Creighton faces tough test vs No. 24 BYU

Published Dec. 9, 2021 12:31 p.m. ET

Associated Press

No. 24 Brigham Young (8-1) vs. Creighton (7-2)

Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Saturday, 12 a.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 24 Brigham Young presents a tough challenge for Creighton. Creighton has played a ranked team only once this season and lost. Brigham Young beat Utah State by 11 on Wednesday.

LEADING THE CHARGE: Alex Barcello is averaging 18.4 points to lead the charge for the Cougars. Te'Jon Lucas is also a primary facilitator, producing 12.1 points and 4.8 assists per game. The Bluejays have been led by Ryan Hawkins, who is averaging 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: Lucas has been directly responsible for 43 percent of all Brigham Young field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has 17 field goals and 16 assists in those games.

UNDEFEATED WHEN: Creighton is a perfect 6-0 when the team blocks at least five opposing shots. The Bluejays are 1-2 this season when they block fewer than five shots.

ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Cougars have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Bluejays. Creighton has 37 assists on 77 field goals (48.1 percent) over its previous three outings while Brigham Young has assists on 40 of 76 field goals (52.6 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: Brigham Young has committed a turnover on just 16.2 percent of its possessions this season, which is the lowest rate among all WCC teams. The Cougars have turned the ball over only 11 times per game this season.

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