Creighton University
21-8,14-6Big East
UC Santa Barbara
22-5,13-3Big West
Men's Basketball Survives UCSB, Advances to Second Round
3/20/2021 4:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bishop makes two free throws with 16 seconds left to give CU the victory.
Creighton (21-8) will advance to a game on Monday against 13th-seeded Ohio, which upset Virginia on Saturday night. UCSB ends its season as Big West regular-season and Tournament champs with a 22-5 record.
CU won the tip and opened the game with a three-pointer by Denzel Mahoney. UCSB would make seven of its first eight shots (and tip in the miss) to take a 16-8 lead and prompt an early Greg McDermott timeout. Mahoney answered with the next five points to bring CU back within three points at 16-13 after eight minutes.
After playing behind for much of the first half, Creighton finally hit its stride late in the first half, taking the lead on a pull-up jumper in transition by Marcus Zegarowski with 1:47 left to go up 27-26. A Jefferson lay-up preceded another Zegarowski triple. A circus shot at the buzzer by Zegarowski sent the Bluejays to the locker room holding a 34-30 lead. CU had 11 assists and just four turnovers in the first half and were led by 11 points and four assists from Zegarowski. Bishop helped keep CU in the game early with nine points (including three dunks) to accompany seven rebounds.
UCSB was paced by seven points each by JaQuori McLaughlin and Miles Norris, but the Gauchos offense stagnated in the final 6:40 after big man Amadou Sow went to the bench with his second personal foul. UCSB started 7-for-8 from the field before going 4-for-16 down the stretch and held a 17-15 rebound edge at the break.
Creighton started the second half with some variety as all five starters scored in the first seven minutes to help Creighton's lead reach double-figures (47-37) for the first time with 13:32 left on a traditional three-point play by Mitch Ballock.
UCSB didn't fade, countering with a 13-2 burst to retake a 50-49 lead with just under 10 minutes to go on a mid-range jumper by McLaughlin before a Mahoney three-ball from the corner snapped UCSB's 10-0 run and a nearly four-minute scoring drought. UCSB used another 8-0 run to go up 58-52 on a contested three-pointer by McLaughlin with 5:37 remaining.
Just when its hopes looked bleak, a score inside by Jefferson and a three-ball in transition by Ballock brought the Bluejays within one at 58-57 with 4:02 to play. After a defensive stop CU took the lead on a reverse jam from Bishop that made it 59-58 with 3:08 to go. A jumper by Zegarowski with 1:39 left made it 61-58, CU. A hoop by Sow inside with 1:16 left trimmed the CU lead to one.
After a Bluejay miss, Sow was fouled with 37.9 left and made both to give UCSB a 62-61 advantage. The Bluejays used a full timeout with 33.6 to go to set up a look for Jefferson. His try rimmed out but Bishop grabbed the rebound and he was fouled with 16.0 left. Bishop, a 57.1 percent shooter, made both and the Jays withstood a point blank miss inside by Sow in the final five seconds. CU's Shereef Mitchell hauled down the rebound and was fouled with 1.5 seconds left. The Jays would miss the free throw but a 70-foot heave by Brandon Cyrus was off the mark as Creighton advanced.
Zegarowski had 17 points and eight assists, Bishop had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Mahoney finished with 13 points as Creighton improved to 5-1 in games decided by three points or less this year. It was also CU's first one-point NCAA Tournament win since an 83-82 double-overtime win vs. Florida in 2002.
McLaughlin and Norris each scored 13 points for UCSB, which had won 18-of-19 games entering the afternoon.
NOTES: Creighton senior Mitch Ballock made his 100th overall and 100th consecutive start ... Creighton has made a three-pointer in 911 straight games, and a trifecta before halftime in 282 consecutive contests ...Marcus Zegarowski's three-pointer at the 16:04 mark of the first half was his 21st straight game with a three-pointer (T-9th longest in CU history) and the 206th of his career to tie Jahenns Manigat for eighth in CU history ... Christian Bishop had Creighton's first NCAA Tournament double-double since Doug McDermott (30 points, 12 rebounds) vs. Louisiana in 2014 ... Creighton has won 22 straight games when holding opponents to 69 points or less ... Creighton's 21 victories are four more than any other team in the BIG EAST ... Creighton picked up its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2014, improving to 13-22 all-time in the event as a program ... Creighton won for the 14th time in a row in the game immediately following a loss of 20 or more points ... The victory was Greg McDermott's 400th career Division I win (251 at Creighton, 59 at Iowa State, 90 at Northern Iowa) ... Greg McDermott improved to 4-5 as Creighton's head coach in the NCAA Tournament, breaking a tie with John "Red" McManus for most NCAA Tournament wins in program history ... Creighton improved to 141-54 all-time as a nationally-ranked team ...Creighton has won at least one game in 10 of its last 12 trips to the postseason.
