DePaul basketball faced stiff competition on the road against the Creighton Bluejays, losing a tough matchup 75-65.
Isaiah Rivera led the Blue Demons with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.
He shot 6-10 (60%) from the field, 1-1 (100%) from downtown, and 5-7 (71.4%) from the line.
Ryan Kalkbrenner was a one-man wrecking crew, recording a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds. He shot 12-17 (70.6%) overall and 1-4 (25%) at the free-throw line.
Here are three key takeaways from the defeat against the Bluejays.
Takeaway #1: DePaul basketball did a great job at limiting turnovers
This game was not as close as the final score, especially throughout. There were multiple intervals where DePaul basketball found an open shot, and it just wouldn’t fall.
One positive from this game was how the Blue Demons not only did a great job at limiting their turnovers but also forced Creighton to commit multiple turnovers.
DePaul basketball recorded 6 turnovers to Creighton’s 13. This resulted in the Blue Demons recording more points from turnovers 11-3.
Three Blue Demons players led the charge on defense, forcing the Bluejays into difficult situations and sloppy mistakes. Troy D’Amico and Chris Riddle each recorded 2 steals, and David Thomas did one better with 3 steals.
In their previous matchup against the Butler Bulldogs, both teams committed 4 turnovers, and the Blue Demons outscored the Bulldogs in points off of turnovers 5-4. This was despite the Bulldogs not recording a steal.
Takeaway #2: Ryan Kalkbrenner
25 points and 13 rebounds. Kalkbrenner scored a third of the Bluejays’ entire points against DePaul basketball, a one-man wrecking crew.
Whenever he was in the post, he could score at will. When someone towers over the rest of the court, they can use their size as an advantage. Players like him can also use their size to steal rebounds and feast at the glass.
After Kalkbrenner, the second leading scorer for the Bluejays was Steven Ashworth, the other half of the dynamic duo for the Bluejays.
Ashworth recorded 16 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. He shot 6-10 (60%) from the floor and 4-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc.
It’s rare to see one player record a large percentage of an entire team’s scoring effort. A rare sight to behold. The Bluejays are going to miss such a player come next year.
Takeaway #3: DePaul basketball got dominated in the glass
The Blue Demons were outrebounded 42-22 against Creighton. Rivera and C.J. Gunn were the only DePaul players to record more than 2 rebounds; D’Amico recorded 2 rebounds on the defensive end.
Defensively, DePaul basketball was outrebounded 29-18, with Kalkbrenner leading the Bluejays with 7 defensive rebounds. Rivera had the most defensive boards on the court for both sides, with 8 defensive rebounds.
The Bluejays recorded more offensive rebounds as well, 13-4. Kalkbrenner recorded 6 offensive rebounds. Such a one-sided offensive rebound difference is a rarity, especially in the Big East, where teams are known to be among the most physical at the glass in all of college basketball.
David Skogman and N.J. Benson were out for the Blue Demons, two notable interior presences absent due to injuries. Those two are players that DePaul basketball needs to have back for the last few games, especially come time for the Big East tournament.
Next up for DePaul basketball (11-18, 2-16): at Providence (12-16, 6-11) – Mar. 5 at 5:30 p.m. CST
Next up for Creighton basketball (20-8, 13-4): at Xavier (18-10, 10-7) – Mar. 1 at 3:30 p.m. CST