Northwestern squandered a 34-point performance from junior guard Drew Crawford on Thursday, falling 87-79 to No. 23 Creighton in Omaha, Neb.
Senior forward John Shurna added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but NU’s defensive lapses outweighed the strong play of its two stars. The Bluejays (10-1) shot 52 percent from the floor and 57 percent from the three-point line. They knocked down four triples during a 17-7 run late in the second half to build an insurmountable 75-65 lead.
Creighton forward Doug McDermott ignited the 17,676 in attendance, marking the second-largest crowd in the history of CenturyLink Center, with 27 points and five assists. The sophomore overcame early foul trouble, which forced him to sit for the final 12:18 of the opening frame. He showcased his offensive versatility, connecting on 10 of his 14 field-goal attempts, including three daggers from behind the arc. Four other Bluejays finished with double-digit point totals, and guard Grant Gibbs posted 12 assists.
Crawford dominated in the first half, sinking nine of his first 10 shots to carry NU to an early 33-25 advantage. The Bluejays followed with an 11-0 run, capped by consecutive three-pointers from forward Ethan Wragge, and took a 37-36 lead into the intermission.
Senior forward Davide Curletti helped the Cats seize momentum early in the second half. Curletti grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed home the put-back dunk while he was fouled. He converted the three-point play to give NU a 42-39 edge, part of his solid 10-point night.
Then, the Cats’ stars fell victim to foul trouble. Shurna committed his third personal foul with 16:56 remaining and Crawford picked up a cheap fourth foul just more than two minutes later. With Crawford on the bench, the Bluejays rolled to a 55-47 lead.
After NU recovered to even the score at 58, Creighton responded yet again. Guard Jahenns Manigat ended the Cats’ run with one of his three triples. Sophomore JerShon Cobb then turned the ball over and inexplicably fouled Wragge on a three-point attempt. Despite the contact, Wragge made the shot and the ensuing free-throw attempt. Guard Josh Jones sealed the win for the Bluejays with two triples down the stretch.
Unlike several other teams the Cats have faced, the Bluejays had little trouble finding open looks to beat their 1-3-1 zone. When coach Bill Carmody opted for man-to-man pressure, McDermott dominated in the paint. This success on offense and a 34-24 rebounding advantage were keys to Creighton’s victory.
The Cats shot 50 percent and turned the ball over just 10 times in Thursday’s matchup, but they were victimized by a lack of depth. Junior guards Reggie Hearn and Alex Marcotullio combined for just one field goal. Freshman point guard Dave Sobolewski had a career-high eight assists but tallied just two points.
The Cats missed a chance to improve their NCAA Tournament credentials, though both of their non-conference losses came against ranked opponents. They begin conference play at No. 2 Ohio State on Wednesday.
