OMAHA, Nebraska — Big East Conference Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 49 points and No. 15 Creighton defeated UT-Rio Grande 99-86 in its season opener. Valley on Wednesday night, which needed nearly every point to win.
Kalkbrenner, a 7-foot-1 fifth-year center, made 20 of 22 field goals (including 2 of 2 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 free throws. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.
“We went into the game with a plan to entrench me in that post and we stuck with it,” he said. “I just kept working and didn’t really think about what happened on the previous play. I was just trying to make the next play.”
Year, Player, TeamPts.Opp2019 M. Howard, Marq.53Creighton2018 M. Howard, Marq.52Providence2011 M. Brooks, Prov.52N. Dame2019 M. Howard, Marq.51USCWed. R. Kalkbrenner, Crei.49UT Rio Grande — ESPN Research
Eye-popping statistical results have placed him at or near the top of many records, including:
• 5th most points in a game in Big East history
• Second most points in Creighton history behind Bob Portman’s 51 points in 1967 vs. University of Milwaukee.
• Second-most points by a player in a season opener in the last 25 years (Arkansas’ Lottney Clark scored 51 points in a 2009 win over Alcorn State)
• 20 field goals tied the Big East single-game record (Providence’s Marshon Brooks vs. Notre Dame in 2011)
• His 91% field goal percentage is the highest field goal percentage in a 45-point game by a Division I player in the past 25 seasons, and the highest field goal percentage in a 45-point game in the past 25 years. This was the best record for a player.
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“For him to go to work like he did in the offseason and do something really superhuman under the lights for the first time is pretty special,” Blue Jays coach Greg McDermott said. “And he deserves it. There’s no one on the planet more deserving of success than Ryan Kalkbrenner, because of the way he approaches it every day.”
The crowd began cheering late in the game, begging Kalkbrenner to take a shot to reach the 50-point mark. Kalkbrenner didn’t know he was down to just one point and decided to pass the ball to his guard to stop the clock.
“It’s great to get a good result in the first game,” Kalkbrenner said. “But we still have 30-odd games left, and we hope to play more meaningful games.”
As he left the court and went through the tunnel after the buzzer, a nearby fan yelled, “MVP! MVP!”
Despite Kalkbrenner’s efforts, Creighton, which has been on Sweet 16 teams in three of the past four seasons, couldn’t shake off the Southland Conference Vaqueros until the final two minutes.
Hassan Abdul-Hakim had 24 points and Cliff Davis and DK Thorne each added 17 points for the Vaqueros (0-2), who scored on Howie Fleming Jr.’s fifth chance with 2:37 left. , they were within 87 wins and 82 losses.
Kalkbrenner, who averaged 14 points per game in his career, considered leaving Creighton to enter the NBA Draft after last season. He decided to return to school for his fifth season to hone his game.
“This is my 15th year, and I’ve been with him for five years,” McDermott said. “It’s been a real pleasure to coach him and watch him. He’s just as hungry to learn as he was when he was walking around campus as a freshman. He’s passionate about film and his work. He has the exact same approach. He decided to come back because he thought he could “move forward and be ready for the next level.” Tonight is a good first step in that direction. ”
This report used information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press.
