Austin Swartz’ Heroics Sparks Bluejays OT Win Over Georgetown
Creighton Bluejays (11-7) pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks against the Georgetown Hoyas (9-8) with an 86-83 overtime victory on Tuesday night at CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha.
Austin Swartz hits the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime. He became the hero for the Bluejays. Austin led Creigton with 33 points on 12 of 16 shooting from the field. Josh Dix and Nik Graves combined for 28 points.
Kerem Konan was the unsung hero for the Bluejays. He contributed 6 points in 18 minutes, giving the team a significant boost. Without him, the outcome of the game would’ve been different. Role players are essential to a team's success.
The Blue Jays trailed by seven with less than two minutes to go. They also trailed by 10 late in the first half. The team was resilient and never gave up. Creighton’s defense was the reason for their second-half and overtime performance.
Although they didn’t have a great night shooting from the perimeter, there were other aspects of the game where they had a chance to win, such as their free throws. The Bluejays made 81 percent from the line. The game had 10 lead changes and 12 ties. It is one of the best games in college basketball this season.
Malik Mack led the Hoyas with 17 points. Georgetown let this game slip away. The Hoyas won the rebound game (30-20) and had more points in the paint than the Bluejays (50-28). The Hoyas fall to 9-8 and are now 1-5 in Big East Conference play.
Intangibles helped the Bluejays massively in this game. Under coach Greg McDermott, the Bluejays find a way to get it done in overtime. The team improves to 15-9 when they go to overtime. McDermott’s leadership and his ability to galvanize his players speak volumes.
Creighton is one of the best teams in the Big East when it wins at home. A big win against the Hoyas could change the momentum of their season. They are figuring things out at the right time. The program needs to get on a winning streak. March Madness is two months away. However, time flies fast nowadays, and the tournament will come sooner than later.
The Bluejays will travel to Providence to take on the Friars on Friday at 6:30 pm. Creighton won the last matchup in January by a blowout score of 84-64. The Friars are 10th in the Big East, but they can be a threat and surprise teams.
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