Big East foes will lock horns when the Creighton Bluejays (12-5) face off against the No. 12 Providence Friars (14-2) at Qwest Center Omaha. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and can be seen on FS1.
The Bluejays enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Seton Hall 82-67 on Saturday. Geoffrey Groselle was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Friars, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 65-64 loss against Marquette on Tuesday. Ben Bentil had a game-high 28 points.
Over the last five games, Maurice Watson Jr. has taken his game to another level for the Bluejays, averaging 16.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers. Bentil has upped his play for the Friars. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 23.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.6 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
Notes
Providence lost its last game by a one-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Creighton is 0-2. Providence is 2-1 in close games this season.
Ranked 81st, the Providence Friars have an offensive rating of 110.9. The Creighton Bluejays rank 186th with a defensive rating of just 102.3.
Creighton is ranked 16th in the country with an average field goal percentage of 49.6%. Providence is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Creighton Bluejays average 22.0 three point attempts per game, while the Providence Friars attempt 19.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Creighton is 8-4 while Providence is undefeated (9-0).
The 23rd-ranked team in the category, Creighton has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53 this season. Providence ranks 26th with an A/TO of 1.49.
On average, Creighton makes 6.5 steals per game. Providence has an outstanding 6-2 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
