DePaul humbled again by ranked opponent

Creighton coach Greg McDermott got what he was looking for from his team.

Not so much for DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield.

Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner each scored 20 points, and No. 22 Creighton pounded DePaul 84-58 on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena for its third consecutive win.

“Nineteen assists on 30 made baskets is the kind of basketball we’d like to play,” McDermott said.

Trey Alexander added 17 points for the Bluejays (12-4, 3-2 Big East), who appear to be back on track after a tough stretch of three losses in four games. Scheierman went 6 for 9 from 3-point range and grabbed eight rebounds, and Kalkbrenner finished with nine boards and four blocked shots.

DePaul (3-12, 0-4) lost for the fifth time in six games. Da’Sean Nelson and Jaden Henley each scored 12 points for the Blue Demons.

“They’re tough to play against, but I was disappointed tonight in our effort, our competitiveness over the course of the 40 minutes and just the fight that we brought to the table,” Stubblefield said. “We’ve got to do a better job. I’ve got to do a better job, obviously.”

DePaul did not make any players available to reporters. Stubblefield said they were still meeting when he left the locker room for his press conference.

“Just trying to hash some things out, because again, I just didn’t like our competitive fight tonight,” Stubblefield said.

Creighton had no real issues in its 19th consecutive victory over DePaul, its longest streak against another school in the history of the program. The Bluejays picked apart the Blue Demons when they had the ball and shut them down on the defensive side while quickly opening a double-digit lead.

Scheierman’s fourth of five first-half 3s gave Creighton a 25-9 advantage with 13:14 left, capping a 10-2 run. Kalkbrenner’s alley-oop jam made it 47-30 at the break.

“Our efficiency to start that game was through the roof,” McDermott said.

Creighton shot 53% in the first half, compared to 37.5% for DePaul. The Bluejays also outrebounded the Blue Demons 22-13, and they had 10 assists and one turnover at intermission.

It was more of the same in the second half. The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner blocked Chico Carter Jr.’s driving layup attempt and then hustled down the court for a dunk with 14:58 remaining — part of a 13-0 run that made it 65-36 with 12:34 to go.

“Playing with all the guys I play with makes it really easy for me,” Kalkbrenner said. “I know they’re always looking for me if I’m open, so if I run hard or something or work to get (open inside), they’re going to reward me for it. So it’s really nice playing with those guys.” 

BIG PICTURE

Creighton: There was a lot to like for the Bluejays, who turned in an efficient performance on the road and finished with more steals (eight) than turnovers (six). They are more talented than the Blue Demons, and it showed. 

DePaul: The top of the Big East is off to a solid start this season, and it looks as if there is a sizeable gap between those schools and the Blue Demons. Stubblefield has a 28-51 record at DePaul, and a rough finish could prompt athletic director DeWayne Peevy to make a change with the program.

UP NEXT

Creighton: Hosts St. John’s on Saturday.

DePaul: At Villanova on Friday night.