Recap: Creighton 93 - #5 Xavier 98

Time is a human construct. We run our lives on a perpetual clock. We work hours, we cook in minutes, and we process thoughts in seconds. We study culture by decades, human civilization by centuries, and our biological advances and carbon dating in millenniums. The time frame we currently exist in is fragile, frail; existing in the present is difficult because when you act, you may not fully realize the impact you have on the broader picture.

Sports takes place across all time frames due to the high level of analysis we put into it. We, Americans especially, put weight into previous performances in an attempt to predict future performance - utilizing statistics to try to paint our. We do this before the game to stir up interest in event we're writing about, then afterwards in an attempt to say why we were right or wrong. We do this in a short span of time, collecting as much information as possible and trying to make a case for one team or the other. When you've got ten teams to focus on, it becomes rather difficult to understand the idiosyncrasies, strengths, and weaknesses of each team.

If only we were allotted more time.

Today we witnessed the final BIG EAST game of the regular season. It's been a bizarre season of ups and downs, consistent top and bottom teams, a medley of good basketball in the middle, and a rush to fill out those coveted 3-7 slots for the conference tournament. Xavier and Creighton competed with one another for the full duration of the first half - exciting, electric basketball where the tempo blitzed the cerebellum with beautiful basketball. A span of time that included four straight threes, back to back for both teams. Defense was great, but the offense found a rhythm that would make Miles Davis blush.

The second half of basketball featured the Musketeers blowing open the game with a 15-0 run. It appeared as if Xavier was going to take this game and run away with it in the final 20 minutes of the affair, yet the Musketeers became complacent as Creighton became feisty. The final three minutes of the game was a testament to the entire season for Creighton; get it close and then hang back.

In fact, Creighton was even able to get within two points of Xavier in the final 30 seconds of the game. Unfortunately for the Jays, they weren't able to pull it out but were able to make Xavier sweat.

This game featured two flagrant fouls, a double technical after a Macura-Watson skirmish, a whole lotta hard fouls, and a whole lot of great three point shooting. Creighton switched to a 1-3-1 defense to interrupt Xavier's offensive tempo in the final five minutes, completing their goal of disruption and managing to close the previously stated gap.

Now we move on to the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. For weird recaps and stuff from NYC, be sure to stick with us on this here blogsite.