How’s the old adage go? If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all? There isn’t much analysis I can add of Creighton’s loss to Oregon Wednesday night that can’t be summed up by some pointed statistics.
- Creighton committed 20 turnovers, with Oregon swiping 13 steals.
- Oregon scored 35 points directly off those miscues.
- Many came from layups; the Ducks outscored the Bluejays 44-16 in the paint.
The Bluejays simply couldn’t handle the extended match-up defense displayed by Dana Altman’s Ducks. CU point guard Antoine Young struggled, committing more turnovers (5) than he had in all of the previous College Basketball Invitational games combined (4). But the selfless sharing of the ball with the opponent didn’t stop with CU’s point guard. Gregory Echenique, who dominated the smaller Ducks lineup at times during Creighton’s game one win Monday, couldn’t get established in the paint for very long before multiple defenders were swarming him. As a result, Echenique committed 5 turnovers, too. He did score 10 points, tying game-high honors with Jahenns Manigat, and grab 8 rebounds. But if the outside game and inside game aren’t working, where do you turn?
Going to Doug McDermott wasn’t an option, seeing as he spent more time on the bench than on the court. Saddled with two early fouls, the freshman phenom played a season-low 15 minutes and attempted a season-low 4 field goals. His 2 rebounds also tied for a season-low level. In all, it was clearly forgettable night for the Future of the Creighton basketball program.
Still, with 7:33 to play, Kenny Lawson finished a dunk that pulled the Jays within a dozen points of the Ducks. The ensuing possession found the Bluejays playing decent defense, even forcing a missed layup by Tyrone Nared. But the Jays got outworked for the rebound, and E. J. Singler kicked the offensive board to former Husker Jay-R Strowbridge for a wide open 3-pointer. Joevan Catron then hit back to back 3s, and the Oregon lead was back to 20 points.
The result was a cold reminder for Jays fans just how different this year’s team plays on the road versus at home. Creighton’s success in the first four CBI games seemed effortless; shots were falling, the team played fast and free on offense. In Eugene, though, the tone was more helplessness. Nothing seemed to flow in Creighton’s favor, and nothing came easy.
CU players and fans should expect the same tonight, when this best of three series wraps up. If Creighton’s going to hang a banner this year, the Jays will need to outwork arguably the best coached team they’ll face all season, on the road, where they haven’t been successful in recent history. These same deterrents to a title, though, would make hoisting a trophy that much sweeter for everyone involved.