Key Stats: Creighton shoots 2-19 from three-point range, and 16-53 overall. Austin Chatman goes 2-11 from the field, and 1-6 from three-point range, while Doug McDermott goes 4-16 from the field and 1-4 from long range. Doug did go 12-12 from the line, so there’s that.
Favorite Moment: On the opening tip, Grant Gibbs scrapped and clawed to get the ball, then rushed down court for a dunk. It’s the third time this year he’s scored a basket off the tip, but the first dunk. I suppose it’s saying something about how the night went that my favorite moment happened four seconds into the game, eh?
500-ish Word Recap: Creighton’s defense has been (rightfully) maligned the past two seasons as the weakest link of an otherwise championship-caliber team. It’s ironic, therefore, that on the night this particular group of Bluejays took their swan song, they played a superior defensive game while their high-octane offense let them down.
Gregory Echenique continued his late-season brilliance by frustrating Duke’s All-ACC center, Mason Plumlee, not allowing him to establish his offensive position on the block. Plumlee played practically the entire game in foul trouble, and Duke’s leading scorer finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds in 27 mostly ineffective minutes. The Jays had a decided advantage in the post, and they not only forced Plumlee into early foul trouble (and a seat on the bench) but also Ryan Kelly, their excellent power forward, leaving Duke to throw young players into the fire of an NCAA Tournament game.
Meanwhile, Jahenns Manigat did a stellar job of chasing Seth Curry around, and until late in the game had held the Blue Devils’ sharpshooter mostly in check; he finished 5-15 from the floor for 17 points. It was perhaps the Jays’ best defensive effort of the season, considering the opponent and the stakes.
Unfortunately, Creighton shot the ball about as poorly as they possibly could, misfiring time and again. Duke successfully bottled up Ethan Wragge when he was on the floor, not allowing him to even catch the ball on the perimeter much less get up a shot, but allowed the Jays’ other perimeter shooters to take pretty much any shot they wanted. If those shots go in at somewhere even remotely resembling their season average, Creighton’s in this game at the end with an opportunity to win it. Alas, they did not; Chatman went 1-6 from outside, McDermott went 1-4, and no one else made a single three.
Inside, they cut off McDermott’s driving lanes, forcing him to take tough shots that he missed more often than he made. They also collapsed on Echenique every time he caught the ball in the post, clearly noticing from film that he struggles against double teams, and kept him from dominating offensively the way he did on the other end of the floor.
Their defense kept them in the game despite the shooting woes; it was a four-point game in the second half, before Duke finally started making just enough shots to slowly pull away, while Creighton continued misfiring. That’s an amazing statement to anyone who watched this team all year long, and an ironic way to end a successful season.
Quotables:
“Defensively I felt like we played good enough to win. We held a team that shoots the ball like we do, very high percentage, to 38 percent, and I would have taken that before the game and rolled the dice with my chances. But we were not very good offensively. Some of that had to do with us and some of it certainly is to Duke’s credit. But we stayed in the fight. We didn’t turn it over a lot. We hung in there on the back boards. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They’ve been an absolute joy to coach. They’ve represented our University and our community in a first‑class manner on and off the floor, and for that I’m very thankful that I had the opportunity to be part of that.” -Coach Greg McDermott
(On when Duke started to pull away) “Well, you know, a real telling part of the game was the last seven possessions or eight possessions of the first half. I think they scored on six of those. They had 16 points the first 26 possessions of the game, which is obviously great defense against a team like Duke, and then they scored 13 points the last seven possessions. And of course the banked three‑point shot at the buzzer didn’t help.” -Coach Greg McDermott
“We just never really got into an offensive flow, and we scored the first four points, I believe, of the second half and then got right back into it. They hit a couple big threes at critical times. Curry hit one on a ball screen that I remember off the top of my head that was kind of a back breaker. We had one where we had a loose ball on the floor, Wragge comes up with it and flips it up to what he thinks is his teammate and Duke jumps in front of it and hits a three. Sometimes you need things to bounce your way. We didn’t have much of that happen, and again, a lot of that credit goes to Duke.” -Coach Greg McDermott