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON
March 20, 2021
Joe Pasternack
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)
UCSB Gauchos
Postgame Media Conference
Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
JOE PASTERNACK: We played a heck of a basketball team today. We have so much respect for Creighton. They had a really, really good season. They're very, very well-coached. They're very difficult to play against, and I thought our guys competed as well as we can compete and really had a chance at the end to win it.
A couple details down the stretch hurt us, but I was very proud of our guys' effort.
Q. You mentioned obviously not the result you wanted today, but how proud are you of your team and how they competed all season to get to this point?
JOE PASTERNACK: Yeah, I just got finished talking to our guys, and it's a very difficult time for all of them and our whole staff because the game was right there for us, and this game can't define our season. Our players did such an amazing job through off the court with COVID, on the court competing for championships, being the first conference championship since 2003, sole championship, getting the conference tournament championship, and it was an unbelievable historical season for UCSB.
It's a tough way to go down today.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your team's experience here in Indianapolis, obviously playing in kind of a different looking tournament this year with all the games in Indiana. Talk about some of the positives from that experience for your team.
JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I'll tell you what, the NCAA, their planning is unbelievable. I think it's to their credit, Dan Gavitt's credit, for the leadership and how detailed they have things so there could be an NCAA Tournament. I was just fortunate and our team is so grateful to have been involved in such a historical event.
Q. Obviously a tight game throughout but not able to pull it out down the stretch. Are there one or two things that you noticed that kind of prevented you guys from being able to get the win today?
JOE PASTERNACK: You know, I thought they had some really key offensive rebounds that hurt us, especially the one at the end. Last four minutes of the first half, they scored 11 points, and I think that really hurt us. But we held Creighton in the second half to 29 points, and that's really tough to do. Credit to them. They're a great team, great coaching staff. They do a great job.
Q. Looking forward into next year, what are some positives you think your program can really take from this experience here?
JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I think our guys got a taste of winning championships, going to the NCAA Tournament, and I don't think anybody is satisfied. We weren't happy just to be here. We wanted to advance, and I think there will be a hunger, a chip on our shoulder moving forward.
Q. Coach, I kind of want to talk about that run at the end of the second half. Earlier JaQuori couldn't really get going, he was doubled off the screens. What were some adjustments you made to get him the ball and get your team going?
JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I thought we set some more off-the-ball screens so he wouldn't be doubled, and I thought that really helped him.
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON
March 20, 2021
JaQuori McLaughlin
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)
UCSB Gauchos
Postgame Media Conference
Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
Q. I just want to talk about that last play where you were able to make the extra pass to Sow there. What were you seeing when they trapped you in that situation? Can you take us through that play?
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I was looking to come off and shoot it but they were on me, double teaming me and Amadou was wide open. So I made the right pass right there, and he's money in the paint.
Q. Can you just kind of tell us how they were defending you early? You only took two shots in the first half because they put so much emphasis on you. Starting the game what was your attitude getting the extra pass and what adjustments did you make earlier when you had to get points for your team later on?
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I think just early in the game, just doubling me off ball screens and things like that, being aggressive off cuts, so later in the game just being more aggressive when I'd catch the ball, one more pass things like that, coming off the screen, not just looking to pass. So just being more aggressive in the second half was my game plan.
Q. Kind of just describe this whole experience for you. I know the season didn't end the way you guys wanted it to, but you're AP All-American Honorable Mention, you guys made the tournament for the first time in a decade, won a Big West championship. Kind of describe what this senior year has been for you and your teammates.
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it's been great for me, for my teammates. We started in the summer on Zooms on the tennis courts and we put a lot of work in as a team, so it was great to be able to get here. It didn't end like we wanted it to, but I love this team, and they're my brothers for life.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your experience here in Indianapolis, what it's been like playing in this unique environment?
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, yeah, all in the same hotel, we've got our own rooms, things like that, kind of just been in the hotel the whole time. But it's been a great experience for me, my team, just being able to get here and share in this experience, and like I said, it didn't end the way we wanted to, but it was a great experience coming here.
Q. Can you talk about what it means to you in your senior season to have this kind of run, make it to the tournament and make such an impact on the future of the program at UC Santa Barbara?
