Omaha, NE – Doug McDermott recorded a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds as the 16th-ranked Creighton Bluejays opened Missouri Valley Conference play with an 87-70 victory over the Evansville Purple Aces.
Gregory Echenique added 13 points and 13 boards for the Bluejays (12-1, 1-0 MVC), who have won six in a row. Jahenns Manigat and Avery Dingman had 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Colt Ryan ended with 25 points for the Purple Aces (7-6, 0-1), who have dropped two straight. Troy Taylor recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Creighton went down 2-0, but then scored 19 of the next 22 points to grab a 19-5 lead.
The Bluejays' margin reached 31-14 on Manigat's 3-pointer with 7:05 left in the first half.
Evansville responded with six straight points to cut the gap to 31-20 with 5:54 to go.
Creighton, which made seven 3-pointers in the first half, held a 45-34 lead at the break.
Evansville got within seven points twice early in the second half, but Creighton pulled away from there. Holding a 49-42 lead, the Bluejays went on a 20-6 run to create some distance. McDermott capped the surge with a pair of free throws to make it a 69-48 contest with 10:09 to play.
Game Notes
Creighton owns a 28-10 all-time series lead versus Evansville, including a 16-2 mark in Omaha ... The Bluejays improved to 11-4 in their last 15 MVC openers, and is 32-22 all-time in MVC openers.
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