If there were any questions whether the Creighton vs. Southern Illinois rivalry was still intact, you can probably just ask Chad Millard and Nick Evans. (but don’t ask the student section. They apparently don’t know about the rivalry) By the time the game was over, there was a flagrant foul, an unsportsmanlike foul, an ejection, 12 lead changes, and a last second shot to win the game–Antoine Young with a drive to the basket and dropping a bucket with 1.3 seconds remaining to get a much needed win and a confidence builder for this Bluejay team.
Tonight’s game was the first game at the Qwest Center this season that had some electricity to it and was just an overall fun game. Even the Nebraska game this season wasn’t quite as exciting as this one was. And this was also the first game all season that I re-watched when I got home.
Both teams had a lot of energy to start the game and the emotion by the players and intensity was there from the beginning. Justin Carter was active early getting free throws a little over a minute into the game and scoring 11 of the first 23 points. But it was the entry of Chad Millard into the game at the 11:28 mark of the first half that really got the juices of this rivalry re-ignited.
Millard came in for Lawson who was suffering from some back spasms and an ineffective Wayne Runnels to try and keep Nick Evans, Anthony Booker and Gene Teague contained as SIU was getting more physical play from their front line. Check out these series of events that put Chad Millard back on the map:
- Millard drives to the basket with a great layup and foul and the crowd goes wild. Hits the free throw.
- Then a couple possessions later he had a solid pick against an SIU player.
- Then on the next possession he drove the lane from the top of the key for a basket and a foul. By this point he is pretty fired up. Hits the free throw.
- Couple possessions later had a block from behind that was called a foul, but looked pretty clean.
- Taken out at the under 8 minute media timeout. SIU goes on 9-0 run.
- Back in at the 5:36 mark.
- Almost gets a steal.
- Charlie Spoonhour says, “This has been a really good half of basketball. “
- Millard takes a three–bad miss.
- After an SIU turnover at the 2:29 mark, Millard and Evans are running down the court and Evans takes a shot at Millard and Millard goes after Evans and play is stopped and they had to tear Millard away. Millard called for unsportsmanlike foul and Evans called for a flagrant foul that was enough after the referees viewed the TV replay to kick him out of the game. When Evans was kicked out of the game, he hightailed it out of the arena than he had ran all night.
Millard literally looked like a man possessed the way he was playing over that stretch of the half and was the epitimy of the effort given by the rest of the Bluejays tonight. They were all playing a little “possessed” and were into the game.
The second half was fierce and the Bluejays were up 10 and ready to slam the door but the Saluki’s stayed in it and even took a lead a couple of times. During a key stretch of the second half I looked over to the student section and instead of them cheering and being rowdy, they just stood there. They acted like they were at the library or social hour over at Brother Sebastian’s. There were groups of people yelling at them to make some noise and to do something and they acted like they couldn’t hear anything. Meanwhile the rest of the crowd was trying to get things going but were looking for the students to lead the way. I’m sorry to call out the students, but that was a weak effort. Get something together or something. I know the competition in the Qwest has been less than compelling, but if you don’t know about Creighton/SIU, then learn about it.
Although SIU stayed in it and Creighton could not put them away, I saw a different team tonight and it all culminated as the game was tied with 35 seconds left and Creighton had one last shot. Coach Altman left it in Antoine Young’s hands and he drove to the basket and put up a shot that bounced around the rim and in with 1.3 seconds left. Game over. You look at Antoine Young’s line for the night and though he only had 7 points, he had seven key points to go along with 5 assists and no turnovers. The Saluki’s might have been better off fouling Antoine as he went 1-of-4 from the free throw line and those free throws came down the stretch. However, coach Altman and the team trusted him enough to take the last shot and a confidence builder that was needed for Antoine after a few frustrating games for him.
So now the Bluejays head into the “White Out” game against Wichita St. on Saturday. If tonight was any indication, I think you will see a different team than the one that played the Shockers a week ago. At least you hope so.