Meeks' 3 with 10.6 seconds left puts UK in NIT quarterfinals

Updated: Mar 23, 2009, 10:59 pm

OMAHA, Neb. -- After getting shut down much of the night, Jodie Meeks converted a three-point play with 10.6 seconds left to give Kentucky a 65-63 victory over Creighton in the second round of the NIT on Monday night.

The Wildcats (22-13) advanced to a quarterfinal game at Notre Dame on Wednesday. The Bluejays, who came in off wins in 12 of their past 13 games, finished the season 27-8.

Kentucky played from behind most of the night but found themselves in position to win after Justin Carter missed two free throws with 36.4 seconds left.

Meeks, held in check by P'Allen Stinnett and Antoine Young for long stretches, blew past Stinnett on his way to the basket and got fouled by Carter. After he made the free throw for a two-point lead, Booker Woodfox missed what would have been the winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Meeks led the Wildcats with 16 points, Perry Stevenson added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Patrick Patterson had 12 points.

Woodfox had 18 points, Stinnett 15 and Kenny Lawson 12. Carter had eight points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

For the Bluejays, it was more than a game. It was an event.

Kentucky, college basketball's all-time winningest program, was the biggest-name opponent to play on Creighton's floor since Ray Meyer's great DePaul teams of the early 1980s.

Backed by an amped crowd of 16,984 despite a tornado warning at tipoff, Creighton frustrated the Wildcats and had them playing from behind most of the night.

Creighton led 33-31 at half after holding Kentucky stars Meeks and Patterson to a combined seven points.

Patterson, who entered the game off four straight double-doubles, was on the bench until the start of the second half after picking up his second foul less than five minutes into the game.

Creighton effectively denied Meeks the ball. The Southeastern Conference's leading scorer at 24 points a game couldn't shake Stinnett and Young, getting off just one shot the first nine minutes. He then missed a fastbreak dunk and an alley-oop before hitting a 3-pointer.

There were 13 lead changes, with Creighton never ahead by more than five and Kentucky never by more than two.

Creighton missed 5 of 6 free throws in the last 3:26.