/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44195006/usa-today-8215216.0.jpg)
Oklahoma | Creighton | |
Points | 63 | 65 |
Points Per Possession | .887 | .915 |
Effective FG% | 44.1 | 44.6 |
Turnover% | 16.9 | 12.7 |
Off. Rebounding% | 28.6 | 17.9 |
FTA/FGA | 22.6 | 37.5 |
Life after Doug McDermott was expected to be an uphill battle for Creighton. Three games into the season, things seem to be going just fine in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Bluejays used what was a 24-4 run at one point in the 2nd half to pull ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners, and used some stellar efficiency -- 1.206 points per possession in the final 20 minutes -- to upset the No. 18 ranked team in the country to the tune of 65-63.
Senior point guard Austin Chatman was divisive on the floor as he finished with a game-high 17 points. The only remaining starter from last year's team that finished 2nd in the conference Chatman notched a double-double with 11 rebounds and added six assists as well to his impressive evening.
It was a 3-pointer that got the Bluejays started in the 2nd half -- fitting as it could be -- by redshirt freshman Toby Hegner, and the Jays were off to the races after that. Treys from Isaiah Zierden and Chatman cut further into the lead, and then several minutes later, with 11:35 remaining in the game, Zierden stepped up and drilled another one from downtown to give the Bluejays what was their first lead of the game.
The tide would turn just twice after that, as Oklahoma's standout guard Buddy Hield would give his Sooners the lead with 5:56 left. However, three minutes later, JUCO transfer Devin Brooks would tie the game with a layup, and it was sophomore big man Zach Hanson who came up large with a tip-in with 49 seconds remaining in the contest.
Oklahoma was able to bring Creighton's lead down to two, and some perilous, anxious moments filled the CenturyLink Center in Omaha when Brooks could not connect on two late free throws. Jordan Woodard took a 3-point attempt in the waning moments, one that would have allowed for the Sooners to survive a tumultuous stay in The Husker State. However, it was not to be, as the Bluejays picked up a wild win in what will no doubt go down as one of the best games you will see this season.