Creighton defeated Louisville 89-79 in the 1st Round of the South Region in an 8-0 game. Creighton will now take on Auburn who won their 1st Round game as well. Auburn defeated Alabama State and is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. For Creighton, Senior Guard Jamiya Neal scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds (6 over his average). Senior Guard Steven Ashworth, whose infant son was at the game, was 4-of-8 from three-point range as he scored 22 points. Do you think Creighton will defeat Auburn?
Creighton vs. Louisville Game Summary
Coach Greg McDermott’s Bluejays are now 25-10. They won their fifth consecutive Men’s Basketball Tournament opener. This is the second time this season they defeated a team that was ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. This was a big win for the Big East. “We felt like we had to win the 3-point-line battle,” McDermott said.” So we did what we could to force them into 2s, and if they shot 3s that they’d be challenged. I think for the most part we were able to do that.”
Freshman Forward Jackson McAndrew had 11 points for Creighton. He made two 3-pointers in a 12-0 run that also included two 3-pointers from Ashworth. Ashworth scored first with a long 3-pointer. His 3 near the March Madness logo on the court gave Creighton a 31-25 lead. McAndrew then hit a 3-pointer. Then Ashworth and McAndrew each hit another. Those four 3-pointers made it 40-25 Creighton, effectively putting the game out of reach.
“It was one of those moments where you could feel the momentum trying to swing their way and one of those things where you try and stop it,” Ashworth said. In all, Creighton shot 11-of-24 from 3-point range and 32-of-56 overall (58%). Creighton used sharp shooting to defeat the Cardinals. Neal led Creighton. Neal is a transfer from Arizona State and scored 17 points after halftime to top his previous best of 24. Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is 7-foot-1, added 14 points.
Chucky Hepburn scored 22 points and Terrence Edwards Jr. had 21 for Louisville. The Cardinals are now 27-8. They improved their record by 19 wins over last season with a transfer-heavy roster under first-year coach Pat Kelsey. Kelsey was upset with the officials late in the game and got a costly technical foul that basically ended the game. It was the Cardinals’ first Men’s Basketball Tournament appearance since 2019. “They played well today. They were the better team,” a Diplomatic Kelsey said.
News and Notes from the Creighton vs. Louisville Game
There are a few notes of interest from the Creighton victory over Louisville. Neal shot 11-of-16, including 2-of-5 from three-point range on his way to a career-high in points and tying his career-high in rebounding. He punctuated his outburst with an acrobatic dunk and credited teammates Ashton and McAndrew for opening up the floor. “They spaced the floor for me, and I like to play in space,” he said. “That leaves me a lot of opportunity to go out there and do my thing.”
The difference in the game was how the Bluejays shot the ball. Creighton made 14 of 21 free throws. And they were 32-of-56 on 2-point field goals and 11-24 on 3-point field goals. Creighton out-rebounded Louisville 37-32.
Louisville senior Guard Reyne Smith, who averages over 38% from 3-point range, scored five points in his return from a four-game absence but re-injured his right ankle midway through the second half. He is from Australia and was curled up on the floor for several minutes and was visibly upset as teammates hugged each other and Kelsey knelt over him.
Conclusion
Creighton is experienced and will present a great challenge for Auburn. Auburn could have trouble guarding Kalkbrenner. It is fair to wonder who will guard him. Could it be the player of the year candidate Johnni Broome or bench player Dylan Cardwell, who is 6-foot-11? Either way, things are going to get tougher than against Alabama St.
