ST. LOUIS, Mo.--Toure' Murry's three to cap the Shockers battle to overcome a 22-point second half deficit turned into heartbreak as they watched a last-second prayer from Booker Woodfox fall through the net to give Creighton the Missouri Valley Tournament Quarterfinals victory, 63-62.

In the final minutes, sophomore J.T. Durley put his team on his back and converted another three-point play, bringing the Shocks within five, 61-56. Sending the suspense level through the roof, the Shocker defense forced a crucial Creighton turnover on the ensuing inbounds play. Clutch free throws from sophomore Graham Hatch brought the Shockers just one bucket away from the tie before sophomore Aaron Ellis went to the line.

On Ellis' miss, senior Ramon Clemente came up with the biggest rebound of the game to give his team possession with nine seconds remaining.

That nine seconds was enough time work the ball to the Shockers' proven game saver. Murry came through again to put the Shocks on top, but the euphoria came to an abrupt, heart-wrenching end as MVC Player of the Year, Woodfox, drained the final shot of the night.

"I'm real mad on the inside," Clemente said. "But I'm really proud of the guys. They never quit and showed that we have the best heart ever."

Durley led the Shockers with 17 points, 15 of which came in the grueling second half. Hatch recorded a career-high 12 points off of a 50 percent shooting performance. Clemente led all players on the boards with 11 rebounds while chipping in eight points. The Shockers nearly doubled the Bluejays on the glass, grabbing 48 rebounds to the Jays' 26.

For the Bluejays, Woofox went scoreless in the first half only to lead Creighton on the evening with 17 second-half points. Kenny Lawson, Jr. followed his effort with a 14-point night.

To start the game, junior guard Clevin Hannah connected for his first three of the game to take the lead and try to set the tone for the win-hungry Shockers. The Bluejays, however, answered with a 9-0 run taking just over two minutes to shove the fast-paced game into Creighton's favor, 13-5.

Storming back, Hatch cut off the Jays' scoring rally with a three from the corner. His lay up through the lane cut the Bluejays' lead further, 15-12. Continuing to duke it out, Creighton went on another run using a three from freshman Josh Young to put his team ahead, 25-16, at the eight-minute mark.

Unfazed, the Shockers worked to keep up with the game's frantic tempo. While Cavel Witter drained his first three of the game, Hatch nailed a long three to lead his team with 10 points and pull the Shockers back to a single-digit deficit, 30-21.

Although the Shocks shut out Woodfox in the first half, timely Creighton threes came anyway. The Shockers held the ?Jays to a 4-of-14 three-point effort in the first half, but Josh Dotzler hit one to end the half in Creighton's advantage, 36-23.

After being silenced by the Shocker defense in the first half, Woodfox knocked down nine points to highlight an 11-2 Creighton run to open the second.

Looking up at a 20-point discrepancy with 15 minutes to play, the Shocks began chipping away with free throws and tough rebounding. A long jumper from freshman guard David Kyles and a put back for Ellis cut into Creighton's lead, 49-35, less than a minute under the midway point.

Turnovers began to emerge as the Shocks' biggest opponent so the Shockers cut those out, too. The Shockers committed 18 turnovers around the 10-minute mark. WSU turned the ball over just one time in the final ten minutes.

Thus, the Shocks continued to battle. Hannah drilled a three from the top of the key to bring his team closer, 59-46. Murry's reverse lay up kept the Shockers alive, bringing Creighton's lead to single digits for the first time in the half. Roaring back, Durley executed a three-point play cut the lead further and complete the 180-degree momentum shift with less than two minutes to play.

Even though the momentum had shifted, Creighton had 1.8 seconds to get it back in the final play. Woodfox single-handedly stole it back.

"In 24 years of coaching, it's one of the most unusual games I've been a part of," Coach Gregg Marshall said. "It's very frustrating and disappointing. Regardless of how the game went, I'm so proud of how we were able to come back."

-Wichita State-