Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
OMAHA, Neb. -- Indiana State fell to league-leading No. 18 Creighton by the score of 75-49 in front of 17,411 fans inside CenturyLink Center Omaha.
ISU drops to 11-9, 2-7 MVC while the Bluejays improved to 18-2, 8-1 MVC.
Indiana State senior Dwayne Lathan reached double figures scoring with 15 points to remain the Sycamores' leading scorer in Missouri Valley Conference contests. The Sycamores fell victim to hot-shooting from Creighton as they hit 24-of-55 shots from the field (43.6 percent), including a 11-of-24 mark from 3-point range (45.8 percent). The Jays built a lead with early hot-shooting although the Sycamore defense kept them at bay for the final 10 minutes of the second half.
Creighton scored the first four points of the game and ISU broke through for the first time at the free throw line at the 16:07 mark when Myles Walker converted a pair of free throws to cut the Bluejay lead down to 4-2. Creighton took a 7-2 lead on the next possession with their first 3-pointer of the game, but ISU got back-to-back buckets from Steve McWhorter and Carl Richard around the 15 minute mark as the Sycamores crept within 7-6 at the first media timeout.
The Sycamores closed within 12-10 with 12:46 on the clock, but Ethan Wragge hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the 'Jays to run its lead out to 18-10. Lathan ended the Creighton spurt with 10:18 to go when he hit 1-of-2 free throws to cut the lead down to 18-11. The Sycamores scored four points in a row after a Bluejay free throw which put ISU within 19-15 at the 9:29 mark in the first half.
Creighton went on a 10-0 spurt to stretch their lead out to 29-15, but Richard answered with a jumper in the paint as the clock ticked under seven minutes to get the Trees within 29-17. ISU got a stop and then Lathan connected on an open 3-pointer set up by a baseline drive from Odum with six minutes to go as the Sycamores drew within nine at 29-20.
Lucas Eitel answered five consecutive Bluejay points with a 3-pointer with 3:43 left in the first half to cut the Creighton lead down to 34-23. Creighton's Antoine Young hit a running jumper as the first half buzzer sounded to give the 'Jays a 42-25 lead.
Dwayne Lathan scored eight points to lead ISU in the first half. Creighton was led by six points from Doug McDermott, Jahenns Manigat, Antoine Young, Josh Jones, and Ethan Wragge while the 'Jays shot 56 percent from the field and 7-of-11 from 3-point range (63.6 percent) before halftime.
Indiana State showed renewed energy out of the halftime locker room scoring on their first two possessions after the break to cut the Creighton lead down to 42-29 within the first minute of action. Eitel hit a 3-pointer with 14:58 left to cut the creighton lead down to 48-32, but the 'Jays were able to answer with seven in a row to stretch their advantage back out to 55-32 with 13:29 remaining.
The Sycamores cut the lead down to 62-40 with just under eight minutes to go on a wide-open lay-up by Jake Kitchell and then made a defensive stop in transition, before Kitchell grabbed the rebound and hit a pair of free throws to make it 62-42 with seven minutes on the clock. Kitchell hit a 3-pointer with five minutes left to make it 62-45.
Walker added a free throw with 3:20 left to cut the Creighton lead down to 62-46. The Sycamores, using a lineup of mostly reserves, went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead down to 62-48 as the clock ticked under three minutes on a pair of free throws by Lathan. The 'Jays broke a seven minute scoring drought with a trey by Avery Dingman with 2:20 remaining to run their advantage back out to 65-48.
Doug McDermott lead Creighton with 12 points.
Indiana State returns to action on Wednesday, January 25 when they Sycamores host Northern Iowa inside Hulman Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET).
