MILWAUKEE — Kam Jones shook off a sluggish beginning to contribute significantly with 22 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as the eighth-ranked Marquette team triumphed over Creighton with a score of 79-71 on Friday night, maintaining their unbeaten streak in Big East play.
Stevie Mitchell was a key contributor as well, scoring 18 points, which aided Marquette (13-2, 4-0) in securing their fourth consecutive victory. For Creighton (9-6, 2-2), Ryan Kalkbrenner had a noteworthy performance, tallying 16 points alongside 12 rebounds.
Jones started poorly, missing his initial seven attempts and remaining scoreless for the first 17 and a half minutes of play. However, he turned things around with a pivotal 3-pointer that ignited a 16-0 run. Near the end of the first half, Jones made a crucial driving layup with just 38 seconds remaining that broke a deadlock and positioned Marquette ahead for good.
In terms of individual performances, Creighton’s Kalkbrenner has demonstrated impressive shooting, connecting on nearly two-thirds of his career field-goal attempts. However, on this night, he struggled, shooting only 4 of 11 from the floor while surpassing the 2,000 career points milestone. Notably, he joins the ranks of former Creighton stars Doug McDermott, Rodney Buford, and Bob Harstad, who have also achieved this scoring feat.
For Marquette, they faced challenges in creating a substantial lead against Creighton but made critical plays in the closing minutes to secure their victory.
A crucial moment in the game occurred when Creighton was trailing 64-60 with just over seven minutes left. Fredrick King stepped to the line attempting to finish a three-point play, but after he missed the free throw, Jasen Green snagged the offensive rebound but failed to convert. Marquette’s David Joplin capitalized on the other end, making a layup that pushed the lead to six points. Marquette maintained at least a five-point advantage for the remainder of the match.
From a statistical perspective, Creighton faced difficulties, shooting only 40% from the field and a troubling 22.6% (7 of 31) from beyond the arc.
Looking ahead, Creighton is set to take on Butler on January 11, while Marquette will host Georgetown next Tuesday.
