MEN’S BASKETBALL: Marshall Leads Xavier Over Creighton In OT
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) – Naji Marshall hit a pair of 3s as Xavier rallied to tie it in regulation and added two more baskets in overtime Wednesday, sending the Musketeers to a 64-61 victory over Creighton that ended their six-game losing streak.
Marshall finished with 23 point, including a career-high five 3s, in a matchup of the Big East’s bottom teams.
Xavier (12-13, 4-8) trailed 56-51 with 2:14 left in regulation. Marshall hit a pair of 3s, and Quentin Goodin stole an inbound pass and made a layup that tied it 59-59 with 21 seconds to go. Creighton’s Davion Mintz missed a long 3 at the buzzer.
Marshall hit a pair of jumpers that put Xavier up 64-61 with 23 seconds left in overtime. Mintz missed a pair of 3s in the closing seconds.
The Bluejays (13-12, 4-8) beat Xavier 76-54 only 10 days earlier by hitting 3s. They couldn’t make them when it mattered on Wednesday. Martin Krampelj led Creighton with 18 points.
Xavier dominated inside while taking a 36-30 halftime lead . Tyrique Jones had 10 points, and the Musketeers scored 20 of their first 26 points in the paint.
The Musketeers missed their first six shots to start the second half and had a pair of turnovers. Ty-Shon Alexander’s 3-pointer put Creighton up 42-41. There were four ties and four lead changes as it went to overtime.
BIG PICTURE
Creighton: The Bluejays came in fifth nationally with 11.1 3-pointers per game, but couldn’t get enough of them. They went 7 of 15 from beyond the arc in their 22-point win over Xavier earlier this month, but were only 9 of 29 in the rematch.
Xavier: Another loss would have put the Musketeers in rare territory. They’ve dropped seven straight games within a season only eight times in their history. The school record is 13 straight losses in 1972-73.
Creighton hosts Seton Hall on Sunday. The Bluejays lost at Seton Hall 63-58 on Saturday.
Xavier plays at Providence on Saturday. Providence won at the Cintas Center 64-62 on Jan. 23.