#17 Men's Basketball Ready For Semifinal Meeting With UConn

Game #27: Connecticut Huskies vs. #17 Creighton Bluejays
Friday, March 12, 2021 • 8 p.m. CST
Madison Square Garden • New York, N.Y.
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM; www.1620thezone.com
SiriusXM: Sirius 134; XM 207; App 967
Television: FS1 (Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson)
Series History vs. Connecticut: Creighton leads, 2-0 (2-0 this season)
Last Meeting: #11 Creighton 74, #23 UConn 66 on Jan. 23, 2021 in Omaha, Neb.
CU NOTES (PDF) | UCONN NOTES (PDF) | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

Next Game
Seventeenth-ranked and second-seeded Creighton (19-7) has a date in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals when it looks for a third victory this season against third-seeded Connecticut (15-6).
   Tip-off on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., is set for 8 p.m. Central.
   The winner of Friday's Creighton/UConn semifinal will meet the winner of Friday's 5 p.m. Central semifinal between Georgetown and Seton Hall.
   Saturday's title game tips at 5:30 p.m. Central and air on FOX.

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. KOOO (101.9 FM) will also broadcast all home games that start after 5 p.m. The game can also be heard on Sirius channel 134 or XM 207 or channel 967 on the SiriusXM app.
   John Bishop will call the action with Nick Bahe. The audio is also webcast live at www.1620thezone.com.

Television Broadcast Information
Friday's semifinal will be televised nationally by FS1, with Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson handling the call.
   Of Creighton's last 157 games, all but the three contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have been televised. CU is 106-51 in those contests.

Video Webcast Information
Live streaming video will be available via FOXSportsGO.com for desktop users, and via the FOX Sports GO app for mobile devices (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Window devices). A cable authorization may be required.
   The FOX Sports GO mobile app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store or the Windows Store, and the games are now available internationally.

Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.

Scouting Connecticut
Connecticut is 15-6 this season and enters Friday with a league-best five-game win streak. The Huskies first BIG EAST Tournament game since 2012 was a resounding 94-60 win vs. DePaul last night.
   Sophomore guard James Bouknight leads UConn with 19.4 points per game, including a career-high 40 vs. Creighton earlier this year, and the Huskies are 11-2 in the games he has played.
   In addition to Bouknight, the Huskies have relied on RJ Cole (12.7 ppg.), Tyrese Martin (11.2 ppg.) and BIG EAST Sixth Man Award winner Tyler Polley (7.7 ppg.).
   UConn averages 73.3 points per game while allowing a league-best 64.9 points per game. The Huskies shoot 44.4 percent from the field, 34.0 percent from deep and 72.8 percent at the line while averaging a league-high 5.5 blocked shots per contest.

The Series With Connecticut
Creighton is 2-0 all-time against UConn, with both meetings taking place this season.
   Creighton won 76-74 in overtime in Storrs in December, then triumphed 74-66 in Omaha in January.
   Greg McDermott is 2-0 against Connecticut.
   McDermott is 2-1 all-time in head-to-head meetings vs. Dan Hurley, as Hurley's Rhode Island team defeated Creighton 84-72 in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in a game contested in Sacramento, Calif. That game remains Creighton's last NCAA Tournament appearance.

Reviewing Connecticut/Creighton
Creighton won both previous meetings with UConn this season, winning 76-74 in overtime on Dec. 20th in Storrs before completing the regular-season sweep with a 74-66 win in Omaha on Jan. 23rd.
   All five Creighton starters averaged double-figures vs. UConn this season, led by 15.0 points per game from Denzel Mahoney. Damien Jefferson averaged 11.5 points per game but hit a game-tying layup in the final second of regulation to force overtime in the initial meeting.
   UConn star James Bouknight scored a career-high 40 in the first meeting, but did not play in the second contest due to an elbow injury.

Sweep Possible?
Creighton is the first BIG EAST team to beat UConn multiple times in the same season since Syracuse went 3-0 against the Huskies in 2011-12. That Syracuse team was also the last BIG EAST team to beat the Huskies three times in the same campaign.
   No team (from any league) has beaten Connecticut three times in the same season since Cincinnati in 2016-17.

