Nebraska shuts down Kalkbrenner, sprints off to upset of 14th-ranked Creighton
OMAHA — Nebraska basketball fans have become accustomed to setbacks against in-state rival Creighton, as the Bluejays have dominated the series during the last quarter century.
Friday night, however, Nebraska pounced impressively from the start, shut down Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner throughout the evening, and hammered out a 74-63 victory at CHI Health Center.
Five Huskers finished in double-figures in the scoring column, with seniors Juwan Gary and Brice Williams leading the way with 16 points apiece. Connor Essegian, a transfer guard from Wisconsin, added 15 points, including four during a key 6-0 spurt for NU in the second half.
The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner finished with four points on 0-for-1 field-goal shooting — a miss from three-point territory. He pulled down 11 rebounds in 39 minutes of action. The senior center entered the night averaging 25.8 points for 14th-ranked Creighton, which dropped to 4-1.
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The Huskers, playing extraordinary defense, forged a 31-13 lead with 2:55 left in the first half, the result of an 11-0 surge. The Bluejays’ Jackson McAndrew ended the run with a three-pointer. The Jays then used an 11-2 burst to draw to 33-24.
But Nebraska sharp-shooter Williams banked home a shot at the first-half buzzer, sending the Huskers into the locker room with a 35-24 lead.
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Creighton got as close as seven points down in the second half, at 42-35, but Nebraska three times led by 16 points and weren’t seriously threatened in the final minutes.
Creighton made only seven of 25 field-goal attempts in the first half (28.0%), going only 5-for-20 from deep (25.0%). The Bluejays finished 12-for-42 from beyond the arc (28.6%), and Kalkbrenner inexplicably was a non-factor as a scorer in the paint.
Nebraska, now 4-1, was 24-for-57 from the field (42.1%). The Huskers’ season-long cold shooting from deep continued, as they finished 4-for-16 (25.0%).
Since 1999, Creighton had won 20 of 26 games in the series, including 11 of the last 13, before Nebraska on Friday clamped down on defense and spread the wealth on offense.
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