The Bluejays aren’t getting the love they did in the polls last season, but beating them at home is still incredibly difficult. Creighton pulled off the first big upset over a ranked team this season by beating Oklahoma (number 18) 65-63 in the loud and very difficult to play in CenturyLink Center.
Things are weird in Omaha after Doug McDermott, the biggest star they’ve had in forever, gone. Still, him leaving didn’t stop the crowd from packing the arena and storming the court at the end of the game, opening the season at 3-0. This was the first ranked team they faced, and still have to play Nebraska and Villanova (twice) later this season.
Creighton lost McDermott and three other seniors over the period between the seasons. Oklahoma, a 23-win team last year, brought back its three top scorers. They held an 18-point lead early in the second half. They looked well on their way towards a comfortable win, but Creighton pulled off its second biggest comeback in the arena, one point short of their 19-point comeback against Wichita State in 2006.
Buddy Hield was hot for the Sooners with 21 points and despite dominating the boards including the offensive glass, the offense stopped working for the Sooners in the second half while Austin Chatman with 17 points (11 rebounds and six assists as well), Toby Hegner scoring 11 and Isaiah Zierden scoring 11 points as well turned the game on its head.
Oklahoma had a chance in the final seconds to win the game or at least tie it, but Jordan Woodward on an off night with just 3 points didn’t come close with his shot from the corner.