Carbondale, IL – Doug McDermott recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday, as the 17th-ranked Creighton Bluejays got back on track with an 81-51 rout of Southern Illinois at SIU Arena.
Grant Gibbs gave 13 points and six assists and Gregory Echenique chipped in 12 points and 11 boards for the Bluejays (18-3, 7-2 MVC), who snapped a two-game skid.
Jahenns Manigat and Ethan Wragge donated 12 points apiece in the triumph.
"We made shots," said Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, who earned his 350th win as a college head coach. "When we make shots, we're a pretty good basketball team."
Desmar Jackson netted 16 points to lead the Salukis (8-12, 1-8), who have dropped four straight and nine of their last 10.
"When you're down, everyone wants to beat you up," SIU coach Barry Hinson said. "They could have beaten us a lot worse."
Jackson poured in Southern Illinois' first 10 points to keep the Salukis within one just over five minutes in, but the Bluejays responded with a 13-2 run to grab a 24-12 edge just past the midpoint of the first half.
After SIU answered with four straight points, McDermott finished a layup to start a 17-4 Creighton run that pushed the advantage to 41-20 with 2:52 left in the first half.
Creighton carried a 43-25 lead into the break before opening the second half on a 9-0 surge to extend the margin to 27 just under four minutes in.
The Bluejays led by at least 20 the rest of the way.
Game Notes
Creighton shot 63 percent (29-for-46) from the field and went 12-of-20 from three-point range ... SIU shot 37 percent (20-for-54) from the floor ... Creighton won the rebounding battle, 39-19, and had 20 assists, compared to just eight for the Salukis.
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