LAS VEGAS — Jamiya Neal showcased an impressive performance for No. 21 Creighton, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds as they overcame Notre Dame 80-76 in the seventh-place matchup of the Players Era Festival on Saturday.
Despite Notre Dame narrowing the gap to three points with just 24 seconds remaining, Creighton (5-3) held its ground, finishing the game with a perfect 6 for 6 at the free-throw line, thus breaking a three-game losing streak.
Steven Ashworth contributed significantly with 15 points and six assists, while Fredrick King added 14 points for Creighton.
On the side of Notre Dame (4-4), both Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis led the team with 17 points apiece, and Matt Allocco chipped in 12 points.
Notre Dame made a commendable effort to bounce back, overcoming a 17-point deficit from the first half and even taking a one-point lead midway through the second half after a crucial 3-pointer from Shrewsberry that put them ahead 53-52.
Key takeaways from the game highlight the struggles for Notre Dame, which after an undefeated start (4-0), has faced four consecutive losses, including a recent home defeat to Elon and neutral-site setbacks against Rutgers, ranked No. 6 Houston, and now Creighton. Initially, the Irish had dominated their first four opponents by an average of 19.0 points but have since been outscored by an average of 5.75 points per game during their current losing streak.
For Creighton, Neal made a notable leap in performance, elevating his average from 8.7 points per game. By halftime, he had already netted 11 points, shooting 4 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
A pivotal moment in the game came after Creighton lost its 17-point advantage and fell behind. Responding to Shrewsberry’s 3-pointer, the Bluejays quickly regained control with three consecutive 3-pointers: one from Ashworth and two from Neal, pushing their lead to 61-53—a lead they maintained for the remainder of the match.
Statistically, Creighton’s 3-point shooting was strikingly effective, converting 46% of their attempts by hitting 11 of 24 from long distance, a significant increase compared to their season average of 29.9%.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame is set to face Georgia in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, while Creighton will prepare for a challenging matchup against the top-ranked Kansas on Wednesday.
