Three days after a tough loss at Gonzaga, Creighton rebounded in dominant fashion Friday, overwhelming Maryland Eastern Shore 84-45.
The Bluejays opened with a flurry, scoring the first 12 points behind crisp passing and early interior touches by Iowa transfer Owen Freeman. Although the offense cooled midway through the half, sophomore guard Blake Harper steadied the group with an eight-point burst that restored momentum and sent Creighton into the locker room ahead by double digits.
Head Coach Greg McDermott said the focus after Tuesday’s loss at Gonzaga was resetting the team’s approach.
“I thought they came out of halftime with some energy, and that’s what I wanted to see,” McDermott said.
Creighton wasted no time separating itself after the break. The Jays attacked pushed the pace whenever possible, with four different players scoring as the lead climbed past 20. McDermott said that tempo became a deciding factor.
“I think our pace finally wore into them,” he said. “As you play against it for 20 minutes, all of a sudden you’re gonna be a half step slower.”
UMES relied on its zone for most of the night—a look Creighton expected—and the Jays picked it apart using the reads they had drilled in practice. As the game wore on, they grew more comfortable attacking gaps and finding cutters behind the line of pressure.
Junior Jasen Green, who has played both forward and center as the staff navigates early-season personnel adjustments, said the team was prepared for those looks.
“We have nine new players this year, so there’s a lot of teaching points to go around,” he said. “We haven’t played against too much zone yet, but we worked on it throughout practice this week.”
He added that shifting between positions has become second nature, something he’s had to do at times in previous seasons.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable with playing both,” Green said. “There’s a little bit of a mindset switch, but the goal is still the same: put the ball in the basket.”
Harper, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, said the team’s response was rooted in lessons from Tuesday.
“Playing at Gonzaga is a tough environment. I feel like we came out a little bit soft, not as physical,” the Howard transfer said. “Tuesday wasn’t our best effort at all; it wasn’t us as a team.”
But, he emphasized the importance of moving forward quickly.
“We can’t hang our heads on one loss,” Harper said. “That’s the special thing with college basketball: it’s a fast turnaround.”
That urgency showed in Creighton’s passing. Ten Bluejays had at least one assist, helping Creighton rack up 23 assists on 33 made baskets. Freeman led with 5 assists. On defense, aggressive traps and double-teams disrupted UMES, who committed 18 turnovers and made just two 3-pointers.
Creighton shot 30 percent from deep, something McDermott said needs to improve.
“That’s got to be something we’re better at,” he said. “We got a lot of the right shots from the right guys that just didn’t make it.”
Still, the Jays controlled transition, the glass, and second-chance scoring. Green matched Harper with 14 points, while Harper and Freeman pulled down nine and eight rebounds, respectively. As the season progresses, McDermott said rotation decisions will hinge on consistency.
“They have to bring consistency off the bench. I’d love to have a deep team…but they’ve got to hold themselves up to a pretty high standard of accountability,” he said. “Sometimes, the bench is the best teacher in the world.”
Creighton, who has now won five straight at home, returns Wednesday to host North Dakota. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
“North Dakota is a much different team than the one we played tonight, so we’ve just got to be ready to execute,” McDermott said.