• Box Score: Creighton 73, Bradley 59
• Video Below: Postgame press conference, video highlights
• Photo Showcase: CU men's basketball, Jan. 28
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Creighton got some solid performances from its supporting cast Saturday night to keep its pink-clad fans from heading home feeling blue.
With one starter sick and another nursing a knee problem, the No. 15 Bluejays got some step-up performances from reserves to subdue a stubborn Bradley team 73-59 before the largest announced crowd in program history.
Most of the announced turnout of 18,436 — the season's fourth sellout at CenturyLink Center — were wearing pink as part of Saturday's promotion to increase cancer awareness. Bradley provided the crowd with some anxious moments before the Bluejays secured their 10th straight Missouri Valley victory with one final spurt in the second half.
“Bradley never quit,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “Even though they're in a tough situation, they continue to compete and play hard. For whatever reasons, they just seem to match up with us better than they do some other teams.”
The win, which improved the Bluejays to 20-2 and 10-1 in the league, also gave them sole possession of first place in the Valley. Wichita State fell a game behind after losing 93-86 in triple overtime at Drake.
Doug McDermott, who had scored 44 points in Creighton's 92-83 win over Bradley Jan. 7 in Peoria, finished with a game-high 24, while Gregory Echenique added 14 points and 10 rebounds in his third double-double performance of the season.
But it was the efforts turned in by some of Creighton's backup players that finally turned back the Braves, who twice in the second half closed within three points. Josh Jones keyed the first spurt, getting six of his season-high 14 points in a 9-0 run that came after Bradley had pulled within 35-32 two minutes into the second half.
The Braves countered with a 13-4 run that Walt Lemon Jr. capped with a hard drive to the basket that made it 48-45 with 10:02 remaining. Creighton then hit Bradley with an 8-0 run that featured 3-point baskets by reserves Avery Dingman and Ethan Wragge.
That pushed the lead to 56-45, and Bradley could never get closer than nine points the rest of the way.
“They made enough shots to keep us at bay, and they got it in to McDermott,” Bradley coach Geno Ford said. “We played well for the majority of the game, but when we couldn't get turnovers forced, they were awfully efficient.”
The Braves did force 19 Creighton turnovers and recorded 10 steals. That allowed Bradley to put up 15 more shots than the Bluejays (59 to 44). But Creighton finished with one more basket as it shot 54.5 percent from the field.
The Bluejays made eight shots from beyond the arc, with Jones connecting on 3 of his 5 3-point attempts. With Grant Gibbs battling strep throat and Jahenns Manigat nursing a sore knee, Jones played 25 minutes — three fewer than his season high — and collected three rebounds, four assists and two steals to go along with his 14 points.
Was it his time to step up?
“I was just playing basketball,” said Jones, a redshirt junior from Omaha Central. “I'm beyond that stage. I'm a senior now, technically. I was just playing in the game.”
But when opportunity presents itself, Jones won't turn it down.
“I'm unconscious,” he said, laughing. “Give me a shot and I'll take it.”
Jones' two 3-pointers in the second half came within a span of three possessions and put some life into the crowd.
“That was huge,” Greg McDermott said. “Grant played more minutes than I thought we could get out of him. He did not practice Thursday or Friday.
“We needed someone to step up, and I thought Josh did a terrific job. I thought Avery Dingman, especially in the second half, came in and did a good job. And I thought Austin Chatman gave us a lift in the first half. Once again, we had some solid contributions from our bench.”
Creighton's reserves outscored Bradley's 27-12 to help offset the Braves' 12-4 edge in second-chance points. Bradley outrebounded Creighton 21-12 in the final 20 minutes to finish with a 30-28 advantage.
Saturday's game played out much the same as the teams' first meeting, with Creighton building leads and then having difficulty finishing off the last-place Braves. The loss dropped Bradley to 6-17 overall and 1-10 in the league.
“They're a very capable offensive team, and they're talented,” said Echenique, who made all five of his field-goal attempts and also blocked two shots. “I've said it before: their record might not be the best, but they can really score.
“They took advantage of our mistakes. We made some today, and they're dangerous when you do that. If we meet them again, we'll have to take care of that.”
The 10-game winning streak, which followed a conference-opening home loss to Missouri State, is tied for the 10th longest in school history.
“That's a really good basketball team,” Bradley's Ford said. “Rankings, I don't know what they are, but I just know they're really good. They've got a team to make a run because every night they step on the floor they basically have the best player.”
He was referring to Doug McDermott, who made 28 of 37 field-goal attempts in his two games against Ford's team.
“I'm not just talking about Valley games,” Ford said. “I don't care who they're going to get in the tournament, they're going to have the best player almost every night out. Their other guys are capable shooters, and they're a fun team to watch on tape.
“I don't like playing them because they're really good. But I enjoy watching them.”
Contact the writer:
402-679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com
twitter.com/PivOWH
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• Video: CU coach Greg McDermott at the postgame press conference:
• Video: Creighton-Bradley game highlights:
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