Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a game-high 19 points as all five Creighton starters scored in double figures during a 78-57 victory over Brown in the quarterfinals of the Paradise Jam on Friday at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Bluejays (4-0) advanced to the semifinals on Sunday, where they will face Colorado State (4-0), which defeated Bradley 66-60 on Friday. Brown (3-2) and Bradley (1-3) will meet in a consolation bracket game on Saturday.
Ryan Hawkins scored 15 points, while Arthur Kaluma and Alex O’Connell added 13 points apiece and Ryan Nembhard chipped in 10. The Bluejays shot 55.9 percent (33-for-59) from the field and 35.7 percent (5-for-14) from 3-point range, led by Hawkins, who went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Creighton was just as good defensively, holding the Bears to 36.7 percent (22-for-60) shooting from the field and 18.2 percent (4-for-22) from 3-point range, in addition to forcing 17 turnovers and outrebounding them 35-27.
Brown was led by Kino Lilly Jr. and Paxson Wojcik, who scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Leading 46-29 at halftime, the Bluejays began the second half by pushing their lead to 60-38 following Kaluma’s dunk with 12:14 left in the game.
Nembhard and Hawkins each made their first two 3-point attempts to help stake the Bluejays to a 24-10 lead seven minutes into the game and Creighton didn’t look back.
Hawkins and O’Connell scored 11 points, while Kaluma and Nembhard added eight points apiece to power the Bluejays to a 46-29 lead at the half.
The Bluejays shot 19-for-34 (55.9 percent) from the field, including going 5-for-9 on 3-point attempts, to pull away from the Bears in the opening 20 minutes.
Brown shot 42.9 percent (12-for-28) from the field and made just one of their nine 3-point attempts, in addition to committing nine turnovers and getting outrebounded 17-11 in the first half.
–Field Level Media
