Foster hits winner, Creighton battles past DePaul 76-75

CHICAGO -- Marcus Foster scored 29 points, including a step-back 3-pointer that swished through with the winning points as Creighton battled past DePaul 76-75 on Wednesday night.

The Big East battle went through 12 lead changes and six ties and neither team led by more than six after halftime.

Foster was 5 of 8 from behind the 3-point arc and Khyri Thomas added 18 points. Creighton (18-6, 8-4) is alone in third place in the Big East as Providence (16-8, 7-4) was idle.

Marin Maric led DePaul (9-14, 2-9) with 23 points, Eli Cain added 18 and the Blue Demons have not won in their new arena since Dec. 21.

Cain hit a big 3-pointer that knotted the score at 73-73 with 1:44 remaining. Creighton turned the ball over after its timeout, and Maric backed his way into the post, started to spin right so quickly it sent his defender reeling and Maric spun around left laid the ball in for a 75-73 DePaul lead with just over a minute to play.

The Blue Demons nearly forced a critical turnover with about 30 seconds left when Cain blocked Foster from behind, but the Bluejays kept possession and Foster had two more tries. After missing a jumper with 27 seconds left, Foster took his next one from behind the 3-point arc and drained the game-winner with 14 seconds left.

The Blue Demons were running the ball around the 3-point arc on their final possession when -- with about four seconds to go -- Max Struss lost the handle, regained control and tried to bull his way through two defenders at the 3-point line. Toby Hegner stripped the ball and Creighton wrapped it up as time expired.