Goodin Nails a Pair of Free Throws in Final Second to Secure Win at Creighton

Saturday, February 10

Omaha, Neb.

2:30 p.m.

Xavier University

23-3, 11-2BE

Creighton

18-7, 8-5BE

Xavier

Creighton

Goodin Nails a Pair of Free Throws in Final Second to Secure Win at Creighton

02.10.18 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Goodin led four Musketeers in double figures as No. 5 Xavier wins fourth-straight road game

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

OMAHA, Neb. – Sophomore point guard Quentin Goodin hit a pair of free throws with less than a second remaining to put No. 5 Xavier on top, 72-71, as time expired at Creighton on Saturday afternoon. Xavier led for over 33 minutes, but three CU free throws in the final 10 seconds gave the Bluejays a 71-70 advantage until Goodin was fouled driving to the basket in the final second at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

Goodin finished with a career-high 17 points to lead four Musketeers in double figures. The win, the eighth straight overall and fourth-straight on the road, moves Xavier to 23-3 overall and 11-2 in BIG EAST play. Creighton moved to 18-7 overall and 8-5 in BIG EAST play.

FIRST HALF

Xavier used an 8-0 run to lead by as many as six, 13-7, in the first five minutes of the game, led by six early points for Kerem Kanter and five for Quentin Goodin.
Creighton would get as close as three over the next six minutes before a 7-0 Xavier run pushed the lead out to 10, 30-20, forcing the Bluejays to call a time out with seven minutes remaining before halftime.
After extending the lead to double-digits, Creighton responded with an 10-0 run over the next two minutes to tie the game, 30-30.
J.P. Macura stopped the CU run, giving Xavier a 32-30 lead going into the final three minutes of the half.
Xavier outscored Creighton 13-5 over the final minutes of the half to take a 43-35 lead into halftime.
Kanter finished the half with 12 points to lead the Musketeers, and Goodin added 10 in the first 20 minutes.
Xavier shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the first half, including going 15 of 24 on two-point field goals. The Musketeers dominated inside, outscoring the Bluejays 28-10 on points in the paint.
Xavier held a 19-14 advantage on the boards in the first half, led by five for Trevon Bluiett.
The Musketeers only held a 5-4 advantage on offensive boards in the first half, but outscored the Bluejays 9-0 on second-chance points.
Xavier also made the most of Creighton's miscues, forcing seven turnovers, while committing six, but outscoring CU 17-7 in points off turnovers.

SECOND HALF

Xavier maintained a two-possession lead in the second half until an 8-0 run for CU gave the Bluejay's their first lead since the opening minutes of the game at 55-54 with 12 minutes to play.
The two teams traded baskets, with Creighton leading by as many as three, 61-58, with 8:17 remaining.
Four straight points for Sean O'Mara fueled a 8-0 run for Xavier to give the Musketeers a 66-61 lead going into the final four minutes of the game.
Creighton chipped away at the five-point lead to tie the game at 68-68 with 1:13 remaining. The draw held until a Macura tip-in with 21 seconds to play put Xavier ahead.
Xavier held the lead until the :04 mark when CU edged ahead, 71-70, on three made free throws.
In the final four seconds, Quentin Goodin drove the length of the floor to the basket, getting fouled with less than a second remaining. The sophomore guard hit both shots to put Xavier ahead 72-71.
CU turned over the ball on the inbounds, securing the win for the Musketeers.
O'Mara had eight in the second half and Goodin scored seven to lead the Musketeers after the break.
Xavier shot 38.2 percent from the floor in the second half, but went 13-of-24 on two-point field goals.
Xavier owned a 23-16 advantage on the boards, led by six each for J.P. Macura and Kaiser Gates.

NOTABLES

Quentin Goodin led four Musketeers in double figures with a career-high 17 points, topping his previous career-high of 16, set twice.
J.P. Macura added 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine boards.
Kerem Kanter scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor.
Sean O'Mara finished with 12 points.
Xavier outrebounded Creighton 42-29. The Musketeers owned a 14-7 advantage on offensive boards and outscored the Bluejays 21-5 on second-chance points.
Xavier shot 46 percent from the floor for the game, hitting 28-48 on two-point field goals, owning a 50-20 point advantage in the paint.
The Musketeers held a Creighton team that was averaging 85.7 points per game to just 71 points, a season-low total at CenturyLink Center Omaha. The loss is the first
Xavier has won eight straight games, including four on the road. At 11-2 in conference play, the Musketeers hold on to a half-game lead over Villanova to stay in first place in the BIG EAST .