Greg McDermott’s Creighton Blue Jays made light work of the 13-seed Ohio Bobcats in the Second Round of the NCAA tournament on Monday in a 72-56 victory.
Leading the charge for the Blue Jays was Junior Guard Marcus Zegarowski, who dropped 20 points in 38 minutes for Creighton. Junior Forward Christian Bishop also put up 12 points and 15 rebounds.
The hopes of a late tournament run for the MAC Tournament Champion Bobcats, led by Head Coach Jeff Boals, were crushed by a 31.8% field goal percentage, 17 fouls, and 14 turnovers.
A Day to be a Starter
The Blue Jay Bench were given good seats to their second-round matchup while watching the Creighton starters take control of the game. Creighton starters would account for 94% of the team’s 72 points.
In addition to points, the Blue Jay starters had 31 of their 35 rebounds, all 12 of their recorded assists, and 8 of the squads 9 made three-pointers. All starters player 30 minutes or more, including Zegarowski, who only came off the court for two minutes the entire game.
Zion-Like Mishap
With 12:45 left in the game, Ohio Junior Forward Ben Vander Plas tore right through his right shoe while on defense. This was not the first time a college player has torn through his shoe. In a 2019 matchup between Duke and North Carolina, then Duke Forward Zion Williamson broke through his shoe, resulting in a season-ending injury.
With no apparent injury, Vander Plas replaced his shoe. However, he would finish the game by shooting 3-12 from the field and committed 6 turnovers.
Up Next
Creighton will face the 1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet Sixteen on Sunday, March 28th at 2:10 pm. It will be the Blue Jays’ first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1974.
