Eastern Illinois vs. Creighton game recap: Bluejays soundly defeat Panthers

It was head coach Greg McDermott's 50th birthday on Tuesday, and the present that the Creighton Bluejays gave him will certainly be one to remember.

Using a dynamic scoring output from almost everyone on the roster, Creighton defeated the Eastern Illinois Panthers 75-53. The win moves the Bluejays to 5-0 on the young season, with the Emerald Coast Classic now in the very near future.

The star of the night was an unexpected one. Geoffrey Groselle, a junior big man whose highest scoring output going into Tuesday was just two points, exploded for 15 points on a nearly impeccable field goal percentage. He shot 7-8 from the field, which was enough for him to net several large ovations from the Omaha crowd.

Just one other Bluejay was able to net themselves into double figures against Eastern Illinois. Redshirt freshman Toby Hegner scored 13 points and he, much like Groselle, was almost unstoppable. He missed just two of his seven attempts from the field, and was 2-3 from the 3-point line. The Bluejays still seem to be working out the kinks from the perimeter as they shot just 33.3 percent from downtown.

Despite the scoring not coming in bunches, many Bluejays were able to get on the board. In fact, every Bluejay scored at least one point on the night. Starters Rick Kreklow, Devin Brooks, Austin Chatman and Will Artino combined to score 22 points, while sixth man Isaiah Zierden scored four.

The Bluejays will head away from Omaha for the first time this season on Friday night. They take on the Ole Miss Rebels in Destin, Florida in the Emerald Coast Classic, and will subsequently take on the winner of Cincinnati-Middle Tennessee a night later.