OMAHA, Neb. — In an impressive display during the season opener, Ryan Kalkbrenner, named the Big East preseason player of the year, exploded for a career-high 49 points, leading the 15th-ranked Creighton Bluejays to a 99-86 victory over UT-Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday night.
Creighton, which has made it to the Sweet 16 in three of the last four seasons, found it challenging to pull away from the Southland Conference’s Vaqueros until the closing minutes.
The towering 7-foot-1 center’s point total marked the second-best in the history of the program, following Bob Portman’s 51-point game against UW-Milwaukee in 1967. Kalkbrenner showcased his shooting prowess by connecting on 20 of 22 attempts from the floor, including two successful three-pointers. Additionally, he converted 7 of 8 free-throw opportunities, grabbed 11 rebounds, and recorded three blocks.
Alongside him, Steven Ashworth contributed 25 points for the Bluejays. For the Vaqueros, Hasan Abdul-Hakim led with 24 points, supported by Cliff Davis and DK Thorn, who chipped in 17 points each. Despite their efforts, UT-Rio Grande Valley, now 0-2, was unable to secure a comeback, even reducing the lead to 87-82 with a late basket from Howie Fleming Jr. with just over two minutes remaining.
Key takeaways from the game highlight that UT Rio Grande Valley remained competitive by converting 14 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities, netting 19 points in that category. Unfortunately for them, this defeat extended their record to 0-14 against ranked opponents and pushed their losing streak to 56 games against teams from power conferences, as tracked by Sportradar.
For Creighton, expected to dominate as 30-point favorites per BetMGM Sportsbook, Coach Greg McDermott found himself using his starters until the last minute of the game, indicating a challenging match-up.
A pivotal moment in the first half featured Kalkbrenner as he scored 10 consecutive points through a diverse display of scoring methods, showcasing a free throw, a three-pointer from the wing, a dunk following a lob pass, a fast-break layup, and a smooth post move to finish.
In terms of notable achievements, Creighton’s victory marked their 30th consecutive win in home openers, a streak that dates back to 1995.
Looking ahead, the Bluejays will face Fairleigh Dickinson at home on Sunday, part of a stretch of four consecutive home games over 11 days. Meanwhile, UT-Rio Grande Valley will return to their home court to challenge Champion Christian College on the same day.