Led by Jamiya Neal and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton rolls over DePaul

Field Level Media|published: Tue 21st January, 23:42 2025

NCAA Basketball: Creighton at Connecticut

Jan 18, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Creighton Bluejays head coach Greg McDermott watches from the sidelines they take on the UConn Huskies at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Jamiya Neal scored 14 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 13 points and eight rebounds to boost visiting Creighton to a 73-49 rout of DePaul on Tuesday in Chicago.

Creighton (13-6, 6-2 Big East) won for the sixth time in seven games while leading by as many as 28 points.

Steady defense helped the Bluejays, who held the Blue Demons (10-10, 1-8) to 30.2 percent shooting (19-for-63).

DePaul, which entered the night averaging 10.7 made 3-pointers per game, went just 3-for-23 from deep.

Inside scoring was a key for Creighton. Fueled by a 15-for-22 effort after halftime, the Bluejays shot 52.1 percent while boasting a 36-28 edge in points in the paint.

Creighton scored 14 of the first 18 points of the second half to create distance. The surge started with Neal's dunk in transition and featured four points apiece from Steven Ashworth, Jasen Green and Kalkbrenner.

Layden Blocker paced DePaul with 15 points. CJ Gunn added 11 and Isaiah Rivera scored eight while hitting a pair of treys.

DePaul fell seven points shy of its previous season low of 56 points on Jan. 4. David Skogman and Gunn both had five rebounds for the Blue Demons, who finished minus-13 on the glass.

Early shooting woes threatened to doom the Blue Demons, but their success in limiting the Bluejays kept them afloat.

DePaul trailed merely 31-19 at halftime despite shooting 8-for-36 (22.2 percent), including 1-for-14 from long range. Creighton was only slightly better from the floor at 10-for-26 (38.5 percent) in the first half while committing seven turnovers.

Neal had a game-high 12 points and six rebounds at the break. Blocker had a team-leading seven points for DePaul.

Jackson McAndrew and Ashworth scored nine points apiece for Creighton. Neal grabbed seven rebounds and Kalkbrenner had four blocks.

Creighton stretched its series winning streak against DePaul to 21 games while taking a 31-16 edge against the Blue Demons all-time.

Creighton coach Greg McDermott moved to 24-1 against DePaul in his career.

--Field Level Media

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