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McDermott carries Creighton over Tulsa

Nov 23, 2013 - 11:02 PM Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) - Doug McDermott proved once again why he is one of the most lethal players in college basketball as he registered 33 points and 15 rebounds to help No. 23 Creighton stay unbeaten with an 82-72 win over Tulsa on Saturday.

McDermott, a two-time All-American, scored eight points in the final 2:10 of the contest to help Creighton (4-0) pull away after Tulsa (0-4) forward Rashad Smith netted five straight to pull the visitors within 73-68. Smith finished with a team-high 21 points in the setback.

Austin Chatman added 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a 4-of-5 mark from behind the arc for the Blue Jays, who have won four in a row over Tulsa. Chatman also dished out a game-high nine assists.

Pat Swilling, Jr. dropped 18 points for the Golden Hurricane, who remained winless on the season.

Creighton failed to create any real separation in the first half despite opening up a 17-8 lead nine minutes in on four straight points by Zach Hanson.

Swilling ignited the Golden Hurricane, surpassing his previous season high of 12 points in the first half off the bench. Swilling poured in 13 in the opening frame thanks to a 3-of-5 effort from behind the arc.

The Bluejays held a narrow edge for most of the first half but trailed 39-36 late in the period after a Shaquille Harrison layup put Tulsa in front and Swilling added to the lead with 1:47 left in the stanza.

After another Swilling layup less than a minute before the half, Chatman drilled a 3-pointer to give Creighton a 42-41 halftime advantage.

Creighton regrouped in the locker room and came out on fire in the second half. The Bluejays knocked down five shots in a row, including a pair of McDermott triples. Tulsa trailed 55-45 less than three minutes in and took a quick timeout.

Will Artino kept the surge going with a transition dunk after McDermott's steal, and Creighton was in control.

Game Notes

Tulsa leads the all-time series, 43-35 ... McDermott became the first Creighton player since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70 to open the season with four straight games of 20-or-more points ... Both teams had 37 rebounds and 19 assists.