By No. 1 Kansas was upset 76-63 by unranked Creighton on Wednesday night, the Bluejays’ second win over top-ranked opposition in less than a year.
Pop Isaacs led the scoring for Creighton with a game-high 27 points, while seven-foot-one Ryan Kalkbrenner contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds on his return from injury.
After losing its first six games against No. 1 teams, Creighton has now won two in a row against top-ranked teams having downed the UConn Huskies last season. Wednesday’s victory was coach Greg McDermott’s 15th win over a top-10 team in his tenure with the Bluejays.
“It was going to take a special effort on our part on both ends of the floor. Guys are beat up, guys are sick, and they found a way. I’m really proud of my team,” McDermott told Fox Sports. “We beat not just a great team, a great program.
“This is the building No. 1 teams go to die, evidently.”
Creighton never trailed during the game, surging into the lead in the first half before a 9-0 run by Kansas to start the second half cut the Bluejays’ lead to 41-40 with 17:31 left.
But the unranked team responded with a 10-0 run, punctuated by two three-pointers from Isaacs, and when Steven Ashworth sunk his own three-pointer with 9:26 remaining to make it 65-53, the Jayhawks would never make it back to within single digits. It is Kansas’ first loss of the season.
“I haven’t quite had a moment like that in college,” Isaacs said, per the Associated Press, after students had poured onto the court at the end. “I haven’t played against the No. 1 team in the country. I’ve played against No. 2 and No. 3. It was hyped. The students showed up and it was electric out there.
“That wasn’t the first court storming I’ve been in. It was the biggest one.”
Cooper Flagg, the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA Draft, picked up a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds as No. 9 Duke overcame No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
“They’re a great team,” Flagg said of Auburn afterwards. “They’re one of the best teams in the country, for sure. So for us to be able to go out and compete how we did, and put on the physicality and the toughness that we played with, I think it was huge for us.”
The teenage sensation’s double-double was complemented by a remarkable six three-pointers from Isaiah Evans off the bench in the first half – just one less than his total on the season before Wednesday – and double-digit scores from Tyrese Proctor (12) and Caleb Foster (11).
Flagg’s fellow AP All-American Johni Broome had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Tigers from suffering their first loss of the season.
The Blue Devils found themselves down by 11 early on, but recovered quickly to lead by a dozen after halftime. In a tense final four-and-a-half minutes, Auburn missed seven consecutive shots to ensure Duke would improve to 6-2.
Elsewhere, 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks from Liam McNeeley helped No. 25 UConn to a much-needed 76-72 victory over No. 15 Baylor.
The two-time defending national champion fell dramatically in the rankings following three losses in four days in the Maui Invitational, but having gotten back on track on Sunday with a win against Maryland Eastern Shore, the Huskies rallied from trailing by double-digits in the first half on Wednesday to claim their second win in a row.
With captain Alex Karaban missing due to a head injury he sustained in last Wednesday’s loss to Dayton, Samson Johnson and Solo Ball contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.
“I think we just showed what we’re capable of, even without our captain,” said McNeeley afterwards. “A lot of guys had to step up, just because Alex brings so much.”
No. 6 Iowa State also managed an upset, handing No. 5 Marquette its first loss of the season, 81-70.
Cyclones guard Keshon Gilbert was the star man, recording 24 points and seven assists. Joshua Jefferson also shone, adding 15 points and 12 rebounds.
