In this week’s edition of Creighton Commentary, Bluejay play-by-play man John Bishop and Fox Sports 1 hoops analyst Nick Bahe join me to offer their perspective on what made the 2014 senior class so special. The duo called every game of the 2013-14 season on the radio together, home and away, and spent countless hours around the team as it navigated its first season in the Big East.
On March 8, 2014, Doug McDermott, Ethan Wragge, Grant Gibbs, and Jahenns Manigat faced off against Bryce Cotton and the Providence Friars in their final game together in Omaha. McDermott entered the night 34 points shy of becoming the eighth player in college basketball history to score 3,000 career points. He finished with 45 — a new career-high. His pursuit of the historic milestone became the main attraction early on as the Bluejays opened up a 20-point lead midway through the first half, effectively turning the rest of the night into a pursuit of greatness.
Creighton led 45-22 at the break. McDermott had the same point total as the entire Friars team after the opening half. After being held scoreless by Manigat in the first half, Cotton scored 12 points in the first six minutes of the second to help Providence trim the deficit to 15. McDermott responded with seven points in a 12-4 Creighton run, capped off by a 3-pointer from the top of the key to eclipse the 3,000-point mark for his career. As much as the spotlight shined on McDermott, it was shared — as it had always been throughout his career — with the Wragge, Gibbs, and Manigat. The four appeared in a total of 109 games together in their time in Omaha. To show their appreciation, Creighton fans in attendance didn’t leave the arena until the post-game senior tributes and speeches were completed.
Enjoy this look back at one of the most memorable senior nights in Creighton history.