Creighton routs Connecticut, its first win over a No. 1 team
Steven Ashworth scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half as Creighton built a double-digit lead, and the No. 15 Bluejays knocked off UConn 85-66 Tuesday night for the program's first win over a No. 1-ranked team.
Creighton (20-7, 10-6 Big East) led by 23 points with 10 minutes left but saw its lead cut to 10 before holding the Huskies scoreless on five straight possessions, rebuilding their cushion and prompting students to leave their seats to prepare to storm the court — which they did as soon as the buzzer sounded Omaha, Neb..
UConn (24-3, 14-2) had its 14-game win streak end three days after it beat then-No. 4 Marquette by 28 points for one of the most impressive victories of the season — and one day after it was voted as the first unanimous No. 1 this season in the AP poll.
Trey Alexander scored 16 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner added 15 for the Bluejays, who made 14 of 28 3-pointers in their second-best shooting night from beyond the arc this season. Creighton was just 6 of 26 on 3s in its 62-48 loss at UConn last month.
UConn's Tristen Newton scored 17 of his 27 points in the second half, including 10 during the 18-5 spurt that helped pull the Huskies within 74-64.
The Huskies made a season-low three 3s on 16 attempts in their most lopsided loss since Houston beat them 84-45 in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on March 15, 2019. They had come into the game off a Big East-record three straight wins by at least 25 points.
The Bluejays made just two of their first nine shots, trailed by eight points early and had leading scorer Baylor Scheierman on the bench for eight minutes in the first half after he picked up two fouls. Scheierman finished with 12 points.
The Huskies had problems of their own. Donovan Clingan, their 7-foot2, 280-pound center, was called for two quick fouls and played just 11 minutes in the half, and UConn went through a 2-for-10 spell while Creighton was finding its rhythm.
A couple big shots from reserves Francisco Farabello and Jasen Green sparked an 18-2 run. Farabello made two straight 3s and Green hit one from the corner to wipe out the Huskies' lead.
Then Ashworth struck from more than 30 feet to begin a personal run of 13 straight points for the Bluejays, who made 14 of their last 19 shots of the half and went to the locker room with a 43-29 lead.
NO. 25 BYU 78, NO. 11 BAYLOR 71 >> Aly Khalifa had 14 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds to lead the Cougars (19-7, 7-6 Big 12) over visiting Bears (19-7, 8-5). Jaxson Robinson scored 16 points and Trevin Knell added 13 for the Cougars, who earned their third home victory over a top-25 opponent this season. Jalen Bridges finished with 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bears.
UTAH STATE 68, NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 63 >> Darius Brown II scored a seasonhigh 25 points and the Aggies (22-5, 10-4) beat the Aztecs (20-7, 9-5) in Logan, Utah, to take sole possession of first place in the
Mountain West Conference.
NO. 5 TENNESSEE 72, MISSOURI 67 >> Dalton Knecht scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, Tobe Awaka had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the Volunteers (20-6, 10-3 SEC) overcame a slow and the host Tigers (8-18, 0-13). Jonas Aidoo added 14 points and Zakai Zeigler 10 for the Volunteers, who trailed by seven in second half before rallying to win and close within a half game of No.13 Alabama in the SEC race. Sean East II scored 24 points and Noah Carter had 20 for the Tigers, who have lost 15 of their last 16 overall.
NO. 23 TEXAS TECH 82, TCU 81 >> Pop Isaacs scored 19 points and put the Red Raiders (19-7, 8-5 Big 12) ahead to stay with a threepoint play with 39 seconds remaining as in Lubbock. TCU is 18-8 and 7-6.