The Big East Tournament semifinal round will tip-off with a matchup between the Creighton Bluejays and the Providence Friars. The Bluejays (21-10) finished 12-7 in conference play and managed to stay relevant despite losing several key contributors from last season. On Wednesday, Creighton held Marquette to 40 percent shooting en route to a 74-63 victory.
Creighton F Ryan Hawkins matched a game-high with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting and pulled down six boards. Ryan Kalkbrenner chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bluejays.
The Providence Friars won the Big East Conference regular season title by posting a 14-3 record and have one of the most experienced rosters in the country. On Wednesday, Providence made the plays down the stretch to escape with a 65-61 victory against Butler. The 11th ranked Friars (25-4) won despite shooting just 37 percent from the field.
Providence C Nate Watson led all scorers with 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Jared Bynum added 16 points in 23 minutes off the bench for the Friars.
