By ERIC OLSON ADVERTISING By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer OMAHA, Neb. — Doug McDermott had 29 points to become one of the top-10 scorers in college basketball history, and No. 11 Creighton survived shaky free throw shooting at the
By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. — Doug McDermott had 29 points to become one of the top-10 scorers in college basketball history, and No. 11 Creighton survived shaky free throw shooting at the end to post a hard-earned 72-71 victory over Seton Hall on Sunday.
Grant Gibbs added a season-high 16 points, and the Bluejays (23-4, 13-2) took a half-game lead over Villanova in the Big East standings.
McDermott made a free throw late in the second half to pass Alfredrick Hughes for 10th on NCAA all-time scoring chart. McDermott now has 2,917 points.
Fuquan Edwin had 21 points to lead the Pirates (14-13, 5-9), who have lost four of five.
Creighton missed five of its last six free throws, allowing Seton Hall to stay in the game to the end. McDermott, an 89 percent foul shooter, missed two before Austin Chatman fouled Edwin on the other end. Edwin made both free throws to make it a one-point game with 8.2 seconds left.
Wragge missed two free throws with 4 seconds left, but Edwin’s desperation 3-pointer bounced off the backboard at the buzzer.
The Pirates played without suspended point guard Sterling Gibbs, who had started 20 games.
McDermott, who has had 25 or more points in seven straight games, was 8 of 14 from the floor and 12 of 16 from the line.
The Bluejays, who won their record 17th straight at CenturyLink Center, could never put away the Pirates. The 6-foot-9, 270-pound Teague was a tough matchup for the Bluejays, and he made 6 of 8 shots.
The Bluejays led by 10 points after an 8-0 spurt to start the second half. The Pirates closed pulled to 59-58 on Auda’s three-point play with 8:38 left.
Gibbs’ 3 from the corner put Creighton back up by four and brought the sellout crowd of 18,742 to its feet. Edwin’s pull-up jumper trimmed Creighton’s lead to 64-63 with 5:45 left. That was the Pirates’ last field goal, but they made all eight of their free throws the rest of the way.
The Bluejays were able to get the lead back to five points, 72-67, with 2 minutes left on McDermott’s fade-away jumper in the lane after Gibbs stuffed Edwin from behind as Edwin started to go up for a shot.
McDermott looked motivated coming out of halftime, scoring 13 points in less than 7 minutes. He opened the half with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and, after getting popped in the chin while reaching for an entry pass, he scored on a left-handed finger roll where the ball spun upward on the rim and dropped in.
Moments later, when Isaiah Zierden missed a 3 from the corner, McDermott moved in under the basket, tipped the ball straight up as it came off the rim and then went back up to tip it in for a 52-44 lead.
No. 20 MICHIGAN 79
No. 13 MICHIGAN STATE 70
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Nik Stauskas scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, and Michigan beat Michigan State to take over first place in the Big Ten.
Caris LeVert added 23 points for the Wolverines (19-7, 11-3), who won both regular-season meetings against their in-state rivals. Michigan has now won six of its last eight against Michigan State.
The Spartans (22-6, 11-4) led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Michigan State was only up 36-34 at halftime. Then Stauskas and LeVert led a second-half charge. The Wolverines trailed 52-51 before going on a decisive 17-4 run that sent the Crisler Center crowd into delirium.
SMU 64
No. 21 CONNECTICUT 55
STORRS, Conn. — Nick Russell and Nic Moore each scored 15 points to lead SMU to a win over UConn and a sweep of their season series with the Huskies.
Markus Kennedy added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Mustangs (22-6, 11-4 American), who have won 11 of their last 13 games.
Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier combined to shoot 8 for 28 for Connecticut (21-6, 9-5), but each had 15 points.
The Mustangs never trailed. They led by two at halftime, but extended that to 10 points midway through the second half.
The Huskies cut the lead to 55-49 on a 3-pointer by Napier, but Sterling Brown answered with a 3-pointer and SMU held on down the stretch.
