The first 10 games of Creighton men’s basketball’s season were uneven and fell short of preseason expectations. The Bluejays entered Big East play with a 5-5 record, highlighted by single-digit losses to Kansas State and Baylor and lopsided defeats against Gonzaga, Iowa State and in-state rival Nebraska. Creighton’s lone win over a power conference opponent during that stretch came Nov. 27, when the Bluejays defeated Oregon in Las Vegas.

Creighton looked to build momentum Wednesday night on the road against Xavier at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. The Musketeers entered the matchup at 8-3, riding a five-game winning streak that included a victory over West Virginia. Both teams were playing their first Big East game of the season.

Xavier struck first, as sophomore guard All Wright scored on a driving layup less than 25 seconds into the game. Creighton responded quickly, with sophomore guard Austin Swartz knocking down a 3-pointer 20 seconds later. Senior guard Josh Dix followed with a 3-pointer of his own, assisted by Ty Davis, giving the Bluejays a 6-2 lead.

Xavier briefly answered. Malik Messina-Moore hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one, and Tre Carroll’s layup put the Musketeers back in front, 7-6. Messina-Moore added another 3-pointer moments later to give Xavier a 10-6 lead with 15:50 remaining in the first half.

From there, Creighton took control.

The Bluejays went on a 16-2 run to build a 22-12 advantage midway through the half. Xavier trimmed the lead to 24-18, but Creighton quickly regained momentum. Nik Graves hit a 3-pointer with 7:37 left in the half, followed by another from Swartz 23 seconds later. Swartz continued his scoring surge with consecutive baskets, helping Creighton extend its lead to 34-18.

Creighton closed the half with authority, taking a 49-22 lead into the break.

The Bluejays dominated multiple facets of the game in the first half, including bench production and ball security. Creighton scored 17 bench points compared to Xavier’s four and outscored the Musketeers 12-3 in points off turnovers. Creighton committed just one turnover in the first half, while Xavier had eight. The Bluejays also held a 10-0 edge in fast-break points at halftime.

Creighton showed no signs of slowing down in the second half. Swartz opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, assisted by Dix, pushing the lead to 52-22.

The Bluejays cruised the rest of the way, earning a 98-57 victory. The win improved Creighton’s record to 6-5 overall and 1-0 in Big East play. Creighton’s 98 points were the most ever allowed by Xavier at the Cintas Center, and the 41-point margin marked the largest home loss in Musketeers history.

“I liked the way we prepared the last couple days,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “I thought we were locked in. I thought we were ready. I thought the guys off the bench gave us a spark.”

Creighton shot efficiently from beyond the arc, finishing 16-of-33 from 3-point range.

“We always felt we were capable as a shooting team, and we work on it a lot,” McDermott said.

Xavier struggled on both ends of the floor, shooting 36% from the field and 25% from 3-point range.

“Credit to Creighton — they were really, really good,” Xavier coach Richard Pitino said. “I thought they were better than the way they were playing, and they responded in a big way. We were as bad as we’ve been all year.”

Here are three takeaways from Creighton’s start to Big East play.

#1 – Swartz delivers career night

Swartz scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc. He added seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. The performance came in just his second start of the season after beginning the year as a bench player.

#2 – Defense sets the tone

Creighton held Xavier to 36% shooting from the field and limited the Musketeers to 57 points on their home court. Junior forward Owen Freeman recorded three blocks for the second consecutive game, while the Bluejays totaled 11 steals, including four from Blake Harper. Creighton also controlled the defensive glass, finishing with a 36-19 edge in defensive rebounds and outscored Xavier 21-11 in fast-break points.

#3 – Strong start to Big East play

Creighton’s 41-point road win marked its first victory in a Big East opener since 2021. With several transfers in the rotation, the result provided an early confidence boost as conference play begins.

Creighton returns to action tonight against Marquette at CHI Health Center Omaha. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.