Why the Jayhawks suffered their first loss

The Kansas Jayhawks entered Tuesday’s game against Creighton with a perfect 7-0 record, but the Bluejays were determined to end that streak.

After a dominant second-half performance, Creighton (6-3) secured a 76-63 win and handed Kansas (7-1) its first loss of the season. Here are three key takeaways from the game.

Kansas briefly led in the second half, but Creighton quickly took the lead 51-40 after a crucial run. Senior guard David Coit called the sequence “disappointing” and admitted the Bluejays were prepared and the Jayhawks were not.

From that point on, Creighton remained in control and stifled Kansas’ comeback attempts.

Creighton’s 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner made a great return to action with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He made life difficult for Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, who scored just six points and six rebounds on just four shot attempts. With Dickinson neutralized, Creighton forced Kansas to rely heavily on guard Dajuan Harris Jr. to lead the offense. Harris struggled with the increased responsibility, shooting 6 of 21 from the field despite being the team’s leading scorer with 15 points.

Kansas felt the absence of Rylan Griffen, who missed the game with the flu. Griffen’s ability to disrupt opposing attacks was much needed. His absence allowed Creighton’s guards to operate with greater freedom, and one has to wonder how different the game would have been had he been available.

The Jayhawks will look to regroup and address their deficiencies as they prepare for their next challenge.

In the meantime, Creighton has proven that they are a force to be reckoned with, especially when Kalkbrenner is healthy and firing on all cylinders.