In a back-and-forth game, Kenny Lawson led the Jays to 76-72 victory, highlighted by his dunk in the final minute that gave them the lead for good and brought Creighton back to .500 for the second time in a week. 15 of his 20 points came in the second half, including four of Creighton’s last five field goals. Darryl Ashford and Cavel Witter also chipped in with 15 points and 10 points, respectively. Antoine Young dished out five assists with no turnovers.

Despite allowing 70 points for the first time at the Qwest Center this season, the Jays found a way to win. They seem to be making a habit out winning close games at home. They’ve won their last four home games by a combined total of 11 points. It’s tough to put a finger on exactly what is causing these close wins. Each game it is something else. Some nights it might be terrific shooting, other nights it might be great defense, but tonight it was free throw shooting. After starting just seven for 13 from the line, the Jays put Missouri State away with great free throw shooting. They finished the night making 19 consecutive shots from the charity stripe, and finished 26-32 on the night.

One of the other keys to the game was keeping Adam Leonard scoreless. In his first year playing for the Bears, the Eastern Kentucky transfer has been consistent, averaging 12.6 points per game. However, he finished the night zero for seven from the field including an airballed three-point attempt in the final minute. With Leonard struggling, Missouri State junior Nafis Ricks stepped up scoring a career-high 18 points. Jermaine Mallett, Kyle Weems, and Will Creekmore also finished in double-figures for the Bears.

The Jays head to Peoria, Illinois on Wednesday to take on Bradley in their first meeting this season. The Braves are 10-9 on the year and are tied with Creighton in the MVC standings. A win would put Creighton above .500 for the first time in 2010. Tip-off is at 7:05 PM and can be heard on KXSP.