Jays Throttle Johnnies 94-82 In Omaha

Call it a get-right game for Marcus Zegarowski.

Hell, call it a get-right game for the entire Bluejays squad.

After getting shelled by Providence in Rhode Island, the Jays had to face Mike Anderson’s 40-minutes of hell in an early evening ballgame in Omaha. With back-up speedy guard Shereef Mitchell still out due to concussion protocol, this was going to be a statement win if the Jays were able to manage it.

The first half offered a glimpse into what we were going to see for the entirety of the game, with the talents of Damien Jefferson and Marcus Zegarowski surgically picking apart the St. John’s defense. The two scored 10 a piece in what ended up being a 47 point first half performance, topped off by a Greg McDermott timeout with a minute remaining in the half, instructing his talented offense to get a 2-for-1 look to stretch the lead.

Zegarowski found Christian Bishop for the first bucket, then found him again on an illustrious alley-oop, that Bishop used every bit of his 6’8 frame to nab in the air, to give the Bluejays a 10-point lead going into intermission.

Although St. John’s stayed within a puncher’s chance throughout the second half, cashing contested threes and keeping up with Creighton’s frenetic pace, it was an effort that was more look-and-see what St. John’s could be with the right pieces. The win for the Jays was never really in doubt even as Marcellus Earlington and Mustapha Heron put together an electric display of shooting, getting their deficit down to two with 11 minutes remaining in the game.

It was for naught, as they couldn’t survive the flurry of buckets that followed from the Jays, as they built a lead that apexed at 17 points. Zegarowski finished with 23 points, while Jefferson and Alexander finished with 16 a piece.

This win moved Creighton into the upper echelon of the BIG EAST standings with Seton Hall’s win over Villanova earlier in the day and Xavier’s home win over Providence in the evening. Tied for second - for now - the Jays will face another tough test on Wednesday night as they head to New Jersey to get the first place Pirates.

St. John’s will host Providence on Wednesday on CBS Sports Net. They fell to 2-9 in conference play.