The Creighton Bluejays finally seem to be back on track, after winning two consecutive games against Missouri Valley Conference opponents.
The Jays hosted the Illinois State University Redbirds Wednesday night at the Qwest Center and won 75-59.
In the first half, the Jays had their work cut out for them as they battled Illinois State for the whole 20 minutes. The Jays managed to pull off a 9-0 run in the last five minutes though, pulling ahead 32-25 at halftime.
Creighton shot 60 percent from the field and were led by sophomore guard Josh Jones’ eight points and freshman forward Doug McDermott’s seven points.
The Jays picked up where they left off in the second half and never let the Redbirds get within six points. They shot over 65 percent from the field and over 62 percent from beyond the arc.
McDermott led all scorers with 18 points, while Jones added 15 and was a perfect 6-6 from the field.
The Jays now hold sole possession of fifth place in the MVC.
On Sunday the Jays were led by Echenique the sophomore center transfer from Rutgers University, who had struggled as of late.
Some people said Echenique had trouble adjusting to the MVC, but he wouldn’t hear any of it.
“I don’t pay much attention to what people outside the program think,’’ he said. “I never stopped believing in myself, and the coaches never did.”
All of that belief paid off in a big way Sunday night, as Echenique’s 12 points and 14 rebounds led Creighton (16-11, 8-7) to a 69-50 victory over conference rival Southern Illinois University before a crowd of 14,417 at the Qwest Center. The game was also televised on ESPNU.
Creighton came out strong in the first half and opened the game on a 20-8 run, thanks to senior center Kenny Lawson Jr. and senior forward Wayne Runnels, who scored a combined nine points in the game’s first eight minutes.
The Jays coasted from that point on, building a 31-19 lead by halftime. The Salukis never got within nine points in the second half.
“We started the first half well, and then we scored on 12 of our first 13 possessions to start the second half,’’ head coach Greg McDermott said. “That kind of efficiency is going to put you in a pretty good place, and was able to knock SIU back on its heels.’’
Coach McDermott called the team’s effort one of the most complete of the season. Creighton was paced by Echenique as well as freshman guard Jahenns Manigat and McDermott.
Manigat scored a career-high 14 points, while McDermott led the Jays with 15 points and seven rebounds.
“What [Doug] has done rebounding-wise in this league has fascinated me,’’ coach McDermott said. “I didn’t think he would be ready for the physical nature of play in this league. He’s shown he is.’’
McDermott’s numbers are starting to become second nature for the talented freshman. This season, he is averaging 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Some have branded McDermott as the best Creighton freshman ever.
“It’s definitely been a good year for me, but I can’t be worried about comparisons with other guys,’’ McDermott said. “I’m more worried about the wins and losses. What we’ve done is not acceptable to the expectations we have at Creighton.
“I’d rather be known as a guy that took Creighton to four NCAA tournaments rather than the guy that led Creighton in scoring.’’
If McDermott wants to be that guy, the team better heat up quickly. Creighton’s next game is Saturday at the University of Akron. The game will start at 6 p.m. and will not be televised.