Streak Ends - PC Falls on the Road to Creighton

Streak Ends - PC Falls on the Road to Creighton

The streak is over. 

The #19 ranked Providence College men's basketball team was defeated by the Creighton Bluejays (10-8, 4-3 Big East), 73-67, on Saturday, at the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha.

With the loss the Friars fell to 14-4 on the season and 6-1 in conference play. Sophomore Bryce Hopkins led the way for the Friars with a double-double, 20 points and 10 rebounds.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Redshirt senior Ed Croswell also finished with a double-double, 10 points, and 10 boards, but he missed a number of critical layups.

The Friars shot just 21% from behind the 3-point line.

PC had won nine in a row.

 

FIRST HALF:

- At the 17:08 mark, Croswell made a second-chance layup to put the Friars on the board. The Friars had three turnovers in the opening stretch of the game. PC trailed 8-4 at the first media timeout.
- The Friars went on an 8-0 run after the timeout to take their first lead of the game. 
- PC struggled to contain Creighton's outside shooting to start the game. Baylor Scheierman nailed three early three-pointers for the Bluejays and was the first player to notch double figures. 
- At the 8:20 mark, Devin Carter matched one of Scheierman's three-pointers. The game was knotted at 21, with Carter leading the Friars on both ends of the floor.
- Creighton answered with an 18-4 run. Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander continued to score at ease for the Bluejays, while the Friars hit a cold streak on offense.
- The Bluejays held a 12-point advantage at halftime, 41-29.
- Providence shot 11-32 (34.4%) from the field, 1-7 (14.3%) from three and 6-7 (85.7%) from the free throw line. 
- Creighton shot 16-31 (51.6%) from the field, 3-11 (27.3%) from three and 6-7 (85.7%) from the free throw line. 

 

SECOND HALF:

- Alyn Breed scored the first basket of the second half for the Friars.
- After getting into foul trouble early in the game, Hopkins began to find a rhythm on offense in the opening minutes of the second half. 
- The Friars cut the deficit back to single digits with back-to-back baskets by Noah Locke. PC trailed 47-40. 
- With 13 minutes remaining, Hopkins stole the ball and finished a contested layup in transition. The Friars were on a 15-3 offensive surge. Creighton's lead dwindled to four, 48-44.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner tempered the Friars' run by scoring three consecutive inside baskets for the Bluejays. PC trailed 54-47 with 10 minutes left to play.
- At the 8:30 mark, Hopkins buried a three-ball from the right wing, capping off a 7-0 run. The Friars overcame a 16-point deficit to tie the game at 54.
= Creighton held a 67-58 advantage with three minutes left. The Friars had not made a field goal in over four minutes of action, while the Bluejays capitalized with an 11-2 run.  
- With just under one minute remaining, the Friars used their final timeout. PC had missed six of their last seven shot attempts, while Creighton had made four of their last five.

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

Providence finished 25-65 (38.5%) from the field, 4-19 (21.1%) from three and 13-15 (86.7%) from the free throw line. 
Creighton finished 26-54 (48.1%) from the field, 3-16 (18.8%) from three and 18-23 (78.3%) from the free throw line. 
Four players finished in double figures for the Friars, in Hopkins (20), Carter (13), Locke (12) and Croswell (10). 
The Friars held a firm advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Bluejays 44-29. The Friars also scored 12 more second-chance points. 
Ryan Kalkbrenner led the way for the Bluejays with 21 points and four blocks (both game-highs). Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman added 20 and 19 points, respectively. 

 

NOTES: 

- The Friars have posted an 18-14 mark all-time versus the Bluejays, including a 12-11 record since Creighton joined the BIG EAST in 2013-14.
- It marks the first time two Friars finished with double-doubles in the same game since Jan. 23, 2021 (at Villanova). 
- The Friars had won nine consecutive games before today's loss, their largest win streak since 1989. 
- The Friars are ranked No. 19 in both polls. It marks the first time the team has been ranked since the final polls of 2021-22. 

 

NEXT:

The Friars will travel to Milwaukee, Wis. to take on the No. 25/23 Marquette Golden Eagles (14-4, 6-1 BIG EAST) at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
The Friars have posted a 14-21 mark all-time versus the Golden Eagles, including a 3-13 mark on the road. Earlier this season, the Friars earned a 103-98 home victory over then-No. 24/25 Marquette in double overtime on Tuesday, Dec. 20.