Creighton used his size, 3-point shooting and a swarming defense in the second half to end Princeton’s March Madness streak, beating the 15th-seeded Tigers 86-75 on Friday night in the sweet 16
The sixth-seeded Bluejays (24-12) advanced to their first regional final since being part of an eight-team NCAA Tournament in 1941. Creighton will play No. 5 seed San Diego State in the Region final. South on Sunday, and each team will seek its first Final Four.
Ryan Kalkbenner, the two-time Big East defensive player of the year, scored 22 points to lead the Bluejays to their sixth win in seven games. Baylor Scheierman made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points.
«Kalk, he hits us at the rim at both ends of the floor and defensively gives us a lot,» Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. «I thought he really got going late in the first half and carried it into the second half. Baylor just plays on every level. He can do midrange. He shoots 3s. He sees the court incredibly well and believes he does or not He has become a good defender.»
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Francisco Farabello #5 of the Creighton Bluejays reacts during the first half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center against the Princeton Tigers on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Ryan Langborg led the Tigers (23-9) with 26 points and Ivy League player of the year Tosan Evbuomwan with 24 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
Princeton shook up the standings everywhere by beating No. 2 seed Arizona in the first round, then upset seventh seed Missouri last weekend in Sacramento, California.
Playing in their first Sweet 16 since 1967, Princeton hoped to become the first Ivy League champion to reach the Elite Eight since Penn’s Final Four in 1979, the first Tigers team to reach the Final Four since Bill Bradley he took them there in 1965. and the second straight No. 15 seed to play in a regional final. Last year San Pedro became the first 15th seed to accomplish that feat.
Princeton’s offense was nothing like the deliberate, cutting style that defined the late Pete Carril’s tenure as coach. Instead, the Tigers went toe-to-toe against Creighton’s fast-paced offense until they stalled early in the second half.
Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 of the Creighton Bluejays reacts during the first half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Princeton Tigers at KFC YUM! Center on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Creighton used a 9-2 run to take a 56-45 lead, a four-minute stretch during which Princeton coach Mitch Henderson called two timeouts and Evbuomwan committed his third foul.
The Bluejays would not stop. As Princeton cut the deficit to 61-52, Creighton responded with seven more points, and the Tigers couldn’t get within seven points after that.
«Princeton is really good at setting their pace, so you just have to get them out there,» Kalkbrenner said. «Their whole goal is to get us out of our rhythm.»
After beating North Carolina State and third-seeded Baylor in Denver last weekend, gaining confidence in not requiring oxygen masks like their opponents, Creighton took out the suddenly popular Ivy Leaguers. Now, the Bluejays are one win away from the national semifinals.
Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 of the Creighton Bluejays reacts after getting wet against Zach Martini #54 of the Princeton Tigers during the first half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM. Center on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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«It’s been amazing, it’s been a dream come true. That’s why I came to Creighton in the first place, to race with this group of guys,» Scheierman said. «It’s just been an incredible experience. I look forward to continuing that on Sunday.»