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it means a lot to me and my teammates, just all the work we put in to get here, and these were some of our goals that we had, and it just feels really great to be able to get to this point.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON
March 20, 2021
Greg McDermott
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)
Creighton Bluejays
Postgame Media Conference
Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
THE MODERATOR: We will begin with an opening statement from Coach Greg McDermott.
GREG McDERMOTT: Well, just really proud of our team. It certainly wasn't an easy game. Santa Barbara is really talented. They were ready to play from the jump, and I thought they got us back on our heels early. And when we finally kind of caught our second wind, I thought we played better, at least the rest of the half.
They had us down, we had them down, and it was back and forth. Two good teams going at it, and I don't think either team probably shot the ball as well as they're accustomed to, but I think the two defenses had a lot to do with that.
You know, Christian stepped up in a big time, and he's really worked on his free-throw shooting over the course of the season, and like I told him in the locker room, I hope when you're working on those free throws, you put yourself in the position you were in this afternoon with a big game on the line, and he stepped up there and knocked them both down. We got a little lucky they missed a lay-up down at the other end and it takes a little bit of luck sometimes to advance in this tournament.
Q. It seemed like you guys were struggling to find any kind of a boost early in that first half. How much of a catalyst was Christian's just effort on both ends of the floor to kind of give you guys a spark?
GREG McDERMOTT: I thought Christian's second run especially, when he came out, got a little bit break and went in at the 12-minute time-out, I thought he really elevated his game and as a result got us back in the game on both ends, both on the backboards, his ball screen coverage was elite today, and that he got some big baskets for us, as well.
We went with a little bit shorter bench. I think most teams do this time of year. So those guys were out there a lot, but Christian was terrific. To play as much as he played and having to exert the amount of energy he did defensively, to get the dunk late and two big free throws as fatigued as he was was a credit to the work he's put in and the great condition that he's in.
Q. When Santa Barbara goes on that 11-2 run to take the lead and you're reaching the home stretch of the game, you've talked about your team's mentality and the importance of it. What did you see in your team's mentality to punch back?
GREG McDERMOTT: Well, we didn't. We don't ever quit. I think the possession that really kind of sums up our team is the -- I think they got two offensive rebounds on the same possession, maybe the fourth -- one of the last three or four possessions of the game. We played pretty good defense for 25 seconds. They missed a shot, we had to reset the defense. We were on defense for about a minute. And they stayed with it, they stayed with it, and we ended up digging that thing out of there and then going down and Marcus hits the pull-up on the other end to give us a lead.
You know, that speaks to who we are. This team, they've fought all year. Obviously defensively we've made great strides this season and we needed it today because Cal Santa Barbara is a terrific team. So offense was hard to come by, so we were going to have to defend if we expected to win this game.
Q. Christian mentioned he's put in a lot of time at the free-throw line in practice and you did, too. Can you take us inside the walls there? How much is a lot? How often do you see him working on that? How do you work on that? It's such a mental part of the game.
GREG McDERMOTT: Yeah, you know, we put him in situations in practice, at least when we had normal practice before we went into this bubble three weeks ago or whatever it was, where he'd have to make it at the end of practice for us to end practice or not have any conditioning or something like that. So he's been in some situations like that. But he spends a lot of time on his own in the gym getting work in.
It's been a little bit more difficult because your practice times are assigned here, but when he's had the opportunities to go to the gym for extra shooting, he's gotten there and he's made sure that free throws is a part of that routine, because you just never know. You never know when you're going to be in a situation like that, especially a one-and-one where you've got to have that first one to give ourselves a chance.
Really, really proud of him for the work he's put in, and it takes a lot of moxie, I don't care how good or bad a free-throw shooter you are, to step up in that situation, and I don't think he hit the rim on either one. It's really a credit to his preparation and the fact that he's stayed with himself.
Q. I know you're probably a little tired of talking about what a weird three weeks it's been, but it has been a really weird three weeks for your team, even going back to getting blown out in the Big East championship game. To win a game with this kind of resilience, does it say something about your team?
GREG McDERMOTT: You know, we won a game very similar to this in the semis of the Big East Tournament against a very good UConn team, and it was a game much like today where every possession mattered. As you mentioned, we've been through a lot, and the reason we've been through a lot is on me. I've had to work to repair some of those relationships and the people that I hurt, some inside the program, some outside the program, and that process is just -- it's just beginning. I mean, it's certainly not even close to over. This is really just the start for me of trying to become a better version of myself moving forward.
I appreciate the fact that our guys had it in their hearts to forgive me and allow us to move on together. But there's still a lot of work to do, and I recognize that. I'm going to continue to work as hard as I can for them.
