NC State Falls Short to Creighton and Closes Out Their Season

DENVER, CO – In the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, sixth-seed Creighton defeated No. 11 seed NC State 72-63 despite having a difficult day from long range. The Pack, playing in its first NCAA game since 2018, fought valiantly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Within the first few minutes, Terquavion Smith and Dj Burns gained 2 fouls each which impacted their defensive game and until Joiner scored after the first four minutes, no one was able to make a shot.

On a day when the team shot only 3 of 20 from 3-point range,  Kalkbrenner did a little of everything for the Bluejays, including making a significant 3-pointer. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 31 points. Kalkbrenner had six slam dunks and ten rebounds, while the big men for N.C. State, Ebenezer Dowuona and D.J. Burns struggled with foul trouble. 

Mason Miller, a forward for Creighton and the son of former NBA player Mike Miller, departed the game during the first half due to an injury to his right ankle.

As Creighton established a 56-47 lead with seven minutes left in regulation on an alley-oop dunk by Kalkbrenner, it appeared hopeless for the Wolfpack in the second half. But, Keatts called a timeout, and the Pack once more retaliated. Jack Clark and Smith both made a 3-pointer from the corner, making the score 56-53. Smith’s thunderous dunk soon followed, bringing the score back to three points.

Baylor Scheierman made a 3-pointer as the Bluejays’ shot clock was running down and Creighton had a 62-59 lead. In the game, the Bluejays went 3-for-20 on three-pointers, but that was a crucial one. The Pack utilized an early 11-2 run early in the second half to grab a 37-30 lead after trailing 28-26 at the break.

Using the high screen to enter the driving lanes, Smith started to attack the basket. He made seven of his fifteen attempts on pull-up jumpers, seven of which he made, to add 14 points in the first half. The Wolfpack did not have an assist in the first half and ended the game with three thanks to Smith and Joiner frequently going one-on-one. Only three of 14 attempts from beyond the arc were made by the Pack, who finished with a game-high shooting percentage of 37.5%.

Leading 62-59, Baylor Scheierman drained a 3-pointer with 2:23 remaining to give Creighton some separation. A pair of free throws for Kalkbrenner, a block by Trey Alexander, and another basket from Scheierman solidified the Blue Jay’s win. 

NC State is now eliminated from the March Madness games and has closed out their outstanding 2022-2023 season.