Philadelphia, PA – Nationally ranked for the first time since 2006, No. 19 Creighton has traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Saint Joseph's Hawks this afternoon.
Creighton moved to a perfect 7-0 last Sunday with a 76-66 win over Nebraska and has been idle since. The Bluejays have yet to begin Missouri Valley Conference play, but they have to be considered the favorite in that league considering the strong start.
Wins in three of the last four outings have enabled Saint Joseph's to improve to 6-3 overall and build some confidence. The Hawks moved to 3-0 at home with a 75-68 decision over Boston University on Wednesday and continue to prepare for the start of Atlantic 10 Conference action on January 4, 2012.
The all-time series between Creighton and Saint Joseph's is tied at 4-4, and the Blue Jays have beaten the Hawks in three of the last four seasons.
Sophomore Doug McDermott has been the key to the perfect start for Creighton, as he has led the team in scoring in each of the past six games, netting at least 21 points in all of those contests. McDermott is averaging a blistering 23.7 ppg on 62.6 percent shooting from the floor, and he is shooting an eye- popping 57.7 percent from three-point range. Far more than just a scorer, the standout is ripping down 9.0 rpg, the best mark on the team by a wide margin. The only other double-digit scorer on the roster is Antoine Young with his 10.6 ppg, and the Bluejays are netting 87.0 ppg as a team on 52.6 percent field goal efficiency. Defensively, the club is holding foes to 67.9 ppg on 43.5 percent shooting. Against Nebraska on Sunday, McDermott poured in 24 points to go along with 12 boards. Young added 14 points and five assists for Creighton, which shot 51 percent from the field and earned a 19-14 edge in points from the charity stripe.
Heading into this week, C.J. Aiken of Saint Joseph's was the nation's leader in blocked shots. He has already rejected 45 attempts through nine games while posting 11.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg. The Hawks are paced offensively by Carl Jones, who is netting 18.3 ppg. Langston Galloway provides 16.0 ppg, while Ronald Roberts brings 10.2 ppg to the court. SJU is generating 72.0 ppg while limiting opponents to 66.8 ppg on 37.7 percent shooting from the floor. Galloway was sensational in the victory over Boston University last time out, as he poured in 30 points on the strength of a 6-of-8 effort from three-point range. Jones managed 13 points in that affair, helping him reach the 1,000- point plateau for his career. The Hawks committed just nine turnovers in that affair and shot 50 percent from the field.
