LEXINGTON, KY– When March Madness begins, all bets are off. Regular-season records mean nothing, reputations won’t guarantee victory and no team is ever truly out of the fight.
Coming into the NCAA Tournament, it was safe to say that people around the country were a bit confused when the Louisville Cardinals, who were about to reach No. 10 in the AP Poll, were an 8-seed.
But instead of dwelling on why the Bluejays were only a 9-seed despite their run to the Big East Tournament Championship, or why their Round of 64 opponent was a Top 10 team, Head Coach Greg McDermott, his staff and the players focused on what they could control—locking in, preparing and delivering a spectacle at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.
After a full 40 minute defensive performance complete with lights-out shooting despite playing in a hostile Louisville fan-filled arena, the Bluejays took down the Cardinals 89-75, advancing to the Round of 32 on Saturday.
When the whistle blew, it seemed like the Bluejays and Cardinals were about to deliver just what fans and basketball fanatics were anticipating from a 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup– a contest that was anybody’s game.
The opening three minutes were defined by two free throws from Steven Ashworth, but mostly by a solo 5-0 run for Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn before Jackson McAndrew stopped the early bleeding with a layup to put the Jays down by one, 5-4.
After Hepburn’s quick scoring surge, the following minutes featured slow shooting starts from both teams as they settled into the game. Instead, it was each teams’ defense that shone where offense fell short.
Four minutes into the half, the Cardinals shot just 33% from the field (2-6 FG) and the Bluejays converted just 29% of the time on 2-7 from the field. Creighton also saw zero of their five quick three-point attempts meet their mark.
Neither squad made it easy for the other to find and knock down looks from the field, reflective in the low-efficiency start for high-caliber teams.
What kept the Bluejays within striking distance—despite a barrage of open looks that refused to fall—was their knack for delivering clutch shots at just the right moments. Each time Rupp Arena seemed ready to erupt from the roar of Louisville’s fans, Creighton found a way to silence the crowd.
When the Cardinals climbed back from down 11-9 with five and change gone in the first half by draining a triple that raised a raucous cheer from the crowd, Ashworth countered with a layup.
When another triple rained down on Louisville’s next possession, a layup from Kalkbrenner stopped a potential run for the opponent.
“I felt like it was my job as the point guard to make sure that when they were going on runs, when the crowd tried to get into it, I tried to settle things down,” Ashworth said. “Some of that was either feeding Jamiya or finding underneath and a couple times it was me getting my own shot. It was one of those moments where you could feel the momentum trying to swing their way and just one of those things that you try to stop it.”
This back-and-forth battle defined much of the first half, as the lead changed eight times, both teams trading baskets in search of an edge. But with seven minutes remaining, the game’s trajectory shifted, as the Bluejays pieced together a 12-0 run, finding their largest lead of the day at 40-25 when all was said and done.
Fittingly, it all started with an Ashworth three-pointer, quickly followed by one from McAndrew. The duo caught fire, trading another pair of deep shots to drain four threes in under two minutes, electrifying the Bluejays’ surge.
“We were making shots and all feeding off each other. There was a lot of energy in the ball and I thought that helped us a lot, also, getting stops on the other end and we were able to push it and get a lot of great looks,” McAndrew said.
The 12-0 run quickly expanded into a dominant 19-4 surge over four minutes, with Creighton’s defense holding the Cardinals to just two makes on 10 attempts down the stretch.
But as the buzzer sounded for halftime, Hepburn managed to squeeze in a quick triple, offering Louisville a glimmer of momentum heading into the break.
Still, impressive defense, a flurry of timely buckets and a 12-0 run that turned into a 19-4 run at the end of the half paid dividends in the halftime score, with the Bluejays leading 49-34.
At the half, the Bluejays were paced by Ashworth and Neal, who tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively, and McAndrew and Kalkbrenner, who added another 11 and seven respectively.
While Creighton’s sharp shooting (57% FG, 56% from three) fueled their momentum, it was their defense that stole the spotlight.The Jays controlled the glass, winning the rebound battle 20-14, preventing Louisville from seizing control. Their veteran composure stood firm against a dangerous shooting team and a fanbase eager to erupt at the slightest shift in momentum.
The second half proved much the same, as the Bluejays refused to relinquish the hard-earned 15 point lead they earned leading into the half.
The key for the Bluejays if they hoped to maintain their lead in the second half, with the Cardinals poised to capitalize on any offensive or defensive lapse? Establish Kalkbrenner to round out their offense, keep defensive execution at the forefront, not getting complacent and relying solely on offensive productions and continue to take high-percentage shots.
Check, check, check.
A triple from none other than Kalkbrennner opened second half scoring, setting the Bluejays right back on the track that they ended the first half on, and establishing the center’s impact outside the paint.
From there, the Bluejays maintained a steady lead, fluctuating between 13 and 19 points for the first 12 minutes of the second half, leading 71-57 with less than eight left to play.
Shooting a collective 57% from the floor and 50% from three, the Bluejays were propelled by Jamiya Neal, who helped shape those impressive numbers by scoring eight of Creighton’s next 10 points, pushing their lead to 81-63.
“Through the season, especially late shot clock, I had to be pretty aggressive. That was no different today,” Neal said.
The eight points by Creighton’s senior transfer would add to a total 15 points in the second half, a game-changing surge that crushed any hopes of a Louisville comeback and paved the way for a career-high 29-point performance.
He also tied his career best with 12 rebounds and added six assists. His stat line not only surpassed his previous high but also placed him alongside Dwyane Wade’s 2003 Elite Eight performance—the last instance of a player posting at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists on 65% shooting in an NCAA Tournament game.
A last-ditch 10-2 run from Louisville briefly sparked its offense and trimmed Creighton’s lead to 10 points, cutting the gap to 83-73 in just over a minute. But key hustle plays from Green, including a crucial offensive rebound off a missed free throw by Neal, followed by two emphatic dunks in the final minutes, along with two clutch free throws from Ashworth, sealed the game.
With it, Creighton secured an 89-75 victory and a spot in the Round of 32, the first time in program history that the Bluejays emerged victorious over a Top 10 team in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bluejays shot a combined 57.1% from the field and 45.8% from three, won the assist battle 17-10 and held onto their rebounding advantage from the first half, finishing with a 37-32 edge on the boards.
“Very proud of my team. Our execution was terrific. We beat an incredible team, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with them in our preparation,” Creighton Head Coach Greg McDermott said. “Offensively, defensively, Jamiya was terrific, Jackson, big shots in the first half, and then Steven throughout the game running the show for us. It’s a really gratifying win because of who we beat and how good I thought they were.”
Now, the Bluejays face their next challenge: a showdown with the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers tomorrow, in what promises to be a hard-fought battle to the finish. Tipoff tomorrow at 6:10 pm CT.