Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
LAS VEGAS- DJ Thomas scored 20 points to lead a balanced West Virginia attack in a rout of Creighton 87-70 on Saturday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena to advance to tomorrow’s championship game of the College Basketball Crown.
The Mountaineers (20-14) had five players score in double figures. Treysen Eaglestaff tallied 16 points and Brenen Lorient had 15 points and six rebounds. Honor Huff added 13 and Chance Moore 10.
Thomas was 9-of-14 from the field and downed a pair of 3s. WVU shot 40 percent from beyond the arc and 53 percent from the field.
The Bluejays shot 43.4 percent from the floor and 24 percent from 3-point range.
The Mountaineers dominated Creighton 39-29 on the boards and never trailed in the contest. WVU outscored the Bluejays 44-32 in the paint.
The Mountaineers opened the game on an 8-0 run and never looked back.
Eaglestaff sank a three-pointer with 1:11 to play in the first half and WVU held a 43-37 lead at the break.
Josh Dix’s alley-oop dunk pulled Creighton within four, 43-39 to open the second half before the Mountaineers pushed their lead to 11 with 13:43 left on a layup from Thomas. With 9:17 remaining Thomas’ basket made it 65-49.
The Bluejays went on an 8-0 run to trim the deficit 65-57 with 7:13 to go. WVU remained poised. Lorient responded with a free throw and then two Eaglestaff triples to push their lead back to 12.
Huff sank a trey and Lorient’s layup at the 3:40 mark pushed the Mountaineers’ lead to 79-61. Eaglestaff gave WVU its largest lead of the day at 19 points with 2:44 to play.
Dix led Creighton with 18 points and Jasen Green finished with 14 points and 12 boards.
The loss for the Bluejays marks the end of Greg McDermott’s coaching tenure. The longtime coach announced he would retire at the end of the season. He spent 16 seasons at the helm of Creighton.
The Mountaineers hit the 20-win mark for the first time in six years.
WVU will battle former Big 12 foe Oklahoma, who defeated Baylor 82-69 in the first semifinal game, for the championship on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
