Every basketball fan’s dream was on display at PPG Paints Arena as the teams vied for a spot in the Sweet 16. Oregon and Creighton basketball went back and forth for all 40 minutes of regulation and the first overtime until the Bluejays pulled through in the second OT to win 86-73.
This matchup lived up to the hype of Dana Altman facing his former school, and it put the “madness” in March Madness.
“As I told the team, epic game,” said Creighton basketball head coach Greg McDermott. “Not sure if I’ve been apart of one quite like it in 35 years, and obviously Oregon has had a hell of a year.”
Things started slow for the Bluejays offensively, but the shooting heated up as the game went along. Four players ended the night with 18+ points as Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Steven Ashworth all shot well from behind the arc.
Yet, it was Ryan Kalkbrenner who perhaps made the three-pointer with the biggest impact on the game. The 7’1 center cashed in during the second overtime and extended Creighton’s lead to six en route to outscoring the Ducks 15-2 in the second overtime.
“Well Mac [McDermott] told me to make 100 before practice and 100 after practice, the two practices before we came here,” said Kalkbrenner. “Mac’s always given me the green light… And I know that that’s probably the number one shot Mac wanted on that possession.”
The Bluejays knew going into the game that containing Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante was going to be easier said than done. The duo accounted for 60 points and 28 rebounds for Oregon; Couisnard scored 32 points with eight rebounds while Dante finished the night with 28 points and 20 rebounds.
For Creighton, the only consolation was that those two accounted for almost all of the Ducks’ offense.
“We knew they were going to be hard to stop, and fortunately we made one more play than they did,” said McDermott.
Fans around the country were on edge for much of the game and even more so when the game went into overtime: except Creighton basketball. The Bluejays found themselves rather calm and embracing the moment of being in a game.
As the teams were getting ready for the second overtime well after midnight local time in Pittsburgh, Creighton’s players were smiling and laughing on the bench in what was the biggest game of the season so far for the Bluejays.
“We just knew that we were ready for the second OT,” said Trey Alexander. “We do this all the time in situations in practice, so we were ready… So we were just still trying to play our game.”
This win sends Creighton to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years with McDermott in charge of the Bluejays. The three trips to the Sweet 16 are the only ones that Creighton has in the modern era of the tournament. While McDermott is excited to be coaching this team another week, he knows his team had some luck in the win over Oregon.
“Double overtime on this stage, the last game of the night, we got a couple lucky bounces there,” said McDermott. “I lost my mom this year. I’m pretty sure she helped with a couple bounces tonight.”
The Bluejays now head to Tennessee where they face Tennessee on Fri., Mar. 29.