Creighton Basketball: 3 takeaways from Big East play loss at Marquette

3. Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander carried the team offensively

Even though Creighton lost the game, Scheierman and Alexander were really good on offense. Marquette is one of the better defensive teams in the country, allowing just over 66 points per game. They only allowed 67 points to Creighton. But in a game played at a slower pace, there aren't as many shots to go around. These two Bluejays made the most of the shots they did take.

Let’s start with Baylor Scheierman, the game's leading scorer. He ended with 23 points on eight made shots. He came out hot right from the start. In the first five minutes, Scheierman had already made three shots from behind the arc. He cooled down a little as Marquette settled in defensively. By the end of the game, he made seven threes, a career-high. And only one of his made shots was inside the arc. It’s a lot of fun to watch Scheierman shoot the ball. He has the confidence and ability to make just about any shot once he crosses half-court. This Creighton offense wouldn’t be nearly as good if it weren’t for his threes.

Not to be outdone, Trey Alexander poured in 18 points. Unlike Scheierman, his shots came from inside the three-point line. Alexander has a decent three-point shot, but he doesn’t rely on it like his teammate. He is much more willing to try and get to the rim or pull up for a mid-range jumper. After some forced shots, Alexander finally found his rhythm and was almost automatic on those mid-range jumpers. Making 7 of 15 from the floor, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out six assists.

Creighton made 12 threes in the loss but only got the line six times. The Bluejays made 45.5 percent of their shots, but as mentioned before in a game where your opponent gets a ton of second-chance points and points off turnovers it’s hard to get the win. Moving forward I think Creighton will be fine. They will find a way to get Ryan Kalkbrenner more touches to lighten the scoring pressure from its two stars.

The Bluejays are and will continue to be one of the better teams in the country. I’m excited to see what they can get done in a tough Big East conference.