A determined effort by Nebraska on the defensive end of the floor drove the Huskers (4-1) to a 74-63 upset of No. 14 Creighton Friday at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
Nebraska forced 17 Bluejays (4-1) turnovers, resulting in 22 Husker points. The defense was so stifling, All-America candidate Ryan Kalkbrenner was held to four points with just one field goal attempt. Creighton shot a meager 28.6 percent from three-point range and just 32.7 percent overall. The Bluejays attempted just 10 shots inside the arc, making five.
Meanwhile, Nebraska had a balanced effort on the offensive end of the floor. Brice Williams was effective in drawing fouls, going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line while tallying 16 points, while Juwan Gary scored 16 points with seven rebounds. Connor Essegian added 15 points, while Berke Buyuktuncel scored 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Rollie Worster contributed 11 points.
In a game where Nebraska entered as a 10.5-point underdog, the Huskers never trailed. NU opened a 15-8 lead with 12:47 to go in the first half and never looked back. A 16-2 Nebraska run opened a 31-13 lead with under three minutes to go until halftime. The Bluejays shrunk the Huskers’ lead to single digits, but a jumper in the lane by Brice Williams opened a 35-24 lead, which was the halftime score.
The Huskers held the Bluejays at arms’ length for most of the second half. Creighton got no closer than seven points down in the entire second half. The Nebraska lead grew as large as 16, and the Huskers held off the Bluejays for the win.
Nebraska now prepares to take on South Dakota Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., with pregame beginning at 4:30 p.m. on KLIN.