Lexington, KY – The No. 9 Creighton Bluejays secured an 89-75 victory over the No. 8 Louisville Cardinals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament today, March 20, at Rupp Arena. Behind a career performance from Jamiya Neal, Creighton advances to the second round, where they will face the winner of Auburn vs. Alabama State.
Neal put on a show, posting a career-high 29 points along with 12 rebounds and six assists; his dominance in the paint and ability to create plays helped the Bluejays maintain control of the game.
First Half Summary:
Creighton kicked off the game with an early 2-0 with two made free throws courtesy of Steven Ashworth. Louisville responded with a jumper from Chucky Hepburn, tying the game at 2-2. Hepburn knocked down a three-pointer to give Louisville its first lead at 5-2.
Creighton quickly regained control with baskets from Jamiya Neal and Jasen Green, moving ahead 8-5. Ashworth’s three-pointer pushed Creighton’s lead to 11-7, but Louisville stayed close with contributions from Reyne Smith and Hepburn, briefly taking a 15-13 lead.
The Bluejays fought back, led by Ryan Kalkbrenner’s inside presence and another three-pointer from Neal, extending their lead to 23-19. A dunk by Kalkbrenner and a three-pointer from Fedor Zugic helped Creighton push the advantage to 28-21.
Louisville responded with a fast-break dunk by Khani Rooths and a layup from Hadley to cut the deficit to 28-25. However, Creighton closed the half on a dominant stretch, highlighted by three-pointers from Ashworth, Jackson McAndrew, and another from Ashworth off an offensive rebound, extending their lead to 37-25.
As the half ended, Creighton’s strong shooting and defensive rebounding gave them a comfortable double-digit lead heading into the break.
Second Half Summary:
By halftime, the Bluejays had built a 49-34 lead, capitalizing on Louisville’s shooting struggles and costly turnovers.
The Cardinals showed resilience in the second half, led by Chucky Hepburn’s 22 points and Terrence Edwards Jr.’s 21-point effort. A late 10-2 run cut Creighton’s lead to 83-73, but key defensive stops and timely baskets from Neal and Ashworth sealed the win for the Bluejays.
Ashworth finished with 22 points, including four three-pointers, while Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14 points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
With under five minutes left, a brief disruption occurred when a fan threw a water bottle onto the court following a technical foul on Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey. The incident led to a short delay as security handled the situation.
Creighton took over in the second half to secure the victory for the Bluejays and set the tone early after halftime when Ryan Kalkbrenner knocked down a three-pointer at 19:22, extending their lead to 52-36. Less than a minute later, Jamiya Neal capitalized on a second-chance opportunity to further push Creighton’s advantage.
Creighton’s offense continued to flow as their ball movement created open looks, and their defense put a stop trick up Louisville’s sleeve. By the time the game entered the final stretch, the Bluejays had firmly controlled both ends of the court, cementing their victory with a comfortable margin.
With standout performances and efficient execution, Creighton’s second-half surge proved decisive and gave the team another strong showing.
Photo credits via Matt Stone – Courier Journal
