Creighton promised a fast-paced, unselfish, sharp-shooting offense when they put this squad together and they checked all three boxes in their lone public tune-up of the preseason on Friday night. The 8th-ranked Bluejays averaged 1.462 points per possession and made 16 3-pointers on 42.1% shooting from long range in a 95-48 win over Wayne State in front of 17,132 fans at CHI Health Center Omaha.
“This was good for us,” head coach Greg McDermott said. “I think the guys were anxious to get back on the floor in front of a crowd and put the uniform on with the lights on. Wayne State is well coached, and they’re disciplined, so we had to work for some of the stuff we were able to get offensively. But I thought we were pretty efficient, especially in that first half.
“There are some things we have to clean up, but that goes with this time of year. Overall, there were certainly a lot more positives from tonight than negatives.”
Junior combo guard Trey Alexander scored a game-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in just 18 minutes of action. He led four Creighton players in double figures in the scoring column. Seniors Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth, and sophomore Johnathan Lawson all added 12 points in 20 minutes or less. Ashworth, the transfer point guard from Utah State, and Alexander, the third-year Bluejay vet, also dished out eight assists and only committed one turnover between them as they took turns pushing pace and getting Creighton flowing offensively.
“I felt like we did a pretty good job tonight,” Alexander said. “We were trying to get into our offense pretty quick, and I felt like Steven did a good job of doing that when he was at the one tonight. For us to not turn the ball over against a team that picks up 94 feet a lot, I think we did a pretty good job.”
The Bluejays had 11 assists on 19 made baskets in the first half and drained 11 of their 22 attempts from 3-point range with Utah State transfer Steven Ashworth, junior combo guard Trey Alexander, and senior swing man Baylor Scheierman combining for 34 points on 8-for-12 shooting from deep in the first half to help CU take a 49-24 lead over Wayne State into the locker room.
Those three guards — along with senior Francisco Farabello off the bench — combined for 11 of Creighton’s 17 defensive rebounds in the first half. They turned those into instant offense in transition, piercing the teeth of Wildcats’ defense and creating numerous high percentage opportunities to knock down rhythm threes. On the other end of the floor, Ryan Kalkbrenner — the reigning 2-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year — blocked three shots in just 14 minutes of action to help the Jays limit Wayne State to 31.8% shooting from 2-point range.
The starting unit outscored Wayne State 10-2 out of the locker room to stretch the lead out to 33. Their work was done at that point. Along with Lawson’s offensive efficiency, three local guys took the reins from the starters to provide the home crowd some entertainment in their unofficial Creighton debuts. Grand Island’s Isaac Traudt scored seven points and shot 2-of-3 from 3-point territory. Bellevue West’s Josiah Dotzler had six points, two rebounds, and an assist. And Creighton Prep’s Josh Townley-Thomas added five points, four rebounds, and a blocked shot in eight minutes to extend the lead that the starters handed over to them.
All in all, a successful first outing under the lights for a Creighton team that will at times feel as if they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders into every game. No injuries, no stress, and for a newcomer like Steven Ashworth, who is being thrust into a prominent role on a team with a lot of history and even more expectations, it was about slowing down, looking around, and savoring all of the “firsts” that come when you put on a white Creighton uniform for the first time.
“I remember walking in for shootaround and just feeling the aura of the arena,” Ashworth said. “I could smell the popcorn getting ready and the lights were about to be turned on for Creighton Basketball. It was actually something about Coach Mac’s pre-game speech about this being our chance to go show and set a standard. Coming in — with this being my first opportunity to put on that jersey and wear the white and blue and represent all of the great Bluejays that have come before us and represent every player on this team — I just felt like there was a responsibility, but also an excitement from my eyes. We’ve got an opportunity to do something special, and if we are committed every single day and every single play, we’ll be able to hopefully do something that no other Bluejay team has done.
“One day at a time.”
The next day comes in the form of a Tuesday, November 7th home game against Florida A&M. Tip-off from CHI Health Center Omaha is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.