FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Trey Alexander nonetheless being within the sport late in regulation and time beyond regulation was inconceivable sufficient for Creighton.
By no means thoughts the freshman making the tying and profitable performs whereas enjoying with 4 fouls since early within the second half.
Alexander transformed a go-ahead, three-point play late in time beyond regulation, and the Bluejays rallied for a 72-69 victory over San Diego State in an NCAA Match opener Thursday night time.
Creighton hadn’t led because the first 5 minutes of the sport when Alexander, who additionally had the tying bucket late in regulation, drove proper and was fouled on the layup. The free throw put Creighton forward 71-69 with 1:08 remaining.
Alexander’s position has elevated since Ryan Nembhard, the Large East freshman of the 12 months, injured his wrist Feb. 23 and required season-ending surgical procedure. Alexander took over as the place to begin guard.
“He’s been put into a really tough position at midseason and what we’re asking him to do and what groups try to do to take him out of play,” coach Greg McDermott stated. “And he’s dealt with it not like a freshman. He’s dealt with it like a veteran.”
Down by two, the Aztecs had the ball with 4.3 seconds left when Matt Bradley inbounded to Aguek Arop, then ran round him for the handoff. Bradley misplaced management of the ball earlier than getting a shot off, and Creighton secured it with 0.8 to go.
Ryan Kalkbrenner had 16 factors and 10 rebounds earlier than leaving with an obvious left leg harm in time beyond regulation. Alexander scored 18 factors with 5 assists and had the ball in his arms a lot in crunch time because the Bluejays scored the final 9 factors of regulation and the final six of OT.
“I feel it has lots to do with first off (McDermott) trusting in me after which additionally my teammates,” Alexander stated. “What you do daily after follow, earlier than follow, no matter you need to say, the additional work that you just put in, I really feel prefer it simply takes over within the late moments and it’s not likely you interested by it. It simply occurs.”
The ninth-seeded Bluejays (23-11) will play Saturday towards the winner between Kansas, the highest seed within the Midwest Area, and Texas Southern. Creighton reached the Candy 16 final 12 months.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 15 of his 17 factors within the first half for the Aztecs (23-9), who had been in place for his or her first match win since 2015. Bradley added 15.
Bradley had an opportunity to present San Diego State the lead on free throws with 6.4 seconds left in regulation when Alex O’Connell fouled him on a drive. Bradley missed the entrance finish of a one-and-one, and Arthur Kaluma dribbled the size of the court docket earlier than lofting an air ball from the baseline as time expired.
“It’s the agony and ecstasy of March,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher stated. “I assumed we competed at a excessive degree, put ourselves in place to win. To Creighton’s credit score, they closed the sport and beat us.”
The Aztecs, whose final three losses earlier than the match had been by a degree every, had led by no less than 5 factors because the center of the primary half when O’Connell, who scored 15 factors, hit simply the second 3-pointer of the sport for Creighton to get the Bluejays inside 4 simply contained in the two-minute mark.
After a steal led to a layup from Kalkbrenner, Creighton pressured one other turnover earlier than getting two photographs blocked on the different finish. The Bluejays thought that they had the tying basket on one other steal after the second block, however an official dominated San Diego State referred to as timeout.
That ruling was reversed on replay, giving Creighton possession. Alexander hit the tying layup with 11 seconds to go.
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