Ryan Kalkbrenner delivered a standout performance with 32 points and cemented the win with a crucial basket in the second overtime, leading his team to an 85-81 triumph over DePaul in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Creighton had previously closed in on its opponent by scoring the remaining 11 points in regulation time.
The victory propelled the No. 2 seeded Creighton Bluejays (23-9) to the semi-finals scheduled for Friday night, where they are set to face third-seeded UConn. UConn secured its place with a 73-56 win against No. 6 seed Villanova. Kalkbrenner’s pivotal shot in the paint placed Creighton ahead at 77-76, a lead they maintained until the final whistle against the 10th-seeded Blue Demons (14-19).
Fedor Zugic and Steven Ashworth each lent a hand with 3-pointers during Creighton’s impressive 11-0 run that ensured the game went into overtime. Ashworth’s critical shot, 21 seconds before the regulation time expired, tied the score at 62, forcing the game into its first overtime.
Creighton held a brief 72-64 advantage with 1:33 remaining during the first overtime, thanks to a layup from Ty Davis. However, DePaul’s Layden Blocker ignited a nine-point streak against Creighton before he hit a game-tying jumper with just one second left, sending the game into a second overtime with the score standing at 73.
Kalkbrenner also contributed with nine rebounds and stood out defensively by blocking five shots. Zugic emerged from the bench to score 13 points, while Ashworth added 10 to the tally before his exit due to fouls.
Leading DePaul’s scoring efforts was Blocker, who managed to land five 3-pointers among his 25 points. DePaul was striving for a historic advance to the Big East semifinals. Isaiah Rivera made a notable contribution for DePaul with 17 points and nine rebounds, while CJ Gunn added 14 points before also fouling out.
In the first half, DePaul found itself leading, courtesy of Rivera’s nine points and Gunn’s eight, bringing the halftime score to 36-21 in favour of the Blue Demons.
