A feud bigger than the conference, where every possession feels like a battle. 20,000 plus fans packed in the arena, awaiting a tough battle. The stage set in the ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ for an action-packed semi-final contest.
And when the dust settled, it was No. 2 seeded Creighton that stood tall, edging out UConn to secure a spot in the Big East Tournament Championship for the fifth time in program history. With a dominant first half and a defensive stand in the second, the Bluejays secured a 71-62 victory, taking the 2025 season series against UConn, 2-1.
With a chance to make history and claim their first-ever Big East Tournament championship tonight, here are three key takeaways from the matchup with the Huskies that propelled the Bluejays to become one of two teams standing—and what they must do to emerge as champions in the final battle.
#1- Jasen Green, Jamiya Neal and a first-half firestorm helped bolster the entire game
It was clear from the get-go that Creighton needed to start fast to have a shot at UConn. A team with talent like Hurley has acquired can’t be allowed to run away with the game before it’s even started.
And when the whistle blew, the Bluejays answered the call with a first half that was nearly perfect, the offensive prowess of the Creighton roster firmly on the backs of senior Jamiya Neal and sophomore Jasen Green.
Neal kicked off scoring for Creighton in a big way, one that was absolutely necessary after the snails-pace with which the Bluejay offense was able to settle in against DePaul. The senior racked up Creighton’s first nine points of the game by his own hand, then added an assist to his early impact to propel the Bluejays to a quick 11-6 lead.
Jasen Green quickly matched Jamiya Neal’s intensity. The Omaha native got off to a hot start and sustained it throughout the entire half, shooting a perfect 7-7 from the field and surpassing his career-high 14 points just in the opening 20 minutes, claiming 15 by the end of the half. Green’s ability to locate the mismatch in the paint allowed the sophomore to execute from under the basket, quelling any chance for the momentum to swing in UConn’s favor.
Collectively the Bluejays put on a shooting masterclass, upping their efficiency from the first half against DePaul by 45.4%, shooting 75% against the Huskies, converting on 18 of their 24 attempted shots. The Bluejays led by as many as 14 points with 29 seconds remaining before the Huskies drained a triple to make it 11 heading into halftime.
As expected, the second half saw Creighton’s shooting less efficiently, 30.77% (8-26) from the field and 18.18% (2-11) from three, but the lead that the Bluejays built allowed them to keep their foot on UConn’s neck, even as they made various runs to get the game as close as three points.
Being aggressive and efficient in the first half, and building a sizable lead, allowed the Bluejays to lead for all except two minutes at the beginning of the contest.
“We were extremely efficient the first half. I thought we got the ball to the spots we wanted to,” McDermott said. “They did a really good job to rally around Kalkbrenner and make those catches tough. So we went some different places, and guys took the right shots. If we take the right shots, chances are we’re going to make some.”
As the Bluejays look to take on a hot St. John’s team, starting off the first half right, with high scoring performances from players like Green and Neal, and building a lead that they could sustain with a defensive performance, is critical.
#2- Communication on Defense against a UConn team they knew was going to make a run
UConn is never going to bow its head quietly, especially not after Creighton shot a lights out first half of over 60% from the field and beyond the arc. Thus, Creighton had to be ready for when the Huskies inevitably made a run in the second half, and lock in on defense to keep UConn at bay for as long as they could.
“I thought our guys were really locked in defensively. For us to shoot 30% the second half and still find a way to win, we had to defend,” McDermott said. “We talked about the necessity to keep them off the free-throw line. We were able to do what we do without fouling. We’ve done that all year, so that’s not a surprise.”
As expected, the Huskies brought the energy in the second half, going on a 12 point run, after Creighton extended their lead to 55-38, and closed the gap to 55-50 with just over 12 minutes to play.
But Creighton’s response to the UConn run was not to panic, but lock down and communicate on defense, a contrast from when the Bluejays played host to the Huskies in Omaha on Feb. 11.
In the two teams’ last contest, Creighton’s defense broke down on too many sequences, allowing the Huskies to take the lead, bolstered by McNeeley’s 38 points. The freshman’s offensive prowess lent him 15 points in the first half and 23 in the second half.
Conversely, at Madison Square Garden, the Bluejays’ defense and communication was on a completely different level. As a team, the Huskies shot 42.6% from the field and 38.1% from downtown, and after dropping 38 points on the Bluejays last game, McNeeley was limited to 13 points throughout the game, and 6-20 from the floor last night.
This is the type of defense that wins games, and it proved fruitful against the Huskies at Madison Square Garden, even when Creighton’s offensive efficiency decreased from the show it put on in the first half.
When the shots stopped falling, Creighton’s defense took center stage—turning a high-scoring shootout into a gritty, disciplined battle that sent the Bluejays to the Big East title game.
#3- Looking forward to tonight: What will it take to beat the Red Storm
As they face off for the third time this season, just a month removed from their last meeting, both teams have a clear understanding of each other’s game. If the Bluejays hope to emerge from what is sure to be a tough battle with the Big East Championship title in their hands, they are going to need to focus on the details.
- Discipline is Key: Can Creighton Keep St. John’s Off the Line?
When the Bluejays battled the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 16, fouling and free throws seemed to be the story of a game that came down to execution of every possession. The Bluejays committed a season-high 23 fouls, giving St. John’s 29 free throw opportunities, of which the Red Storm converted on 17. If the Bluejays hope to take down the Red Storm in the comfort of their home, it is pivotal that they employ the type of lock-down, no foul defense that made them so effective against UConn. Can the Bluejays still pull off a win by giving up more fouls than they did against the Huskies? Yes. But setting themselves up for the best possible chance to dethrone the No. 1-seed means doing everything in their control to keep the opponent from getting free points.
- Turnover Test: Can Creighton Protect the Ball Against St. John’s?
Forcing turnovers is one of St. John’s specialties, as the Red Storm force 15.8 turnovers per game from their opponent. Being able to have the advantage over an aggressive Red Storm team that thrives off stifling defense will mean executing a nearly perfect game of ball security. A lack of ball control and an aggressive defensive performance from St. John’s got the best of the Bluejays in mid-Feb, when they turned the ball over 15 times and outscored Creighton 20-2 in points off turnovers.
Conversely, after Creighton’s performance against UConn, it’s clear that when the Bluejays are locked in and paying attention to the details, they can execute a near-flawless game. Last night, the Bluejays turned the ball over just four times, the fewest ever in a Big East Tournament game, as well as their season low.
“I told our guys to go to sleep thinking about ball security and box-outs because that’s the game,” McDermott said.
If Creighton can replicate that level of discipline and control against St. John’s that they did against UConn, they’ll give themselves a strong chance to dictate the tempo and keep the Red Storm’s disruptive defense from taking over.
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Thus, with disciplined defense, ball security and a fast start setting the tone, Creighton has all the pieces to take down the Red Storm, if they can execute like they did against the Huskies. With a shot at glory, the Bluejays will look to flip the script on their Big East Tournament history—because if their play last night was any indication, the fifth time just might be the charm.