Box Score (HTML)

OMAHA, NEBRASKA – Creighton University used the foul line and just enough offense to pull away from North Carolina Central University in the second half, as the Bluejays shot 22-for-25 at the foul line, while NCCU attempted just three free throws on the way to 65-45 defeat on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 17,290 inside CenturyLink Center in opening round action of the 2014 Emerald Coast Classic.
 
The Eagles began the game without the services of senior point guard Nimrod Hilliard due to injury, but fought tooth-and-nail with the Bluejays through the first frame as there were four ties and seven lead changes.
 
Creighton struggled from-the-field through the first 20 minutes shooting 28.6 percent, including a dismal 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from-deep, but managed to take a five point advantage into the locker room after senior guard Devin Brooks drilled a prayer from the right side as time expired to make it 27-22 at the break.
 
The Eagles committed 11 fouls in the first frame to just six for Creighton as the Bluejays shot 9-for-10 from the foul line, while the maroon and gray went 0-for-2. 
 
Both senior Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) and Dante Holmes (Baltimore, Maryland) topped the scoring for NCCU as each dropped-in seven points.  Brooks led CU with eight points hitting the Bluejays' only two three-pointers of the frame.
 
The second frame saw the Bluejays extend the lead to double figures for the first time at 37-26 on Will Artino's hoop-and-the harm with 15:09 left, but the Eagles quickly answered with an Anthony McDonald (Aberdeen, Mississippi) layup.
 
The turning point in the game came after a Holmes layup with 10:07 left that made it 37-30 in favor of Creighton.  Over the next three minutes, NCCU forced two turnovers and three missed buckets, but the Eagles could not get the lucky roll allowing the Bluejays the cushion it would need.
 
The maroon and gray made one last push with 10:09 remaining as McDonald drilled one of his five three-pointers to cut the margin to six at 39-33, but CU's Isaiah Zierden drilled two threes over a three possession span to push the lead back to 49-36 with 7:39 to go.
 
LeVelle Moton's squad simply ran out of ammunition as Creighton pulled away with the 65-45 win.
 
Despite the adverse injury situation, NCCU held the offensive-minded Bluejays to 35.3 percent shooting from-the-field, including just 29.2 percent from-the-outside.  On the year, the maroon and gray are forcing opponents to shoot 27.3 percent from beyond-the-arc.
 
McDonald finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from-the-perimeter, while Zierden ended the afternoon with a season-high 20 points as he went 4-for-7 from downtown.  Jawara added 11 points and seven rebounds along with three assists and two steals as well.
 
NCCU (1-2, 0-2 road) flies back east to battle the Bearcats of Cincinnati on Tuesday night, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m. (EST) from Fifth-Third Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The NCCU Sports Network will hit the air with the Nationwide Insurance Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Ohio and on ESPN3.
 
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