Listen to the Bluejay Beat postgame (above)
Creighton’s players all know the deal, as do their coaches, fans, and opponents. The game can be played to a dead heat for 30-35 minutes, and then it happens — the Jays find that gear and go on a run that completely changes the complexion of the contest. Greg McDermott’s teams have done it to Nebraska before, and Friday night he added another chapter to it as his team reeled off a 23-2 spurt over the span of four minutes and 58 seconds of game time. That spurt expanded a four-point, second-half lead to a 25-point advantage on their way to a 98-74 win over their in-state rivals at the CHI Health Center.
The Bluejays (4-1) jumped out to a 40-9 lead in last season’s meeting in Omaha, but that was over a stretch of 15+ minutes. Friday night’s matchup featured five ties and six lead changes through the first 25 minutes before CU kicked into hyperdrive.
“I was hopeful that we were going to get some good shots because of the talk we had at halftime,” McDermott said, “I thought we drove it a little bit too much looking for own [offense] in the first half, and their length bothered us at the basket as a result of that. Once we had the talk at halftime and decided to just trust the offense — get in there, do your job, set your feet, spray it, make an extra pass, make an extra pass — good things will happen and we’ll get better shots than the ones we were taking. The guys responded to that, which was good to see.”
Denzel Mahoney had a great night against Nebraska (Juszyk / WBR)
The first half felt like a game of two-on-two at times featuring Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski and Denzel Mahoney going up against Nebraska’s Teddy Allen and Dalano Banton. The Bluejay backcourt duo edged that battle 31-26 and helped produce a 44-40 halftime lead, but Allen and Banton were nearly twice as efficient, averaging 2.4 points per shot attempt compared to 1.4 for Zegarowski and Mahoney. As a team, Creighton finished the opening half with 10 assists and eight turnovers, while converting on only eight of their 19 2-point attempts.
In that second half, the production was far more balanced and efficient. No one in a Creighton uniform scored in double figures or attempted more than six shots in the second half, but seven different players scored at least five points and eight different players had at least one assist. Collectively, they ended up with 14 assists against just five turnovers after halftime, and missed three fewer 2-point shots despite attempting five more than they did in the first half.
“We’re fortunate to have the leadership of DJ, Denzel, Marcus, and Mitch, and Christian’s been around; Jake’s been around; Jett’s been around,” McDermott said. “They can have real conversations about what needs to change and nobody’s going to get offended. That’s really the key to a special team, because we’re all going to lose our way. Everybody that puts on a Creighton uniform, there’s going to be games where you’re not quite playing the way that we’re supposed to play, and how quickly can the rest of the group reel that guy back in and get us back on track? I had to do that at halftime with their help, and the result speaks for itself.”
That result doesn’t just speak for itself — it sings. A Mitch Ballock three. A Denzel Mahoney three. A Marcus Zegarowski layup. A Damien Jefferson layup. A Shereef Mitchell three. A layup and a three by Antwann Jones. A dunk by Christian Bishop on the break, and a floater by Mitchell. Seven different players scoring in a variety of ways is how Creighton transformed a 55-51 ballgame with 14:42 left into a 78-53 rout in the time it takes most people to make scrambled eggs.
But a run like that doesn’t pack as much punch without the defensive component. While the Jays were sharing and shooting on offense, they were also stifling Nebraska’s hopes of keeping pace. In that nine-possession stretch that essentially put the game on ice, the Huskers (3-3) scored once, turned the ball over four times, and missed six shots.
“Once we get stops going it leads to offense,” Zegarowski said. “We’re always going to play fast and we’re always going to score the ball. I think we have a great group of guys who are unselfish and make plays for each other. That will always be us, but sometimes there are lapses on defense where we break down. If we stay connected and really guard the ball, and make the other team take tough shots, I think that’s when the momentum starts to go in our favor because it leads to transition baskets and easy baskets. That’s what we did in the second half.”
Christian Bishop had some spectacular dunks in the 2nd half against Nebraska (Juszyk / WBR)
Creighton’s junior point guard finished with a season-high 22 points in 33 minutes, adding five assists, and a career-high four steals (tying a personal best he set last season). After going 0-for-4 from the field and finishing with a career-low three points against Nebraska as a true freshman, Zegarowski is averaging 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in his last two matchups with the Huskers.
He wasn’t the only 20-point man for the Bluejays by the end of night on Friday. Senior guard Denzel Mahoney finished with a season-high 20 points, to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes of action.
The Bluejays were +25 with him on the floor, and the 98 points they wound up tacking onto the scoreboard marked the most they have ever scored against Nebraska in the now 54-game history between the two programs. The previous high was set last year in a 95-76 win. With Friday’s win, they now have a 28-26 edge in the all-time series, including a 9-2 mark under Greg McDermott.
“Obviously [the game] means a little bit more,” Zegarowski said. “We treat every game the same. We go in expecting to win and we prepare the same as if it was any other game, but there is obviously a little bit more to it. It’s our rival and it’s an important game to our fans. We’re just happy to play for them and make sure it’s still a blue state.”
Due to the truncated nature of the 2020-21 college basketball season, Creighton has now completed the non-conference portion of their schedule. Big East play is set to begin for them on Monday, December 14th when they welcome the Marquette Golden Eagles to the CHI Health Center. That game is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off and will be televised on Fox Sports 1.