Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 23 points and grabbed his 1,000th career rebound, leading Creighton to a 79-54 win over Seton Hall in Big East play on Saturday afternoon in Omaha, Nebraska. Kalkbrenner became the third player in Creighton history to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
He was 9 for 10 from the field, dominating inside as Seton Hall struggled to defend him. Steven Ashworth added 17 points with five three-pointers for the Bluejays.
Both Kalkbrenner and Ashworth were pulled out of the game with 5:26 left. Creighton (14-6, 7-2) has won five straight games and seven of its last eight, while Seton Hall (6-14, 1-8) has lost five consecutive games and 10 of the last 11.
Seton Hall, trailing by four at halftime, was held to just 20 points in the second half. Prince Aligbe scored 12 points, and Garwey Duel added 10 points and five assists for the Pirates.
After a close first half, Creighton broke the game open with a 9-0 run to start the second half. Kalkbrenner capped the run with a dunk to give the Bluejays a 47-34 lead. Isaac Traudt made two three-pointers to extend the lead.
Seton Hall played without their top two scorers, Isaiah Coleman (back) and Chaunce Jenkins (knee), but managed to play well in the first half. They used the pick-and-roll effectively to get open shots at the free-throw line.
When Scotty Middleton made a shot from the elbow with 5:25 left in the first half, Seton Hall led 28-20. The home crowd became uneasy, but Creighton responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Ashworth. The Bluejays took a 32-30 lead and finished the half leading 38-34.
There was a moment of concern for Kalkbrenner in the first half when he was fouled hard on the arm and went to the locker room, flexing his left hand. However, he returned to the game shortly after.
Seton Hall received some good news with the return of Dylan Addae-Wusu from a foot injury. He finished with five points, but did not start.
Creighton shot 58.3 percent from the field, while Seton Hall shot 42.6 percent.