Bouknight Had A Day
UConn guard James Bouknight erupted for a career-high 40 points vs. Creighton on December 20th in Storrs, while the rest of his team combined for 34 points. The star sophomore, however, missed the rematch in Omaha a month later.
   Since Bradley's Hersey Hawkins did it in 1987-88, only one player has scored 30 or more against Creighton twice in the same season, and that man was Marquette's Markus Howard in 2018-19 when Howard had 53 and then 33 points.
   In the 33 seasons that have followed Hawkins, there have now been 24 occasions where a player had scored 30 or more points against Creighton and faced the Bluejays later in their career. Those players, who averaged 34.04 points in the game with 30+ points, have averaged just 15.50 points in the next meeting.
   Only five of those men even scored 19 points or more in their next appearance against the Bluejays.
Name, School   1st Game   Next Game
James Bouknight, UConn   40   TBD
David Duke, Providence   36   12
Markus Howard, Marquette   53   33
Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall   41   18
LaDontae Henton, Providence   35   18
Jahii Carson, Arizona State   30   15
Colt Ryan, Evansville   43   13
Kyle Weems, Missouri State   31   13
Colt Ryan, Evansville   31   16
Daniel Ruffin, Bradley   30   6
Brian Roberts, Dayton   34   11
Trey Guidry, Illinois State   30   3
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa   31   8
Tarise Bryson, Illinois State   31   12
Marcus Wilson, Evansville   31   28
William Fontleroy, Missouri State   30   8
Tevis Stukes, Baylor   30   18
Danny Moore, Missouri State   36   12
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   15
Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois   30   22
Loren Meyer, Iowa State   30   14
Victor Alexander, Iowa State   37   21
Curtis Stuckey, Bradley   39   22
John Cooper, Wichita State   36   17
Rickey Jackson, Illinois State   32   17
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley   35   38

With A Win...
• Creighton would improve to 20-7 on the season with its 10th victory in the last 13 games.
• Creighton would clinch its sixth straight 20-win season, and 21st different 20-win season in the past 23 years.
• Creighton would improve to 140-53 all-time as a nationally-ranked team.
• Creighton would improve to 9-4 all-time when ranked exactly 17th.
• Improve Creighton to 7-6 all-time at the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 3-0 record in the semifinal round.
• Improve to 24-4 all-time in conference tournament play as a No. 2 seed, and 4-1 as the No. 2 seed in BIG EAST Tournament play.
• Creighton would improve to 50-26 all-time in conference tournament play (including the MVC), including a 15-7 mark in semifinal action.
• Greg McDermott would win his 250th game on the Creighton sideline, improving to 250-123.
• Advance to Saturday's 5:30 p.m. CST semifinal against either Seton Hall or Georgetown. Creighton went 2-0 vs. Seton Hall this season and 1-1 vs. Georgetown.

• A few approaching milestones...
Christian Bishop
   • Is one block shy of 79 in his career, which would tie him for ninth in Creighton history.
Mitch Ballock
   • Is six rebounds shy of 500 in his career.
   • Is eight points shy of matching legendary two-sport athlete Bob Gibson for 22nd in Creighton history.Greg McDermott
   • Is one win shy of 250 at Creighton.
   • Is two wins shy of 400 in his Division I career.
Alex O'Connell
   • Is two points shy of 500 in his career (431 at Duke, 67 at Creighton).
Team
   • Is one win shy of a sixth straight 20-win season.

• Creighton never trailed in yesterday's 87-56 win vs. Butler. It was CU's fourth-largest win against a league foe since joining the BIG EAST. The 31-point victory was also Creighton's largest winning margin in any conference tournament game in program history (MVC or BIG EAST).
Creighton's Largest BIG EAST Winning Margins
Margin   Score   Date
41   at Creighton 100, St. John's 59   02/28/16
36   at Creighton 89, Seton Hall 53   01/06/21
35   Creighton 93, at DePaul 58   02/11/17
31   Creighton 87, Butler 56   03/11/21
29   at Creighton 93, DePaul 64   02/15/20
28   at Creighton 88, Butler 60   01/14/14
28   Creighton 68, at #4 Villanova 68   01/20/14
25   at Creighton 82, DePaul 57   02/27/18

• Creighton shot 13-of-24 from three-point range last night vs. Butler, good for 54.2 percent from deep.
   It was the fourth time this season that Creighton shot 50 percent or better from three-point range, and first time since Jan. 6 vs. Seton Hall.
   Creighton has now made 13 or more three-pointers in seven different games this season, but in two meetings with UConn the Bluejays made a total of 13 trifectas combined.

