March 20, 2003 — One of the greatest seasons in Creighton basketball history comes to an abrupt end in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bluejays entered their first round matchup with Central Michigan as the #15 team in the nation. Their 29-4 record was good enough to earn CU a #6 seed, but that didn’t matter much once the Chippewas started to knock down shots and limit Creighton’s open looks. The Bluejays trailed 38-22 at halftime, and their 22 points and 25% shooting percentage were their worst single-half outputs of the season.
Things only got worse for the Bluejays immediately after halftime, and with 16 minutes to play CMU led 50-24. But the Bluejays wouldn’t go quietly, and they hit their next 11 shots from the field to draw within 8 points with just under 12 minutes to play. After back-and-forth action for the next few minutes, Creighton trailed 72-61 at the 4 minute mark. The Jays cut it to a 2-point deficit with 90 seconds left, but CU turnovers and Central Michigan free throws cemented the win for the Chippewas.