OMAHA, Neb. -- J.P. Macura scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half, and Xavier capitalized on its hot shooting late in the game and Creighton's struggles at the free throw line to defeat the 22nd-ranked Bluejays 82-80 on Saturday.
The Musketeers (17-6, 7-3 Big East) made 7 of 9 shots, including five 3-pointers, during a 19-7 spurt that turned their 66-59 deficit into a 78-73 lead with 2 minutes left.
The Bluejays (20-4, 7-4) had chances to come back in the last minute, but Ronnie Harrell Jr. missed what would have been the tying free throw, Khyri Thomas missed a baseline layup and Toby Hegner threw an outlet pass out of bounds with 1.