• Creighton's convincing win vs. Butler certainly made an impression on the computers. The Bluejays opened the day at 17th in the KenPom ratings, but surged to 10th by midnight ET.

• No team has more wins against BIG EAST teams over the past two years than Creighton's 28.
   Last year Creighton was part of a three-way tie for first place with 13 league wins.
   This season Creighton won 14 regular-season BIG EAST games (three more than Villanova and UConn), plus got another victory last night vs. Butler.

• Creighton has 19 wins this season and is in search of its sixth consecutive campaign with 20 or more victories.
   Only 21 teams have won 20 games or more in each of the previous five seasons: Belmont, Cincinnati, Creighton, Duke, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, New Mexico State, Oregon, Saint Mary's, Seton Hall, Vermont, Villanova, Virginia, Wichita State and Wright State.
   Of those 21 teams, the only 14 programs to do it without a coaching change are: Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oregon, Saint Mary's, Seton Hall, Vermont, Villanova and Virginia.

• Creighton has won 20 or more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons (entering 2020-21), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
   Just three schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the previous 22 years: Duke, Gonzaga and Kansas. Kentucky has done it 21 times. Creighton and Florida have done it 20 times.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 22 Years (before 2020-21)
Team   20-Win Seasons   2020-21 W-L*   Next Game
Gonzaga   22   26-0   TBD
Kansas   22   20-8   3/12
Duke   22   13-11   TBD
Kentucky   21   9-16   TBD
Creighton   20   19-7   3/12
Florida   20   14-8   3/12
*after games of March 11, 2021

• Last night a pair of Bluejays scored the first points of their career in the final minutes, and it came in a game at Madison Square Garden. Devin Davis and Andrew Merfeld -- both freshman walk-ons -- did it.
   Merfeld is the son of Creighton assistant to the head coach Steve Merfeld. His first career points came in his fourth career game.
   In the nightcap, UConn's Andrew Hurley scored his first career points, also in his fourth career game. He is the son of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.
   While we're on the topic of the son of a coach, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Doug McDermott. the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. Doug McDermott was named National Player of the Year in 2014 after graduating with 3,150 career points, fifth-most in NCAA history at the time.

• Creighton's 87 points, 56 points allowed, 35 field goals made, 62.5 percent shooting, 22 assists, 16 point halftime lead and 31 point victory were all program-bests for CU at the BIG EAST Tournament.

• Mitch Ballock had three points yesterday, pushing his career total to 1,264 points. He's three behind Wally Anderzunas (1,267) for 23rd in Creighton history, and eight behind legendary two-sport athlete Bob Gibson (1,272). Gibson actually played a year for the Harlem Globetrotters before electing to join the St. Louis Cardinals and become a Hall of Fame pitcher.
       Rank   Points   Player   Years
       22.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
       23.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
       24.   1,264   Mitch Ballock   2017-Pres.
       25.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87

• To win three games in three days at the BIG EAST Tournament, a team will need to get contributions from its bench. Creighton got off to a good start in that regard yesterday vs. Butler.
   The Bluejays played all 10 reserves in uniform yesterday, and those men combined for 73 minutes played, 34 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and three steals. The reserve corps shot 14-for-18 from the field, including 10-of-10 from two-point range.
   CU'S 34 bench points were its most vs. a BIG EAST team since scoring 46 at Xavier on Jan. 13, 2018.

#17 Men's Basketball Ready For Semifinal Meeting With UConn

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Players Mentioned

Mitch Ballock

Christian Bishop

Devin Davis

Damien Jefferson

Denzel Mahoney

Andrew Merfeld

Alex O'Connell