Xavier upsets Creighton in Cincinnati

The Xavier Musketeers virtually sealed their bid to the NCAA Tournament Saturday afternoon, picking up a 77-69 upset win over the #13 Creighton Bluejays.

Zach Freemantle notched his fifth straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Paul Scruggs coming up big with a game-high 23 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists as the senior guard truly did it all for the Musketeers.

The teams were tied at 33 going into the half, but the second half was dominated by Xavier, who bounced back nicely from this week’s loss to Providence. Scruggs recorded 12 points in the second half on a perfect 5-5 shooting from the field.

Creighton was led by a 19-point effort by Damien Jefferson, who also led Creighton with 10 rebounds. Marcus Zegarowski notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.

The Musketeers improve to 13-5 and 6-5 in Big East play. They’ll return to action Tuesday against Georgetown. Creighton falls to 17-6 and 13-5 in Big East play. They return to action Wednesday against Villanova.