Ryan Kalkbrenner dominant again as No. 14 Creighton rolls

Field Level Media|published: Wed 13th November, 23:22 2024

NCAA Basketball: Houston Christian at Creighton

Nov 13, 2024; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) scores against Houston Christian Huskies forward Trent Johnson (8) during the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 16 points to fuel No. 14 Creighton to a convincing 78-43 victory over visiting Houston Christian on Wednesday in Omaha, Neb.

Kalkbrenner, the Big East player of the week, made all six of his shots from the floor to improve to 35 of 38 on the season.

A three-time conference defensive player of the year, Kalkbrenner also had four rebounds and three blocks -- including an emphatic rejection of Pierce Bazil's bid for a dunk early in the second half.

Kalkbrenner's dominant performance paved the way for Greg McDermott to record his 328th head coaching victory at Creighton, snapping a tie with his predecessor Dana Altman (1994-2010).

Steven Ashworth collected 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Fredrick King added 11 points off the bench in the win. Jamiya Neal had nine points and seven rebounds for the Bluejays (3-0), who benefited from a 36-5 run to close the first half.

The second half saw more of the same as Creighton enjoyed an 11-2 run in the first 3 1/2 minutes to effectively seal the win.

The Bluejays shot a robust 55.8 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Conversely, the Huskies (1-2) made just 25.4 percent of their attempts from the floor and 14.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner established post position and had his way in the interior, helping Creighton enjoy a 44-18 edge in points in the paint.

Houston Christian was led by D'Aundre Samuels' eight points.

The Huskies jumped out to a 7-3 lead before the Bluejays ignited their offense with just over 13 minutes to play in the first half. Ashworth sandwiched 3-pointers around a pair of layups by Kalkbrenner to begin Creighton's 16-0 run.

Demari Williams' jumper with 6:25 remaining in the first half for the Huskies was quickly answered by a barrage from the Bluejays. Kalkbrenner quickly scored six points and Neal and Isaacs each drained a 3-pointer to help Creighton extend its advantage to 37-9.

--Field Level Media