Creighton rolls to 98-74 win over rival Nebraska

Creighton comfortably defeated rival Nebraska on Friday night in Omaha.

The Bluejays won 98-74 to keep the state ‘blue’ for at least another year. The Jays have won 10 of the last 12 matchups with the Cornhuskers, and have lost just one (2018) since joining the Big East in the 2013-14 season.

Creighton picked up the win in part because of the play of Marcus Zegarowski. The Preseason Big East Player of the Year dropped 22 points and shot 5-of-7 on 3-point attempts. Zegarowski also went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line, and added three rebounds, four steals and five assists to his line. His four turnovers in 33 minutes of action and 1-of-6 mark on 2-point attempts were the only blemishes on his otherwise terrific line.

Let us not leave out Denzel Mahoney though. Mahoney scored 20 points in 28 minutes, shooting 7-for-17 from the field in the process. Christian Bishop and Damien Jefferson also performed quite well, scoring 10 and 11 respectively. Bishop didn’t miss a shot from the floor, going 5-for-5, while Jefferson shot 5-for-9 and 4-for-5 on 2-point attempts. Ryan Kalkbrenner gave Creighton 13 points off the bench in ust 19 minutes, and also grabbed eight boards with just one turnover.

Nebraska had three players get into double figures, including Teddy Allen who led the way with 26 points. Trey McGowens and Dalano Banton scored 15 and 12 respectively, meanwhile. They, like Creighton, shot over 40 percent from long range. But where Nebraska struggled mightily was inside, as they shot just 14-for-31 on 2-point field goal attempts. That wound up being their undoing, as did a spell in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Huskers could muster up only 13 points to Creighton’s 30, which effectively took them out of the race.

Creighton is currently scheduled to face Marquette on Monday.