OMAHA, Neb. — St. John’s escaped Windfall regardless of its incapacity to make pictures.
That wasn’t going to occur right here.
For the third straight Huge East sport, the Purple Storm had been outscored from past the 3-point arc, paying for it for the primary time. After a quick begin, Creighton was the higher workforce — higher in transition, higher on the glass — and prevailed, 57-56, at CHI Well being Heart on New 12 months’s Eve.
An 11-point first-half lead was all however gone at halftime. After the break, Creighton was in command a lot of the manner. St. John’s obtained as shut as one on two events within the remaining minute, however RJ Luis missed a jumper after which didn’t get a name on his drive on the buzzer.
It was much like final yr, when St. John’s misplaced on the buzzer to Creighton.
It was a irritating afternoon. St. John’s had no reply for 7-foot-1 middle Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was dominant. He completed with 16 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The Johnnies, in the meantime, shot 36 % from the sector and hit solely two of 9 3-point makes an attempt. They’ve made eight in three league video games.
Zuby Ejiofor led them with 16 factors and eight rebounds and Deivon Smith added 10.
The Johnnies couldn’t have scripted a greater begin. They had been air-tight on protection, pictures had been falling they usually held an 11-point. Creighton dedicated seven turnovers by the second media timeout.
However the sport started to flip for the Bluejays because the half went on, principally due to their exercise on the offensive glass.
They turned eight offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance factors within the first half, together with a pair of Steven Ashworth 3-pointers.
Creighton briefly went forward after Ashworth’s third triple of the half that capped a 19-7 run. St. John’s took the lead into the break after Scott accomplished a three-point play.
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Each groups shot 34 % from the sector over the primary 20 minutes and St. John’s closed the half lacking seven of its remaining eight pictures and managing six factors over the past 7:54 of the interval.
The trio of Scott, Simeon Wilcher and Luis had been a mixed 4-for-19 from the sector.
Kalkbrenner through the first half of St. John’s loss. Steven Branscombe-Imagn Photos
Creighton took command halfway by way of the second half on the power of a 12-2 burst, turning a four-point deficit right into a six-point lead on the under-12 timeout.
St. John’s offense was in quicksand and the Bluejays started to get sizzling from deep.
The story of the second half got here with St. John’s down 4. Wilcher missed a layup in transition and Ashworth hit a 3 on the opposite finish, pushing the lead again to seven with 9:08 to go.
