2020-21 Creighton Men’s Basketball Game #31: #1 Gonzaga vs. #19 Creighton • Sunday, March 28, 2021 • 1:10 p.m. CST SID Contact: Rob Anderson • Office Phone: (402) 280-5544 • Cell Phone: (402) 660-5854 • E-mail: [email protected] #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. #19 Creighton Bluejays Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind. Radio: KOZN 1620 AM (John Bishop, Nick Bahe) Westwood One Sports/SiriusXM: Sirius 138; XM 210; App 968 Television: CBS (Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, Jamie Erdahl) Series History vs. Gonzaga: Creighton leads, 6-4 (28-0) (22-8) Last Meeting: #1 Gonzaga 103, Creighton 92 on Dec. 1, 2018 in Omaha, Neb. November (1-0) Next Game can be heard by locating the audio by game at 29 NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FS1) W 69-58 Fifth-seeded and No. 19 ranked Creighton (22-8) is http://WestwoodOneSports.com/madness. A in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for first listing of Westwood One affiliates can be found at December (6-2) time since 1974. Up next for the Bluejays will be http://westwoodonesports.com/stations, 1 NEBRASKA-OMAHA (FS1) W 94-67 a tall task...top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Gonzaga 4 KENNESAW STATE (FS1) W 93-58 (28-0), who are seeking college basketball’s first Television Information 8 at #5 Kansas ! (ESPN) L 72-73 unbeaten season since Indiana went 32-0 in 1975- Sunday’s game will be televised nationally on CBS, 11 NEBRASKA (BTN) W 98-74 76. with Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel and Jamie Erdahl 14 MARQUETTE* (FS1) L 84-89 Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on the broadcast. 17 at St. John’s* (FS1) W 94-76 on Sunday, March 28th is set for 1:10 p.m. Central. Of Creighton’s last 161 games, all but the three 20 at Connecticut* (FS1) W 76-74 (OT) The winner of the Creighton/Gonzaga game will contests at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic have 23 #22 XAVIER* (FS1) W 66-61 meet the USC/Oregon winner on Tuesday at Lucas been televised. CU is 109-52 in those contests. Oil Stadium at a time and network to be deter- Streaming video of all NCAA Tournament games January (6-2) mined on Sunday night. is online at http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadnesslive. 2 at Providence* (FOX) W 67-65 6 SETON HALL* (FS1) W 89-53 Radio Information Scouting No. 19 Creighton 9 ST. JOHN’S* (FS1) W 97-79 16 at Butler* (FS1) L 66-70 (OT) KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast all Creighton men’s Creighton is 22-8 overall and ranked 19th nation- 20 PROVIDENCE* (FS1) L 70-74 basketball games during the 2020-21 season. John ally after finishing as the runner-up in the BIG EAST 23 #23 CONNECTICUT* (FOX) W 74-66 Bishop will call the action with Nick Bahe. in both the regular-season and the conference 27 at Seton Hall* (FS1) W 85-81 Westwood One Sports will also air the game tournament. CU’s 14 league wins were three more 30 at DePaul* (CBSSN) W 69-62 nationwide outside the Omaha market, with Ryan than any other school, but the Bluejays settled for Radtke and Donny Marshall on the call. The game the second seed because Villanova owned a better February (4-2) can be heard on Sirius channel 138 and XM channel winning percentage. 3 GEORGETOWN* (FS1) L 79-86 210 and App 968. NCAA Tournament wins last week over UC Santa 6 at Marquette* (FOX) W 71-68 Only the Westwood One feed will be available Barbara (63-62) and Ohio (72-58) in the program’s 9 at Georgetown* (CBSSN) W 63-48 over the internet and other mobile devices. Games first Sweet 16 since 1974 as the Bluejays have won 13 #5 VILLANOVA* (FOX) W 86-70 Creighton -- Last Game Starters 24 DEPAUL* (CBSSN) W 77-53 Marcus Zegarowski • G • First Team All-BIG EAST after being Preseason BIG EAST POY. 27 at Xavier* (FOX) L 69-77 6-2 • 180 • Jr. • Hamilton, Mass. • Tied career-high with 32 points vs. Butler on March 6th. 11 • On the Naismith, Wooden & Bob Cousy Point Guard Watch Lists. March (5-2) PPG APG 3FG% FT% • Leading returning scorer in the BIG EAST (16.0 ppg. in 2019-20). 3 at #10 Villanova* (FS1) L 60-72 15.7 4.4 .421 .779 • Andy Katz’s NCAA.com National Player of the Week on Feb. 15th. 6 BUTLER* (FOX) W 93-73 Christian Bishop • F • Leads team with 48 dunks, including game-winning slam with BIG EAST Tournament (New York, N.Y.) 13 6-7 • 220 • Jr. • Lee’s Summit, Mo. 0.8 left at Providence (1/2). Last year CU-best 38 dunks. 