It was like deja vu, but this time in the script was flipped in favor of the Creighton white and blue. Just over two months after Georgetown handed Creighton an 81-57 loss, the Hoyas found themselves on the receiving end of a role reversal on February 23, as Creighton dominated in an 80-69 victory.
Since the Bluejays lost to UConn and then-No. 9 St. John’s on Feb. 11 and Feb. 16. respectively, the win over the Hoyas was imperative to continue the hunt for solid seeding in the BIG EAST Tournament, and for a strong postseason push. Here are three key takeaways from the win.
#1- It’s not always how you start, but how you finish
From the opening whistle, the Hoyas came out firing, their three-pointers dropping like rain and silencing a passionate Creighton home crowd. It seemed as if the Bluejays had yet to settle into the game when the whistle blew and the Hoyas, spearheaded by Micah Peavy, made them pay. While Creighton started the game 2-6 from the field collectively, less than five minutes into the first half the Hoyas had raced out to a 14-9 lead behind three early triples from Peavy, setting the stage for his dominant half.
A testament to Creighton’s composure in the face of Georgetown’s scoring surge, the Bluejays weathered their own cold stretches from beyond the arc and never allowed the Hoyas to push their lead beyond nine.
But it wasn’t until the final five minutes of the first half that the Bluejays truly found their footing. Eerily familiar to how the narrative played out at Georgetown two months ago, when the Hoyas lit up in the final minutes of the first half and never looked back, the Bluejays flipped the script, doing the same to Georgetown at CHI Health Center.
“I think we were ahead with four or five minutes left in the first half [last time we played them] and they went on a great run to end the half and start the second half and created separation. We did exactly the same today,” Head Coach Greg McDermott said. “I think they only scored on two of their last 10 possessions and we rattled off eight out of 10 to end the half. That was a really critical part of the game, and then I think we scored 10 of 11 possessions to start the second half and created the separation that we needed.”
Fueled by growing aggression and a Bluejay fan base finally coming to life, Creighton rattled off a 7-0 run with just over five minutes remaining in the first half, forcing the Hoyas into a 2:30 scoring drought. The surge proved crucial, trimming a nine-point deficit to two before Steven Ashworth’s game-tying three and Ryan Kalkbrenner’s clutch free throws sent the Bluejays into halftime with the lead.
If the first half was about withstanding the early storm, the second half was about proving once again that it’s not how you start, but how you finish—and the Bluejays made sure to finish strong, outscoring the Hoyas 36-27 in the latter 20 minutes. After taking a slim two-point lead into halftime, Creighton opened the second half with a 6-0 run, quickly pushing their advantage to nine and never allowing the Hoyas to get any closer than five.
Moral of the story? A slow start doesn’t seal your fate.
“You don’t panic, especially early in the game. You [just] try to do your job a little better,” McDermott said.
In this matchup, Creighton proved they could turn the tide in the final minutes of the first half and carry that momentum into the second. This skill will be invaluable as the postseason approaches, where the high-stakes, one-and-done environment will define every moment.
#2- Putting the breaks on Peavy’s point production
Micah Peavy was a force to be reckoned with in the two teams’ first meeting in D.C. (20 points, eight assists and seven steals) and his first half performance in Omaha looked like it was going to be a repeat showing for the senior.
From tipoff, Peavy evaded Creighton’s defensive pressure, scoring three of Georgetown’s first four three-pointers. His efficiency gave the Hoyas an 46.9% field goal shooting edge compared to Creighton’s 39.5% rate by the end of the first half alone, as the guard shot 7-12 from the field and made four of his six three-point attempts.
Catching the Bluejays off guard with his three-point sharpshooting, the senior delivered a dominant first half, racking up 18 of Georgetown’s 44 points—accounting for more than a third of the team’s offensive output before the break.
But Peavy’s production in the second half was just a sliver of his output in the first half. The guard went from scoring with 58% field goal efficiency in the first 20 minutes to shooting 11.1% (1-9 from the field), tallying just two points throughout the entire second half.
The cause of this abrupt decline in efficiency? An adaptable Creighton defense that located the main source of Georgetown’s production and made the necessary adjustments to stifle it. While sophomore forward Jasen Green began the game guarding Peavy, McDermott decided to channel senior guard Jamiya Neal’s athleticism into shutting down the Georgetown sharpshooter.
“[In] a couple [of] scramble situations he [Peavy] hit some shots and then we just decided to put Jamiya on him with a little bit more quickness and I thought he did a really good job from that point forward,” McDermott said.
Switching Neal to primarily guard Peavy, paired with having Ryan Kalkbrenner block his driving attempts, was a key combination that helped Creighton seize control, Green said.
In the second half, Peavy tried to attack the paint, but senior Ryan Kalkbrenner was there to do what he does best—blocking three of Peavy’s shot attempts.
Thus, the Bluejays’ defensive adjustments not only neutralized Peavy’s impact but also shifted the game’s momentum, turning what started as a Georgetown showcase into a statement win for Creighton. It is this kind of adaptability and team mentality that will help the Bluejays neutralize even the toughest opponents.
#3- Sharing the wealth: Green’s impact extended beyond defense and hustle plays
Averaging about 18.8 minutes per game and starting 16 of Creighton’s 27 games, Omaha native Jasen Green has made his presence felt when he is on the floor. While the stats show an average of 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, the sophomore’s ability to make impact plays defensively to set his team up for success has not gone unnoticed.
“His statistics defensively don’t jump off the page at you, but when you watch him, re-watch the film, he’s in the right spot, his shot challenges are really good, and he does a good job of cleaning his guy up and making sure he doesn’t get offensive rebounds,” McDermott said.
Beyond his defensive prowess, the sophomore has emerged as a key spark for Creighton’s offense in the last four games, injecting much-needed energy into a unit that has struggled to ignite from the opening whistle. While generating less than five points per game on average, Green tallied eight points against Marquette, nine against UConn, 10 at St. John’s, and, most recently, 14 in Creighton’s second half surge over the Hoyas. His 14-point performance (5-7 FG) marked a career high for the Omaha native.
Green’s eight points in the first half against Georgetown proved critical to keeping Creighton in the game despite their consistent shooters taking more time to settle into their rhythm. The sophomore produced seven of Creighton’s first nine points of the game, striking first with a corner three pointer, finding room for a contested layup and executing a mid-post jumper.
“I saw opportunities there and I knew that I could take them, especially at this stage,” Green said. “I’m feeling really confident right now. My confidence has been increasing, and I just feel like whenever there’s an open opportunity for me, I’m going to be able to take those shots and make those shots.”
Green’s last four performances have showcased his ability to step up and make impactful plays when the Bluejay seniors struggle early—an invaluable asset for McDermott as they head into postseason play. If Green keeps generating points and growing his confidence, all while continuing to execute defensively, teams are going to have a hard time challenging this Creighton team.
Overall, this win proved that when Creighton adjusts, defends and spreads the scoring load, they become a far more dangerous team. With only four games remaining in the regular season, maintaining this level of play will make Creighton a team to watch.