Yawn. Tuesday’s 88-51 Creighton win over the overmatched Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions played out like so many of the cream puff contests that take place across the nation every December. It didn’t take long for the heavily favored home team to stake a double-digit lead, and midway through the first half the margin hovered around 20 points in CU’s favor. The outcome was never in doubt; not sure it was even as the late-arriving crowd pulled into CenturyLink Center parking stalls.
The Golden Lions locked into a zone defense from the onset. The Bluejays responded with wide eyes and quick triggers. The first successful shot of the game was a Jahenns Manigat-to-Doug McDermott alley-oop along the back of the zone defense. Including that set play, five of the Jays’ first seven shot attempts came from outside the three-point arc. McDermott hit one of those attempts and Ethan Wragge made two, as both CU frontcourt players would hoist a high number of deep shots against the UAPB defense.
The Bluejays attempted a season-high 30 three-point shots. But after more than a week off from games and following semester final exams, Creighton’s perimeter shooting was a titch off. Entering the evening, CU was sixth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (44%). Against the Golden Lions, though, the Jays connected on 33% of their attempts behind the arc.
Seven different Bluejays attempted a shot from deep, led by Wragge’s 11 (he made 4). McDermott put up 6 from deep, making just 2. Manigat, in an overall solid game, made just 1 of his 5 shots from behind the arc.
Creighton’s passing was crisp, with unselfishness leading to a lot of easy looks. Offenses can become stagnant against zone defenses, as players adjust to the new angles and spaces through which they have to operate. As a group, the Bluejays kept the ball moving quickly as they tried to find the right shot. Sometimes things stalled, but overall their patience was often rewarded with clear looks at the hoop no matter the distance.
For the second consecutive game, the Jays recorded 21 assists. Put against 10 turnovers, CU managed a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s better than the team’s 1.71-to-1 ratio for the season. Ten different Jays recorded at least one assist, led by Devin Brooks’ 5 dimes. Solid passes often freed teammates up for point-blank attempts, and CU outpaced UAPB 32-18 in points in the paint.
If Tuesday night was a tune-up for Cal on Sunday, I’m not sure what to think. After a stretch of 9 games in 31 days, including a trip out west, Creighton’s December represents a downshift in action. From the time CU’s blowout win of Nebraska was official until the Jays and Marquette tip off on New Year’s Eve, Greg McDermott’s team will have played 3 games in 28 days.
The good news? There’s a relatively short turnaround time between the Bluejays blowing out Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tuesday night and hosting Cal Sunday afternoon. There will be a marked difference in the quality of Creighton’s opponent when Mike Montgomery brings his Bears to town. They’ve stumbled a bit away from Berkeley, going 1-2 in the Maui Invitational and losing at UC-Santa Barbara. But the Bears have weapons, namely Justin Cobb, and a chip on their shoulders after losing at home to the Bluejays last December.