GAME NOTES: Providence and Creighton will meet for the second time in three weeks when the Friars visit the Bluejays at CenturyLink Center on Saturday for another Big East test.

On New Year's Eve, Providence downed Creighton, 65-53, behind a 35-point effort from LaDontae Henton. It was the conference opener for both teams, and the Friars improved to 9-5 all-time against the Bluejays.

Providence has split four games since, last losing to St. John's, 83-70, on Wednesday. Henton again led the way with a game-high 22 points, but the team could not counter St. John's hitting 50.9 percent from the field. The Red Storm also held the Friars to a shooting percentage of .333 in the first 20 minutes, and the 12-point deficit at halftime was too much to overcome.

With 13 wins, the Friars are still contenders for an NCAA Tournament berth, mainly on the strength of Henton's play. The senior forward is averaging a conference-best 21.2 ppg, adding in a team-high 5.6 rpg. Henton was ranked fifth in the country in scoring heading into Thursday's games.

It hasn't been all Henton for the Friars. Kris Dunn, who recorded a double- double against St. John's, has replaced Bryce Cotton at point guard exceptionally well. Dunn is averaging 13.8 ppg and a nation-best 7.9 assists per game. Tyler Harris rounds out a trio of double-digit scorers at 10.7 ppg. Although the team's lineup is well-rounded and the Friars have been winning games, they check in with a 69.2 ppg average, which ranks last in the Big East in scoring.

The post-Doug McDermott era at Creighton has gotten off to an inauspicious start in Big East play, with the Bluejays dropping their first five against conference foes. They led down the stretch of Wednesday's road test against Marquette, but Matt Carlino knocked down a 3-pointer with 11.2 seconds play to lift Marquette to a 53-52 victory. Will Artino and Rick Kreklow both missed potential game-winners in the remaining time.

Kreklow finished with 13 points, while Toby Hegner scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in the team's sixth straight loss. Artino also contributed with eight points and six boards, but the Bluejays were done in by a 36.4 percent shooting effort and getting to the foul line just eight times.

Creighton also lost to Seton Hall on a last-second 3-pointer last weekend and has fallen back to .500 at 9-9. Austin Chatman and Isaiah Zierden played through injuries in the setback against Marquette and combined for just eight points. Chatman, who shot just 1-for-6 from the floor, still leads the team in scoring at 11.8 ppg and assists at 4.3 apg. Zierden checks in at 10.2 ppg.

A home crowd looking for a much-needed win will give Creighton a boost Saturday. The Bluejays will have to shut down Henton and come up with big plays down the stretch that have been lacking in the past week. Look for Chatman to take control and give the fans in Omaha something to cheer about.