For the program’s first victory over a ranked team, No. 15 Creighton defeats No. 1 UConn.

Yasir AliFebruary 21, 2024

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For the program's first victory over a ranked team, No. 15 Creighton defeats No. 1 UConn.

Omaha, Nebraska – Tuesday night, Creighton defeated UConn 85-66, its first victory over a No. 1 team, thanks to 16 of Steven Ashworth’s 20 points in the initial half as the Bluejays established a double-digit lead.

With ten minutes remaining, Creighton (20-7, 10-6 Big East) was ahead by twenty-three points, but that lead was whittled down to ten points before holding the Huskies unbeaten on five consecutive possessions to restore their lead and send students running out of their seats to get ready to storm the court, which they did as soon as the alarm sounded.

Three days following one of the most remarkable wins of the season, a 28-point victory over then-No. 4 Marquette, UConn (24-3, 14-2) saw its 14-game winning streak come to an end.

The Bluejays, who had their second-best 3-point shooting night of the season, were led by Trey Alexander with 16 points along with Ryan Kalkbrenner with 15. During its 62-48 loss to UConn last month, Creighton was only 6 of 26 on threes.

Of his 27 points, 17 came from UConn’s Tristen Newton in the subsequent half, with 10 coming during an 18-5 run that brought the Huskies underneath 74-64.

No. 15 Creighton defeats No. 1 team UConn 85-66 to record the program's first victory over a top team.

In their most crushing defeat since Houston defeated them 84-45 in the United States Athletic Meeting Tournament on the 15th of March 2019, the Huskies attempted a season-low three three-pointers on 16 attempts. They had won three straight games by a minimum of 25 points going into the game, setting a Big East record.

The Bluejays trailed by eight points at the beginning of the game and had their leading scorer, Baylor Scheierman, on the sidelines for eight minutes due to two fouls. The team made only two of its initial nine shots. Scheierman scored twelve points in the end.

The Huskies were not without their own issues. Their 7-foot-2, 280-pound centre, Donovan Clingan, was fouled twice quickly and saw only 11 minutes of action in the first half. As Creighton was getting settled, UConn shot just 2-for-10.

An 18-2 run was started by a couple of huge shots from backup players Francisco Farabello as well as Jasen Green. The Huskies’ lead was erased when Green made a three-pointer from the corner and Farabello made two in a row.

Following an impressive three-pointer from Ashworth, the Bluejays went on a personal 13-point scoring spurt, making 14 of their final 19 shots to end the half up 43-29.

With their first victory over a top-ranked team, No. 15 Creighton defeats UConn 85-66.

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UConn: Against teams ranked in the top 25, the Huskies have dropped their last 21 away from home. They haven’t triumphed over a ranked team on the road since Memphis on January 16, 2014.

Creighton: The Bluejays defeated a top-10 team for the ninth consecutive year and handed head coach Greg McDermott their 600th career victory. For the ninth consecutive season, they also secured a 20-win campaign.