In a battle of No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds, Creighton once again proved why it thrives in the NCAA Tournament. Behind a career night from Jamiya Neal and a barrage of three-pointers, the ninth-seeded Bluejays (25-10) stormed past No. 8 Louisville 89-75 in the first round of the South Region on Thursday.
Neal delivered a monster performance with a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Steven Ashworth torched the Cardinals from deep, scoring 22 points. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott’s team has now won its opening-round game in five consecutive March Madness appearances and will face No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the second round on Saturday.
Louisville (27-8), despite its low seeding, came into the tournament ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25. The Cardinals saw their impressive turnaround season under first-year coach Pat Kelsey come to an abrupt halt, despite 22 points from Chucky Hepburn and 21 from Terrence Edwards Jr.
Louisville started strong, but once Creighton settled in, the Bluejays took complete control. After trailing early, Creighton used a 12-0 run sparked by Ashworth and freshman Jackson McAndrew (11 points), who each hit two three-pointers during the stretch.
Ashworth’s deep three near the March Madness logo put Creighton ahead 31-25, and McAndrew followed with a transition triple to cap the surge. By halftime, Creighton had built a commanding 20-point lead and never looked back.
The Bluejays’ hot shooting proved too much for Louisville, as Creighton shot a blistering 58% from the field (32 of 56) and 46% from three (11 of 24). Ashworth hit four triples, while Neal took over in the second half with 17 points after the break.
Neal, a transfer from Arizona State, was dominant in all facets, shooting 11 of 16 from the floor, including 2 of 5 from deep. He also threw down a thunderous dunk in the second half, energizing the Creighton faithful.
“Steven [Ashworth] and Jackson [McAndrew] opened up the floor, and I just attacked when I saw my openings,” Neal said postgame.
Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14 points as he aims for his fourth Sweet 16 appearance.
Creighton made 14 of 21 free throws, while Louisville went just 7 of 8. The Cardinals struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 8 of 29 (28%) and 43% overall (30 of 70). Ashworth and McAndrew’s three-point shooting helped Creighton break the game open early.
Louisville senior guard Reyne Smith, returning from a four-game absence, scored five points but re-injured his right ankle midway through the second half. The Australian sharpshooter was visibly emotional as teammates and coaches gathered around him before he was helped off the court.
With their first-round victory secured, Creighton now turns its attention to a showdown with Auburn, who cruised past Alabama State 83-63. The Bluejays have already beaten a top-10 team this season and will need another big performance to upset the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
Can Creighton continue its March magic and reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years? Saturday’s clash with Auburn will provide the answer.