Q. I'm just going to go way back in the way-back machine here, but I remember those summers after that 2018-2019 season when this group was really young, you and the staff and everybody were really stressing to the guys about the little things and those one-possession games that had cost you that year so many times that you felt like could be shored up. The games you've won this season, the game against UConn in the Big East semis, the game today, all of that, was that the origin for all of that and just getting the guys to understand the value of each possession, games like this?
GREG McDERMOTT: I think the older you get, as you kind of navigate your way through a college career, the more you understand the value of each possession. And how what your contribution means to that possession. Sometimes it's an offensive possession where you don't touch the ball. But proper spacing is important -- proper screening is important, proper pass is important. Defensively you may not be guarding the ball or the guy that's being screened, but you have a responsibility and you have a job to do, and this team as they've gotten older understands that more. That was evident today because we had some very good defensive possessions against a really good offensive team.
Q. To that point, how much did Mitch Ballock embody that possession-to-possession mentality approach throughout this game?
GREG McDERMOTT: You know, what's great about Mitch is he made several great plays at the rim in help situations, got his hands on some basketballs in the paint and knocked them loose, got a couple big rebounds. He didn't shoot it great, but he found other ways to impact the game. Yet when I decided to make the move to take him out those last minute or minute and a half to go with Shareef for defense, he doesn't even give me a look. He totally trusts in our decisions and the reasons behind the decisions. That's hard for me to do, to take a guy out that I trust as much as I trust Mitch.
But Mitch just wants to win, and that's all he's wanted since he's walked on this campus. Long after he's gone from here and when he's still playing, that's all that's going to matter to him. I want us to be successful, and us could be a family, us could be a business, us could be him involved in a coaching staff coaching a team. The guy is selfless and he doesn't care about himself. He just wants the people around him to be successful and the organization that he's part of to be successful. He's a big reason why we're standing here today.
Q. This kind of ended up to be a little inconsequential because you won, but you've done such a good job with your rotations and your hedging in terms of that ball screen against McLaughlin, but their last three possessions they did find the big man Sow and I wonder what you saw there, was it a breakdown, was it a tweak that they made to get the ball in quickly?
GREG McDERMOTT: No, I think we got a little scared of giving something up in the corner, and we probably didn't pull to that roll man the way we needed to. I've got to watch it on film before I rush to any conclusions. But I thought our help was a little late. I thought the guy in the ball and I thought Christian did what they were supposed to do. We just didn't cover them up the way we needed to cover them up. In that situation you don't want to be the guy that gives up an open shot. But back to what I was talking about before, you have a responsibility and you have to do your job and if they quick it out to a guy that is not a great shooter and he hits it to beat you, then you have to live with that, but you don't want to give up those lay-ups.
Like I said, we were lucky, and we had a great fan that passed away six or seven weeks ago that Christian was her favorite player. Betty Walker was her name, and I think she slapped that lay-up out of the rim, and I'm pretty sure she steered Christian's two free throws into the basket, as well, from heaven today.
Q. You kind of assured us earlier in the week that Denzel was closer to getting his mojo back than maybe the statistics had outlined. I wondered was it deliberate on your part to get him touches on that first possession of the first half and second half to get him going, kind of get him some positive momentum from the assignments he was going to have to do defensively today?
GREG McDERMOTT: Well, we liked some of the match-ups with him in the post, so that's why we started -- we had one possession in the first half where we got him down there and he scored, and we felt we could start the second half that way and get a basket to put us up six or get him to the free-throw line. But the three he hit to start was more just in the flow of our offense. They were tagging out of that corner. That happened to be him that was in that spot wide on that one, and Marcus made the right play, if I'm not mistaken, and delivered the ball, and he hit an open shot.
A lot of guys contributed. Marcus gets eight assists and 17 points, and Christian gets a double-double, and Mitch gets seven rebounds, and right on down the line. We had a lot of contributions from a lot of guys. But 18 assists and eight turnovers against a team as good defensively as they are is really a credit to our guys.
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON
March 20, 2021
Christian Bishop
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)
Creighton Bluejays
Postgame Media Conference
Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62
THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Christian Bishop. And we'll begin the press conference.
Q. Christian, how are you feeling? It felt like you expended a lot of energy out there today. And then what did it take to kind of keep punching back when they wouldn't go away?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, that's a really tough team to play against. Those guys play hard. It feels good. Feels really good to step up to the line and hit those two big free throws. I know I've been practicing every day, so it's just nice seeing the hard work pay off.