11 vs. Butler (FS1) W 87-56 • Leads BIG EAST in FG percentage (68.2%). 12 vs. Connecticut (FS1) W 59-56 PPG RPG FG% FT% • Made 2 FT with 16.0 left to beat UCSB in NCAA Tourney (3/20). 13 vs. Georgetown (FOX) L 48-73 11.0 6.4 .682 .573 • Career-high 15 rebounds vs. Ohio to clinch Sweet 16 bid (3/22). • Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection. NCAA Tournament (Indianapolis, Ind.) Damien Jefferson • F • Career-high 26 points vs. Providence (1/20). 20 vs. UC Santa Barbara (truTV) W 63-62 6-5 • 220 • Sr. • East Chicago, Ind. 23 • Had 10 points, 10 rebounds & 8 assists at St. John’s (12/17). 22 vs. Ohio (TNT) W 72-58 PPG RPG 3FG% FT% • Made game-tying shot at UConn with 0.2 left. CU won in OT. 28 vs. #1 Gonzaga (CBS) 1:10 p.m. 12.1 5.4 .360 .605 • Owns 10+ points in 23 of last 29 games. * BIG EAST Conference regular season games Mitch Ballock • G • Surpassed 1,000 career points in season-opener vs. North Dakota % Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic (Sioux Falls, S.D.) State (Nov. 29) and now ranks 21st with 1,299 career points. ! Big 12 - BIG EAST Battle 6-5 • 205 • Sr. • Eudora, Kan. All times listed are Central and subject to change 24 • Ranks 3rd in Creighton history with 307 career three-pointers. Home games in BOLD CAPS at CHI Health Center Omaha PPG RPG 3FG% FT% • Led BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio and minutes/game last year. 10.1 3.3 .395 .571 • Won BIG EAST’s Sportsmanship Award in 2020-21. Denzel Mahoney • G/F • Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST Conference choice. 6-5 • 220 • Sr. • Oviedo, Fla. • Team’s active leading scorer with 1,704 career points when you 34 include his first two seasons at Southeast Missouri State. PPG RPG 3FG% FT% • Won BIG EAST Sixth Man Award last season. 12.5 4.1 .328 .747 • Has 10+ points in 33-of-50 games played as a Bluejay. 2020-21 BIG EAST Standings (through 3/26) consecutive NCAA Tourney games in the same The Series With Gonzaga BIG EAST only All Games season for the first time in 22 NCAA trips. Creighton is 6-4 all-time against Gonzaga in a Team W L W L For the first time in program history, three series that dates to 1947. The teams have never #18 Villanova 11 4 18 6 #19 Creighton 14 6 22 8 Bluejays were named to the All-BIG EAST team in met in the postseason or on a neutral floor. Connecticut 11 6 15 8 the same season. Greg McDermott is 0-2 against Gonzaga and Seton Hall 10 9 14 13 Junior point guard Marcus Zegarowski (15.7 Mark Few, and is 1-6 in his career against the cur- St. John’s 10 9 16 11 Providence 9 10 13 13 ppg., 4.4 apg.) was an All-American last year and rent membership of the West Coast Conference Xavier 6 7 13 8 Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year. He was (0-6 at Creighton). Georgetown 7 9 13 13 named First Team All-BIG EAST and also cho- Marquette 8 11 13 14 sen to the All-Tournament Team at the BIG EAST Recent Meetings With Gonzaga Butler 8 12 10 15 DePaul 2 14 5 15 Tournament. Creighton and Gonzaga played on Dec. 1, 2017 as Senior wing Denzel Mahoney (12.5 ppg.) won well as Dec. 1, 2018. The Bulldogs won both games, 2020-21 Honors & Awards the BIG EAST’s Sixth Man Award last season and but Creighton led by seven points at halftime of Mitch Ballock brought home Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST both contests. BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List (20) acclaim. Mahoney leads CU with 39 steals and Gonzaga won the 2017 meeting in Spokane by a Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST helped hold Ohio All-American Jason Preston 91-74 score. The Bluejays led 16-7 early and 44-37 to four points on 1-of-10 shooting last Monday. at the half before the Bulldogs opened the second Damien Jefferson Senior Damien Jefferson (12.1 ppg., 5.4 rpg.), was half on a 21-4 surge to take control. Second Team All-BIG EAST a Second Team All-BIG EAST choice and has been Marcus Foster led Creighton with 21 points, Denzel Mahoney among the most consistent Bluejays all season. and Mitch Ballock was scoreless in 19 minutes. Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST Not to be forgotten are junior forward Christian Gonzaga got 22 points from Killian Tillie and 21 NABC District 5 Second Team Bishop (11.0 ppg., 6.4 rpg.) and Mitch Ballock each by Silas Melson and Zach Norvell Jr.