Stat Leaders

• Providence and Creighton tipped off in the final game of the Big East Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday with the winner set to take on Xavier in the semifinals. The only other meeting for the Friars and Bluejays in the Big East Tournament came in 2014 when Providence defeated Creighton in the championship game that season behind LaDontae Henton and Bryce Cotton.
• The first half didn’t see either team playing great offense. Providence shot a slightly better 35% from the field, while Creighton managed just 32%.
• The second half started all Creighton. The Bluejays began the half on an 8-0 run before Providence finally scored their first points of the second half. Both teams dealt with foul trouble in the second half with Alpha Diallo picking up his 3rd and 4th fouls early in the second stanza. Marcus Foster was hampered all night with fouls. He picked up 2 in the first half and had to go to the bench with 4 fouls with just under 7 minutes remaining. The teams went back and forth at each other and the lead never ballooned too high for Creighton despite all of Providence’s turnovers, of which they had 15 of their 22 in the second half. In the end, Providence’s mistakes and missed free throws were too much to overcome and the Bluejays salted away the victory at the free throw line.
• This is the first time Providence failed to advance to the Big East Tournament semifinals in the current configuration of the league.
• Kyron Cartwright looked a little out of sorts and tried to take the game into his hands when the Friars were fumbling and bumbling against the Bluejays. Cartwright was Providence’s leading scorer, finishing with 15 points. He also had 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
• Rodney Bullock was a non-factor in this game. At the under-4 media timeout of the second half, Bullock was 1/6 from the field with 4 turnovers. He finished the game with 3 points on 1/7 from the field with 5 rebounds.
• Jalen Lindsey wasn’t able to find the range from 3 like he did on Saturday against St. John’s in this building. Lindsey finished the game with 7 points on just 1/5 from 3-point range.
• Emmitt Holt did his best to get Providence back into the game. Holt finished with 14 points on 5/11 from the field.
• Alpha Diallo was Providence’s best player in the first half but missed a large chunk of the second half due to foul trouble outlined above. Diallo finished the game with 10 points and 6 rebounds. He failed to score in the second half until the closing minute.
• Isaiah Jackson also struggled in this game. Jackson had been a key cog for Providence during their 6-game winning streak they were on entering this game but he had just 3 points in 20 minutes.
• Khyri Thomas led the way for Creighton with 19 points. He also added 6 rebounds.
• Cole Huff scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
• Justin Patton and Marcus Foster both dealt with foul trouble. Patton finished the game with 9 points and 8 rebounds and Foster finished with 15 points in 23 minutes.
• Providence shot 20/50 (40%) from the field, including 4/21 (19%) from beyond the arc. The Friars were also a woeful 14/26 (54%) from the free throw line and had 22 turnovers.
• Creighton shot 23/54 (43%) from the field, including 4/20 (20%) from 3-point range. The Bluejays were also poor from the charity stripe, finishing 20/33 (61%).
• The Friars now wait to hear their names called on Sunday to see where they will be heading in the NCAA Tournament.

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Mike Hopkins

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