NCAA College Basketball | Creighton Bluejays vs Kansas Jayhawks: Recap
The No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks found themselves with their hands full again on Tuesday. The No. 8 Creighton Bluejays came to town, and they came with a purpose. Creighton came out of the gates strong, and led by as many as seven points in the first half. The game had eight total lead changes and came down to the final second. A missed game-tying free throw by Creighton with 1.1 seconds left rolled out-of-bounds as time expired, and Kansas walks away with a 73-72 victory.
Kansas Jayhawks Key Performance:
Kansas Jayhawks freshman F Jalen Wilson tied a career high with 23 points, including the game-winning 3-point shot with 20 seconds left in regulation. Wilson was named the ESPN Player of the Game, also recording 10 rebounds and 1 assist.
Christian Braun was another impact performer for the Jayhawks, tallying 14 points and 6 assists in 28 minutes. Braun had a huge momentum-shifting shot as well, a banked three-pointer with two defenders in his face at just over 10 minutes left in 2nd half to give Kansas a 58-50 lead.
Kansas G Marcus Garrett received tremendous defensive pressure from Creighton, even getting double-teamed on many possesions. Garrett made his presence felt on defense however, recording 2 steals and 3 defensive rebounds.
Creighton Bluejays Recap:
Instances of careless defensive rebounding from Creighton lead to second chance opportunities for Kansas at times, and in a one-point game, every chance matters. Creighton kept hanging around, taking quick baskets in transition and executing assignments on defense, but their efforts fell just short in the end.
Damien Jefferson and Christian Bishop had strong performances for Creighton. Jefferson and Bishop ended the game 13 points each, but the surprise player was Denzel Mahoney. Mahoney exploded for 19 points, including the game-tying basket with 1:03 left in the game.
The Kansas Jayhawks next scheduled game is Friday, December 11 against the University of Omaha Mavericks. The Jayhawks move to 4-1 with this win.
The Creighton Bluejays next scheduled game is Friday, December against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Bluejays move to 3-1 with this loss.