Q. Christian, did you ever envision -- you play a full season, the idea of it coming down to you at the free-throw line? I wonder, did that thought ever cross your mind this year?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, like just whenever you're in the gym at midnight or whatever, just shooting around, you envision like three, two, one, you go and take the last shot. It's fun seeing it come true, and I just took a step and smelled the roses honestly when I was out there. I knew I practiced it before, so I was ready to hit the shots.
Q. Christian, what does it say about this team that when UC Santa Barbara goes on that 11-2 run to take the lead back, that you guys didn't give in and were able to meet the fight and find a way?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I feel like it shows a lot of resiliency from these guys. We were able to make plays down the stretch and play good defense at the end. That took care of the rest of the game and brought us energy.
Q. Denzel in the first half, that jump ball play where he's flexing and talking, it seemed like it gave you guys a jolt. I don't know if you remember that play or not.
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah.
Q. Did that spark you guys? Seemed like you got quite a roll --
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, definitely. When plays like that happen in the game, it's just like the little victories that give you a lot of energy to push through the rest of the game, so definitely got us going.
Q. Just one more about the line; that's a pressure situation. You said you kind of stopped and smelled the roses. What did go through your mind? Did it totally go blank? How did you process all of that?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yesterday when I was shooting free throws, I was like, why am I missing, why am I missing, and one of the coaches said, just tell yourself you're going to make it, it's a mental thing. So I just gave myself the confidence and I hit the shots.
Q. Christian, for you, just to enter this week, can you explain kind of what the last week had been like leading up to this game and what you guys' mentality was heading into this, a week removed from that performance you had in the Big East title game, to now put that away and do what you did today and get on the board in this tournament?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, it was a really bad loss that we had against Georgetown, but we just have to put that aside and realize we're better than how we played. Just taking it a day at a time, and it's all about preparation. You prepare the right way, you're going to perform the right way, so we did that correctly.
Q. You guys have hard heads and try to get the ball out of playmakers' hands all year and you've been a big part in that, but with this specific game plan, how much effort did you have to expend trying to keep McLaughlin under control as he navigated around those ball screens?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, man, he's a quick really good player. We've got a lot of guys like that in the NBA -- not in the NBA but in the Big East. Going up against Marcus and Shareef every day in practice, they're just as fast as he is, so I was already prepared for it.
Q. When they hit that initial 11-2 run, I know their run was a little bit bigger to get that six-point lead, but when they went on that 11-2 run after you guys went up 10, what did you tell yourselves in those huddles down the stretch to not let the moment kind of overwhelm you and let the game get away from you?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, we knew that wasn't us. We just had to find our identity, and once we did that and we came together as a group, we knew we could succeed, and that's what we did.
Q. Christian, what can you say in key moments in this game about the way Mitch Ballock found a way to deliver for this team?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, the dude is shooting like 40 percent something from the three-point line. We've seen him hit the craziest shots all year. We trust him and he has the confidence to shoot the ball. So when he shoots it, it goes in. And we're excited to see what he's got to come because he keeps on doing it every game.
Q. What was the locker room scene like? It's an emotional win, any win in the NCAA Tournament is big, but you guys celebrate pretty good in there?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, everybody is really excited. We celebrated, but then we just regrouped and now we've got to get prepared for our next game.
Q. Christian, obviously everybody heartbroken about the way that last season ended and you had this two-year wait for March Madness. Was it kind of fitting that in your first March Madness game of this run that it was decided in thrilling fashion? And what was the feeling like just of this game and just maybe if there was a difference to the March Madness intensity of it?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, all my life people have been doubting me, and so just being in the situation, I never thought I would be here before. So playing in March Madness is a dream come true, and being the one to hit the big shot at the end of the game was even better. So I'm excited to see what we've got in store.
Q. I can't let you go without asking about the reverse two-hand dunk there late. That's not the first time we've seen it this year, but take us through that moment. Do you sort of recognize, this is what I've got to do? What led to that?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, I'd be envisioning stuff like that, so like the game I did a windmill earlier in the season, all day before I was like, I'm going to windmill, I'm going to windmill, and when I saw the opportunity, I'm like, this is my time so I took advantage of it. And my legs had me, so I was able to do it.
Q. Could you tell us your thoughts about advancing to the next round?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Really excited. It's going to be even a harder matchup, so we've just got to come prepared and keep playing hard. I'm really excited about it, though.
Q. I'll ask about a grinder game like that with so much emotion and intensity, do you feel like you're drained? How much energy does it take to just put it all out on the court like that for 40 minutes?
CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, we'd be running a lot more than that and they took advantage of that and they slowed the game down for us, so my legs are good. The other guys in the locker room, we're going to be ready for our next game.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
