The lights dimmed over CHI Health Center for the last time at home this season, the torches attached to each of the baskets flaring up as the blue tinted lights shone down on the five sitting in on the bench, waiting for their name to be called. Among them were three of Creighton’s four seniors, heading into what would be their last game in front of the 18,000 faithful at CHI Health center of their career.

With the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament already secured before tipoff, a win over the Butler Bulldogs wasn’t just about closing the regular season on a win—it was about giving Steven Ashworth, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Jamiya Neal and Sami Osmani a meaningful sendoff, ensuring they ended their home careers on a high note.

In fitting fashion, the Bluejays’ four seniors combined for 60 points, 26 rebounds and 21 assists in a shooting showcase, defeating the Bulldogs 87-74 on Senior Day to reach a 15-5 record in conference play, 22-9 overall.

The first half kicked off with relentless scoring on both ends of the floor, a seeming flashback to the shooting masterclass that defined the two teams’ last meeting in Omaha, which saw upward of 90 points for each team in a close Butler victory. 

Steven Ashworth began his three point tirade less than three minutes into the half, as his shot from deep helped the Bluejays overtake the Bulldogs early for an 11-9 lead. 

From there, the guard would drain six more shots from downtown, for an incredible 7-10 mark from three-point range by the end of the half. 

The triples, paired with strong shooting from the rest of the Bluejay roster for a 60% rate across the floor, was critical to keeping up with a Bulldog offense that racked up a 70% conversion rate on their three pointers just 10 minutes into the half.

“We were a little bit late, [but] they also made some shots and they put you in tough situations,” Creighton Head Coach Greg McDermott said. “But once I took that timeout at the 12-minute mark, they were seven for nine at that point, and then they went 0-1 the rest of the half. They [Butler] scored 31 points in the first 15 possessions of the game, which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen in my life, but from that point forward we defended pretty well.”

The teams traded shots and the lead down the stretch, and the Bluejays found themselves down by as many as eight points midway through the half before freshman Jackson McAndrew drilled a triple on a fast break push, giving the Bluejays a 41-40 lead with three minutes and change remaining. 

From there, Butler took one last lead 42-41 shortly after, before Creighton powered into the break with an 11-2 run, bolstered by two of Ashworth’s seven three pointers. 

When the ball swished through the hoop on Ashworth’s seventh and final triple of the evening, the veteran guard became the first player in Creighton history to claim at least 500 points and 200 assists in the same season, a feat fitting for the guard’s senior night sendoff.

“It felt good [making seven three pointers in the first half] because we couldn’t stop them, so I was glad that we could see a few go through,” Ashworth said. “And honestly it was a lot of just great opportunities, great looks, really good screens by Ryan [Kalkbrenner]… and just different opportunities within the offense that opened up for three and I was able to knock them down.”

Heading into halftime, the Bluejays held a 52-44 lead, fueled by a scorching 57.6% shooting from the field and 52.4% from beyond the arc.

The Bluejay seniors combined for 38 of Creighton’s 52 points as Ashworth led the charge with 21 points and seven assists, Kalkbrenner chipped in 15 points and six rebounds and Neal posted two points and four assists. 

McAndrew’s timely three triples, contributing nine points in the first half, further fueled Creighton’s offense heading into the break.

The Bluejays wasted no time continuing their dominance after halftime. Sinking their first three out of four shot attempts, Creighton quickly built a comfortable 59-46 lead over the visiting Bulldogs.  

By the midpoint mark in the second half, the seniors Kalkbrenner, Ashworth and Neal had their fingerprints all over the game. Kalkbrenner and Ashworth had 23 and 21 points, respectively, and Neal, despite just five points dished seven assists.

Throughout the final 20 minutes, the Bluejays widened the gap to as many as 15 points five different times before the Bulldogs embarked on one last ditch effort to cut into the deficit. They got as close as six points with 4:31 remaining, 76-70, but it was Neal and junior Mason Miller that stopped the comeback in its tracks with two triples.

It was then that the Senior Day festivities began, as McDermott called a final timeout and began to sub out his seniors. As Kalkbrenner, Ashworth, and Neal checked out for the final time at CHI Health Center, the crowd erupted in cheers and rose to their feet, savoring the bittersweet moment. Moments later, Osmani subbed in and out, a symbolic farewell to an era, as the Bluejays capped the night with an 87-74 victory over the Bulldogs.

“[It’s]  really, really incredible, what these guys have accomplished. But more importantly, it’s how they’ve accomplished it,” McDermott said. They’re great people, they’re great teammates and I think our communities embraced them as much [because] of who they are as what they’ve accomplished… It’s been a real treasure to work with these guys.”

Senior Day marked the end of an era at home, but not the end of the road. With the Big East Tournament and March Madness fast approaching, McDermott praised his seniors for the leadership that has fostered a strong sense of unity within the team. He also said that this togetherness has helped them overcome every challenge so far—and would be a driving force as they turn their focus to the postseason.

“Our unity is our biggest strength and I just couldn’t be more proud of them… this year we’ve had injuries, illness; you name it, we’ve had it, and we figured out a way to get through it, and along the way we’ve won the most conference games that anybody’s [wearing] this uniform has won,” McDermott said.

For the seniors, the reality of Senior Day hadn’t quite sunk in yet, knowing there’s still more to come.

“It’s definitely special [to check out one last time in CHI], but I’m just glad we got the win,” Osmani said. “We’ve got a lot of games left under our belt, especially in March, so we’ll see what happens, but it’s definitely special.”