“It was by far Doug’s worst shooting game of the year, not even close, and across the board. We’ve shot 50 percent over 35 games or 36 games, and that includes the likes of Wisconsin and at Cal and some pretty good teams. I wouldn’t have guessed that that was possible, but things happen in the game of basketball. We at least gave ourselves a chance. As poorly as we played offensively the first half, we were still right there, and it was a two‑point game with 18 minutes to go and we were shooting in the low 30s. I’m proud that we competed and kept ourselves in the game.” -Coach Greg McDermott
“I thought Gregory did a great job. I didn’t think Plumlee wanted much to do with him down there, and that was our plan going in is to play him one‑on‑one and try to stay close to the shooters, and that was certainly effective the first half. Gregory, I think he can play in the NBA for that reason. I don’t think there’s many guys in the country that can play Mason Plumlee one‑on‑one without any help and be physical and stay low and make him score over the top of you. I just don’t think many guys are willing to put in the effort to do that against someone as strong and as athletic and as big as Mason. Gregory is outstanding. He was great against Cincinnati. He was great in the Valley Tournament and he was certainly good on the defensive end of the floor.” -Coach Greg McDermott
(On Doug McDermott’s struggles) “They switched every screen wherever we went, wherever he went, and there’s probably no player in the country that sees that as often as Doug has seen it. And as he said, he probably missed seven or eight shots that he’s normally going to make, a couple of the ones he had early, the little floaters, something that he’s made all year long. But we rode him pretty hard. He’s played a lot of minutes and our starters played a lot of minutes on Friday, and we needed him again today. But Duke took away the easy stuff, and then the tough shots that Doug normally makes he didn’t make today, and then unfortunately when Doug shot it like that, we were going to need somebody else to step up and have a spectacular game, and that just didn’t happen.” -Coach Greg McDermott
“As I told them, I’m really sad that it’s over. I’m sad that I don’t get to coach this group anymore…They’ve been a true, true joy to coach, and as sad as I am that it’s over, I’m absolutely thrilled that it happened and that I got to be part of it.” -Coach Greg McDermott
“It’s a tough way to go out. But it’s just been hard letting these seniors down tonight. We thought we could put up a little better fight. But it doesn’t take away from these last two years. They’ve been incredible, both NCAA wins. I don’t think a Creighton team has done that in history back to back years. It’s pretty special to say. I don’t think it’s hit us yet. I’m sure it will down the road, but it feels good.” -Doug McDermott
“This group has accomplished a lot. And really the last three years, building on Coach McDermott’s first season and the last two. So I think it’s just disappointing to play the way we did tonight. It’s tough on everyone.” -Grant Gibbs
And Now, Here’s What You Had to Say:
Jays fans need to appreciate this run. Very special time and we have the boys in blue to thank.
— Matt Hoppe (@mhoppe02) March 25, 2013
Great defense by Duke tonight. Great season by the Jays. Looking forward to the next chapter in 2013-14, hello Big East.
— Rob Simms (@IamRobSimms) March 25, 2013
Our defense has made great strides since being ranked 222nd in the country last year, but Duke’s was better. Great season, Jays. I love you.
— Ryan Holmgren (@ryanholmgren) March 25, 2013
MVC regular season & tourney champs, won a game in the NCAA tournament. Great season, thank you @doublegfor3 @echenique00 for everything
— Rick (@RickInOmaha) March 25, 2013
Good season @bluejaymbb ! Thanks for bringing joy to all of us, but especially to my son and I this year. It wasspecial. #GoJays!
— Martin Swanson (@bigredtank72) March 25, 2013
Played well enough on the defensive end. Proud to be a Bluejay fan tonight. It stings for us fans. It’s got to even worse for the players.
— Matthew DeMarinis (@mjdemarinis) March 25, 2013
Helluva ride boys. Jays finish year 28-8. Pretty fun year! This group for Creighton had 57 wins in 2 seasons. Special group of guys. #Jays
— Nick Bahe (@NickBahe) March 25, 2013
I’d lie if i say i wasnt sad about knowing its over.Thank you omAha for making me feel like home for my 3 yrs.im still proud to be a bluejay
— Gregory Echenique (@Echenique00) March 25, 2013
Thanks everyone for the support this year. You all were unbelievable this year. One more #rolljays
— Will Artino (@WillArtino31) March 25, 2013