On this day in 2014, Creighton Basketball made nine three-pointers in their first nine possessions and went on to rout Villanova, scoring 96 points. On this day in 2021, the Bluejays shot 4-23 from three-point range and looked horrific offensively.
Basketball giveth, basketball taketh away.
Bluejay nation was very optimistic after seeing Marcus Zegarowski in the starting lineup. This optimism faded quickly as the Friars walked into an early double-digit lead.
Providence led 23-6 early, and then Damien Jefferson put the team on his back. Jefferson scored ten in rapid fashion for the Bluejays. That, alongside a couple Marcus Zegarowski three’s closed the gap. Damien and Marcus combined for 26 of Creighton’s 35 first-half points.
Providence led 39-35 at the half. That doesn’t sound too bad, but it sure was for Creighton. There were times where Providence seemed to just be a class above the #11 Bluejays. Nate Watson was imposing his will on the interior, with Kalkbrenner and Bishop both getting into foul trouble.
Despite going just 1-9 from three in the second half, Creighton’s offense flowed a bit better. The Jays shot a better percentage from the field in half two than Providence, but free throw shooting and the plays down the stretch favored the Friars.
The dagger came in the form of a three-point shot in between the corner and the wing from David Duke that banked in. Yes, a corner three-point shot that was banked in. This adds to what is already quite an unlucky season for Creighton, as seen on KenPom.
Nate Watson led the way for the Friars with 29 points and six rebounds. Freshman wing Alyn Breed was also a major contributor with 15 points on 4-5 from the field. Both Watson and Breed saw career highs in points today.
For Creighton, Jefferson scored 26 on 9-13 shooting paired with four rebounds and three assists. Zegarowski scored 17 and made all six of his free throw attempts. After having a very hot start to the week against Butler, Denzel Mahoney just went 1-10 from the floor totaling five points. Mahoney, Ballock, Jones, and O’Connell combined for just 3-25 from the floor.
Here are some takeaways for the Jays home loss to Providence: