OMAHA, Neb. — (Courtesy: CU Media Relations) The Creighton men's basketball team closed non-conference play on Thursday, Dec. 27, with an 89-53 victory over visiting UMKC.
The Bluejays improved to 9-4 with the win heading into their sixth BIG EAST season on Dec. 31 at Providence. UMKC fell to 5-10.
Ty-Shon Alexander had a game-high 19 points to lead the way for Creighton, while junior Davion Mintz (13) and Martin Krampelj(11) also scored in double-figures. The Bluejays shot 61.8 percent from the field overall and made 50 percent of their 20 shots from three-point range while also shooting 78.6 percent from the line.
UMKC was led by 11 points by Brandon McKissic.
For the 74th time in the 16-year history of CHI Health Center Omaha, Creighton never trailed. Creighton broke the game wide open midway through the first half, putting together a 15-2 run to build a 33-18 lead. Mintz made a pair of three-pointers and had eight points in the run, while Kansas City native Christian Bishop added five points. Creighton took its largest lead of the first half into the locker room with a 42-24 advantage, paced by nine points and six rebounds from Krampelj. CU owned a 21-6 rebound advantage at the break.
UMKC scored the first six points of the second half to draw within 12 points (42-30), but would get no closer. Creighton responded with a 12-2 burst that featured eight points by Alexander to stretch the lead to 54-32 and another Mintz trey ballooned the margin over 30 points for the first time at 73-41 with 7:24 remaining.
NOTES: Creighton shot 60 percent or better for the third time in the last 30 days, and second straight contest. Creighton's three games of 60 percent or better shooting trails only Dayton (4) nationally in 2018-19, and its 23 games of 60 percent or better in the last nine seasons (coinciding with Greg McDermott's hiring in 2010) is tied with Gonzaga for the most such gams nationally ... Creighton won the rebound battle 39-16, and has now outrebounded foes 85-30 in the last two games ... Davion Mintz dished a season-best six assists ... Creighton owned a 21-6 lead in fast break points and a 37-15 lead in bench points ... Creighton has made a three-pointer in 829 straight games, making 10 or more trifectas in 219 of those contests ... Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in the first half of 200 straight games ... Freshman Christian Bishop delivered a season-high nine points, making all four shots ... Creighton has won 109 straight home games against teams that enter the game with a record of .500 or worse ... Ty-Shon Alexander has made a three-pointer in 17 straight games dating to last season and is one of four players in the BIG EAST with a trey in every contest this season.
