Creighton defeats No. 1 Kansas in a big night of upsets in college basketball

CNN
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No. 1 Kansas lost 76-63 to unranked Creighton on Wednesday night. This was the Bluejays’ second win over a ranked opponent in less than a year.

Pop Isaacs led the scoring for Creighton with a game-high 27 points, while 6-foot-11 Ryan Kalkbrenner added 17 points and 10 rebounds in his return from injury.

After losing its first six games to No. 1 teams, Creighton has now won two straight against top-ranked teams after defeating the UConn Huskies last season. Wednesday’s win was coach Greg McDermott’s 15th victory over a top-10 team in his tenure with the Bluejays.

“It would require special effort from our side on both ends of the floor. Boys get beat up, boys are sick and they found a way. I’m really proud of my team,” McDermott told Fox Sports. “Not only did we beat a great team, but we beat a great program.

“This is obviously the building where No. 1 teams are going to die.”

Creighton never trailed during the game and took the lead in the first half before a 9-0 run by Kansas early in the second half cut the Bluejays’ lead to 41-40 with 17:31 left.

But the unranked team responded with a 10-0 run, punctuated by two 3-pointers from Isaacs, and when Steven Ashworth sank his own 3-pointer with 9:26 left to make it 65-53, the Jayhawks never got it back accurate to individual digits. It is the first loss of the season for Kansas.

“I’ve never experienced a moment like this in college,” Isaacs said after students streamed onto the court at the end, according to the Associated Press. “I didn’t play against the No. 1 team in the country. I played against #2 and #3. It was hype. The students came and it was electric out there.

“This wasn’t the first courthouse storm I’ve been involved with. It was the biggest.”

Cooper Flagg, the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA draft, had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds as No. 9 Duke beat No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in the SEC/ACC Challenge .

“They’re a great team,” Flagg said of Auburn afterward. “They are certainly one of the best teams in the country. So for us to be able to compete the way we did and show the physicality and the toughness that we played with, I think was huge for us.”

The teenage sensation’s double-double was complemented by a remarkable six three-pointers off the bench in the first half from Isaiah Evans – just one shy of his season total prior to Wednesday – and double-digit scores from Tyrese Proctor (12) and Caleb Foster ( 11).

Flagg’s fellow AP All-American Johni Broome had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn, but it wasn’t enough to save the Tigers from their first loss of the season.

The Blue Devils started out trailing by 11, but quickly recovered and led by a dozen after halftime. In the thrilling final four and a half minutes, Auburn missed seven consecutive shots to help Duke improve to 6-2.

Elsewhere, 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks from No. 25 Liam McNeeley helped No. 25 UConn to a much-needed 76-72 victory over No. 15 Baylor.

The two-time defending champions fell dramatically in the rankings after suffering three losses in four days at the Maui Invitational, but after the Huskies got back on track with a win against Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday, they rallied from a double-digit deficit earned its second straight win in the first half at the Maui Invitational on Wednesday.

With captain Alex Karaban missing due to a head injury sustained in last Wednesday’s loss to Dayton, Samson Johnson and Solo Ball contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.

“I think we just showed what we’re capable of, even without our captain,” McNeeley said afterwards. “A lot of guys had to step in just because Alex brings so much to the table.”

No. 6 Iowa State also pulled off an upset, handing No. 5 Marquette its first loss of the season, 81-70.

Cyclones guard Keshon Gilbert was the star with 24 points and seven assists. Joshua Jefferson also shone with 15 points and 12 rebounds.