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No. 1 Kansas was upset 76-63 by unranked Creighton on Wednesday night time, the Bluejays’ second win over top-ranked opposition in lower than a 12 months.
Pop Isaacs led the scoring for Creighton with a game-high 27 factors, whereas seven-foot-one Ryan Kalkbrenner contributed 17 factors and 10 rebounds on his return from damage.
After shedding its first six video games towards No. 1 groups, Creighton has now received two in a row towards top-ranked groups having downed the UConn Huskies final season. Wednesday’s victory was coach Greg McDermott’s fifteenth win over a top-10 staff in his tenure with the Bluejays.
“It was going to take a particular effort on our half on each ends of the ground. Guys are beat up, guys are sick, they usually discovered a manner. I’m actually happy with my staff,” McDermott advised Fox Sports. “We beat not only a nice staff, an excellent program.
“This is the constructing No. 1 groups go to die, evidently.”
Creighton by no means trailed in the course of the recreation, surging into the lead within the first half earlier than a 9-0 run by Kansas to start out the second half reduce the Bluejays’ result in 41-40 with 17:31 left.
But the unranked staff responded with a 10-0 run, punctuated by two three-pointers from Isaacs, and when Steven Ashworth sunk his personal three-pointer with 9:26 remaining to make it 65-53, the Jayhawks would by no means make it again to inside single digits. It is Kansas’ first lack of the season.
“I haven’t fairly had a second like that in school,” Isaacs stated, per the Associated Press, after college students had poured onto the court docket on the finish. “I haven’t performed towards the No. 1 staff within the nation. I’ve performed towards No. 2 and No. 3. It was hyped. The college students confirmed up and it was electrical on the market.
“That wasn’t the primary court docket storming I’ve been in. It was the most important one.”
Cooper Flagg, the favourite to be the No. 1 general decide within the subsequent NBA Draft, picked up a game-high 22 factors and 11 rebounds as No. 9 Duke overcame No. 2 Auburn 84-78 within the SEC/ACC Challenge.
“They’re an excellent staff,” Flagg stated of Auburn afterwards. “They’re the most effective groups within the nation, for certain. So for us to have the ability to exit and compete how we did, and placed on the physicality and the toughness that we performed with, I believe it was enormous for us.”
The teenage sensation’s double-double was complemented by a exceptional six three-pointers from Isaiah Evans off the bench within the first half – only one lower than his whole on the season earlier than Wednesday – and double-digit scores from Tyrese Proctor (12) and Caleb Foster (11).
Flagg’s fellow AP All-American Johni Broome had 20 factors and 12 rebounds for Auburn, however it wasn’t sufficient to cease the Tigers from struggling their first lack of the season.
The Blue Devils discovered themselves down by 11 early on, however recovered rapidly to steer by a dozen after halftime. In a tense closing four-and-a-half minutes, Auburn missed seven consecutive pictures to make sure Duke would enhance to 6-2.
Elsewhere, 17 factors, 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 nationwide champion fell dramatically within the rankings following three losses in 4 days within the Maui Invitational, however having gotten again on monitor on Sunday with a win towards Maryland Eastern Shore, the Huskies rallied from trailing by double-digits within the first half on Wednesday to say their second win in a row.
With captain Alex Karaban lacking on account of a head damage he sustained in final Wednesday’s loss to Dayton, Samson Johnson and Solo Ball contributed 13 and 11 factors, respectively.
“I believe we simply confirmed what we’re able to, even with out our captain,” stated McNeeley afterwards. “Quite a lot of guys needed to step up, simply because Alex brings a lot.”
No. 6 Iowa State additionally managed an upset, handing No. 5 Marquette its first lack of the season, 81-70.
Cyclones guard Keshon Gilbert was the star man, recording 24 factors and 7 assists. Joshua Jefferson additionally shone, including 15 factors and 12 rebounds.
