Creighton 72, Drake 67 (OT); Creighton 60, Evansville 56
There are dozens upon dozens of clichés about the road; it is long, hard, tough, unforgiving, etc., etc. Poets have cemented legendary status with prose about traveling winding (and forked) pathways, while musicians continue to lament about never-ending tours, the uncertainness of life on the road, and the problems one can find on dimly lit street.
If Creighton has done anything this year, it is prove these old axioms true; there is nothing good about playing on the road. The Bluejays hit the pavement last week for two of the easier games on their schedule, but schedules (and paper, for that matter) tend to lie. The Jays handled both Drake and Evansville in those teams’ visits to the Qwest Center Omaha, but Bluejay fans knew that the road swing would prove to be as nerve-wracking as the entire season has seemingly felt.
“Qwest Center East”
Last Saturday, thousands of Creighton fans trekked to the middle of the heartland – Des Moines, Iowa – for what has become an annual pilgrimage. The atmosphere of watching the Jays square off as the visiting team is markedly different than the cozy confines of The Phone Booth, and each year nearly half of Drake’s Knapp Center is full of Jays fans hoping for a Creighton victory.
It hasn’t been that easy the past few years, though. The Bulldogs always put up a fight in their own building, with most of the CU-DU games in Des Moines coming down to the final minute (or overtime) the past few seasons.
CU fans made the trip in carpools, while still others hopped a ride on one of many bar-sponsored buses – some of the intoxication in the bleachers showed. One group of fans donned blue t-shirts with “QWEST CENTER EAST” scribed across the front. And it wasn’t an exaggeration.
The Creighton contingent was amazing, seemingly willing Dana Altman’s team back from multiple double-digit deficits. Oh, and Anthony Tolliver, Josh Dotzler, Pierce Hibma, and Johnny Mathies might have had something to do with that, too.
Tolliver posted a double-double against the Bulldogs, despite being pummeled by various non-call fouls. His 15 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes set the tone for a raucous Bluejay crowd. Hibma stoked a fire, too, with three three-point baskets that pared Drake’s lead down, and he had a few clutch steals in the second half that helped the Jays get back in the ballgame.
Mathies struggled a bit from the field, with his bum knee limiting what he was able to do off the dribble, but he still played 37 minutes and led all Bluejay scorers with 16 points.
But the stat of the night was freshman Dotzler’s 10 assists and just 1 turnover while almost single-handedly breaking Drake’s consistent backcourt pressure.
It took great individual efforts from a couple of different Bluejays to fight through a sluggish start and post a tough road victory, but they were able to do something that this team is quickly becoming known for – they pulled it out, no matter what the obstacle.
Lost Somewhere in Indiana
Creighton’s 4-point win over Evansville marked the first game this year that I didn’t see with my own two eyes either in person, on TV, or over the Internet. Talk about a bad game to have to listen to on the radio!
The Jays and Purple Aces traded leads most of the first half, and then Evansville took the lead for what felt like an eternity.
However, when it came to crunch time, a steady hand and an almost-forgotten shooter saved the day.
Tolliver posted his second consecutive double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds (9 defensive) while putting the Jays on his shoulders. He even collected a career-high 7 steals, while flirting with a triple-double.
Jimmy Motz shrugged off a recent slump, continued to fire from long range, and hit a game-clinching three-pointer with nearly no time left on the shot clock and less than one minute to play in the game.
The Jays have had numerous folks step up in big spots during this great 11-game stretch in which they are 10-1. They’ll need to be firing on all cylinders today against Southern Illinois, however, and protect the home court in an increasingly close race for the Missouri Valley Tournament crown.
Thank goodness the game is at home; those poets and singers are right.
If Creighton has done anything this year, it is prove these old axioms true; there is nothing good about playing on the road. The Bluejays hit the pavement last week for two of the easier games on their schedule, but schedules (and paper, for that matter) tend to lie. The Jays handled both Drake and Evansville in those teams’ visits to the Qwest Center Omaha, but Bluejay fans knew that the road swing would prove to be as nerve-wracking as the entire season has seemingly felt.
“Qwest Center East”
Last Saturday, thousands of Creighton fans trekked to the middle of the heartland – Des Moines, Iowa – for what has become an annual pilgrimage. The atmosphere of watching the Jays square off as the visiting team is markedly different than the cozy confines of The Phone Booth, and each year nearly half of Drake’s Knapp Center is full of Jays fans hoping for a Creighton victory.
It hasn’t been that easy the past few years, though. The Bulldogs always put up a fight in their own building, with most of the CU-DU games in Des Moines coming down to the final minute (or overtime) the past few seasons.
CU fans made the trip in carpools, while still others hopped a ride on one of many bar-sponsored buses – some of the intoxication in the bleachers showed. One group of fans donned blue t-shirts with “QWEST CENTER EAST” scribed across the front. And it wasn’t an exaggeration.
The Creighton contingent was amazing, seemingly willing Dana Altman’s team back from multiple double-digit deficits. Oh, and Anthony Tolliver, Josh Dotzler, Pierce Hibma, and Johnny Mathies might have had something to do with that, too.
Tolliver posted a double-double against the Bulldogs, despite being pummeled by various non-call fouls. His 15 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes set the tone for a raucous Bluejay crowd. Hibma stoked a fire, too, with three three-point baskets that pared Drake’s lead down, and he had a few clutch steals in the second half that helped the Jays get back in the ballgame.
Mathies struggled a bit from the field, with his bum knee limiting what he was able to do off the dribble, but he still played 37 minutes and led all Bluejay scorers with 16 points.
But the stat of the night was freshman Dotzler’s 10 assists and just 1 turnover while almost single-handedly breaking Drake’s consistent backcourt pressure.
It took great individual efforts from a couple of different Bluejays to fight through a sluggish start and post a tough road victory, but they were able to do something that this team is quickly becoming known for – they pulled it out, no matter what the obstacle.
Lost Somewhere in Indiana
Creighton’s 4-point win over Evansville marked the first game this year that I didn’t see with my own two eyes either in person, on TV, or over the Internet. Talk about a bad game to have to listen to on the radio!
The Jays and Purple Aces traded leads most of the first half, and then Evansville took the lead for what felt like an eternity.
However, when it came to crunch time, a steady hand and an almost-forgotten shooter saved the day.
Tolliver posted his second consecutive double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds (9 defensive) while putting the Jays on his shoulders. He even collected a career-high 7 steals, while flirting with a triple-double.
Jimmy Motz shrugged off a recent slump, continued to fire from long range, and hit a game-clinching three-pointer with nearly no time left on the shot clock and less than one minute to play in the game.
The Jays have had numerous folks step up in big spots during this great 11-game stretch in which they are 10-1. They’ll need to be firing on all cylinders today against Southern Illinois, however, and protect the home court in an increasingly close race for the Missouri Valley Tournament crown.
Thank goodness the game is at home; those poets and singers are right.
posted by Creighton Otter at 11:07 AM
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