OMAHA, Nebraska — Baylor Scheierman scored 26 points and hit three consecutive 3-pointers late in Saturday's game to lead No. 12 Creighton to an 89-75 victory over No. 5 Marquette, which played without star guard Tyler Kolek and the great man Bear Ighodaro.
Scheierman, a Big East player of the year candidate who was playing his final game at CHI Health Center, had 16 rebounds for his eighth double-double in 10 games and 14th of the season.
Scheierman's run of three 3-pointers in less than two minutes opened up what had been a two-point game. He had such a good rhythm that after the last one, he turned to the crowd and shouted, “I don't even have to look!”
“Last game in this building, last game probably in Nebraska in front of family and friends… It's a special feeling, especially when the group is as tight-knit as we are,” Scheierman said.
Creighton (22-8, 13-6) avenged a 72-67 loss at Milwaukee on Dec. 30 and stayed in position for the second seed in the conference tournament in two weeks.
Marquette (22-7, 13-5) lost for the first time in four games.
“Certainly looking at it from their point of view, their program, that's what you want a senior day to be like for your seniors and the kids coming out,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “I think from our standpoint we're really proud of the fight, the connectedness, the energy, the stamina, the resilience and the faith of our guys.”
Kolek, the reigning Big East player of the year, did not play after leaving Wednesday's game against Providence with an oblique and abdominal muscle injury, and Ighodaro was out with an illness. Chase Ross started in place of Kolek and Ben Gold in place of Ighodaro.
Kolek averages 15 points per game and leads the nation with 7.9 assists per game. Ighodaro averages 14 points per game and is the Golden Eagles' leading rebounder at 7.3 per game.
Smart said he didn't know how long Kolek would be out and Creighton coach Greg McDermott offered his best wishes.
“I pray to God that he gets back on the court soon,” McDermott said. “He's been a very good representative of our league and one of the best point guards in the country, and Marquette has had an incredible [two seasons] with him at the controls. “You want to play against them at their best.”
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 19 points and Trey Alexander added 18 for the Bluejays, who honored their 1974 Sweet 16 team during a halftime ceremony.
Kam Jones led the Golden Eagles with 23 points, David Joplin had 21 and Stevie Mitchell had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Creighton looked ready to put the game away midway through the second half when Scheierman stripped the ball from Jones and drove the length of the court for a layup that made the score 60-50.
Jones' 3-pointer cut the score to 63-62 before Kalkbrenner converted Alexander's pass into a dunk and Scheierman made two free throws after a Marquette violation in the backcourt.
Creighton missed four straight 3-pointers, allowing Marquette to pull within 67-65. Scheierman's three 3-pointers in two minutes and Francisco Farabello's basket from the deep corner put the Bluejays up 81-69 with 2:14 left.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
