1-2): Kinchen, a 6-3 guard who came to the Cougars from Alabama Community College, where he averaged 19.5 points as a sophomore, has increased his scoring in every game this season. In the Cougar's most recent two games - a win over Stetson and a loss to Western Illinois, Kinchen combined to make 12 3-pointers and pour in 49 points. "Daniel makes plays and he's playing with a high level of confidence right now," Edwardsville coach Jon Harris told the media. "The guys are doing a great job at getting him open."

ABOUT CREIGHTON (4-1): With their starting frontcourt from last season departing, the Bluejays knew they would need someone to step up and that someone has been Martin Krampelj. After playing sparingly in his first two seasons, the 6-9 sophomore from Slovenia has looked like a different player while averaging 11 points and 7.4 rebounds through five games. "He's active," McDermott told the media. "And he's doing a lot of good things for us."

TIP-INS

1. Ronnie Harrell, Jr., a 6-7 guard, is tied with Krampelj for the team lead in rebounding for the Bluejays, who will face their fourth ranked team in No. 17 Gonzaga next week.

2. Jalen Henry, a 6-8 junior forward, is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds for the Cougars.

3. The Bluejays rank in the top 50 nationally in 3-pointers made (48) and attempted (133), but their 5-of-30 showing against Baylor dropped their percentage from 41.7 to 36.1.

PREDICTION: Creighton 86, Edwardsville 66