No. 24 Creighton’s five-game road winning streak in the Big East was snapped Sunday with a 79-73 loss to No. 9 St. John’s in Madison Square Garden, but it could have been worse.
Losing a game is one thing. Losing one of the best big men in the country is another.
That was the Bluejays’ fear with just under 10 minutes to play when Ryan Kalkbrenner left the game after sustaining what looked to be a serious right foot injury.
A 7-foot-1 center, who averages 19 points and 8.5 rebounds and shoots 67 percent from the field, Kalkbrenner landed awkwardly in the paint while battling for a rebound. He grabbed the outside of his right foot and was in obvious pain. Though the replay didn’t show any sort of twist, he had to be helped off the floor and headed to the locker room immediately.
His injury came in the midst of a dry spell for Creighton’s offense, as the Bluejays couldn’t score from the field — or the free throw line — for almost seven straight minutes, allowing St. John’s to reel off 10 unanswered points and take a 58-53 lead. It looked like Creighton might wilt without its best player and lose by double digits.
But then, miraculously, Kalkbrenner returned, checking in with 3:47 to play and St. John’s leading 66-62.
It wasn’t enough for a comeback, though. Kalkbrenner looked to be moving fine but he missed an easy look inside after returning and didn’t do much otherwise. (He threw down a dunk with 46 seconds left, but by then the game was out of reach.) He finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
With the win, St. John’s improved to 13-2 in conference play and 22-4 overall, and has a two-game edge atop the Big East. The Red Storm were coming off a 73-71 loss at Villanova that snapped a 10-game winning streak. Creighton slipped to 11-4 in the Big East, 18-8 overall.
RJ Luis Jr. led the Red Storm with 23 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and five assists. St. John’s grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in the win, including a crucial one with 58 seconds left after missing two free throws. Luis went to the line as a result, making both. St. John’s finished with 20 second-chance points.
(Photo: Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)
