Last-Second Layup Ends DePaul's 23-Game Skid Against Creighton in Stunning Upset
DePaul's Brandon Maclin's layup with seven seconds remaining proved to be the decisive blow, lifting DePaul to a 72-71 victory and snapping a 23game losing streak to Creighton on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The Bluejays, now 13-12 overall and 7-7 in Big East play, couldn't close out a game they led late, while the Blue Demons improved to 13-12 and 5-9 in the conference with a breakthrough win that reshaped the tone of their season.
Creighton saw one of its most remarkable streaks come to an abrupt end, as DePaul's win snapped the Bluejays' 23game run in the series, the longest winning streak Creighton had ever held over any opponent and a mark that also tied the Big East record for most consecutive wins by one conference team over another. The loss also dented Creighton's long-standing dominance in Chicago, where it had been 12-0 against DePaul since joining the conference in 2013-14 before Wednesday night's setback.
Creighton spent much of the first half playing from behind until backtoback threepointers from freshman guard Hudson Greer and sophomore guard Austin Swartz pushed the Jays ahead 28-26 and forced a DePaul timeout with 6:38 remaining. Despite being dominated 22-2 in paint scoring at that point, Creighton stayed afloat behind hot perimeter shooting (7for11 from deep) and 15 points off the bench.
The Jays later strung together an 8-0 burst, highlighted by consecutive senior guard Josh Dix triples, to build their largest lead at 42-37 before CJ Gunn drilled a corner three at the buzzer to cut Creighton's halftime edge to 42-40. Creighton knocked down 10 of 16 threes in the opening half, including a careerbest three from junior forward Jasen Green, but was overwhelmed inside, getting outscored 30-4 in the paint and outrebounded 17-9. Green led the Jays with 11 points at the break, while Dix added eight.
Creighton's offense hit a wall at the worst possible time, enduring nearly seven minutes without a field goal before Swartz finally broke the drought with a threepointer that nudged the Jays back in front, 55-54, with just over nine minutes remaining. Swartz briefly reignited the attack with another deep triple that pushed the lead to 62-57, and Dix added his own punch from the perimeter, drilling his third three of the night to restore a sixpoint cushion at 65-59.
Even after Dix made it 71-68 with 2:34 left, Creighton couldn't generate another basket, leaving the door open for DePaul. The Blue Demons chipped away at the line, grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, and capitalized when Swartz's lateclock jumper missed.
After a timeout with 27.2 seconds left, DePaul worked the clock, survived Creighton's initial stop, and on the final inbound, Maclin squeezed through traffic to bank in the gamewinner.
Senior forward NJ Benson dominated the stat sheet for DePaul, leading all scorers with 23 points on an efficient 10for11 shooting night while also grabbing a gamehigh 10 rebounds. Creighton's top performer was Swartz, who finished with 15 points on 6of10 shooting, while Dix paced the Jays on the glass with five defensive boards. In the playmaking department, senior guard Nik Graves led Creighton with eight assists, but DePaul countered with Maclin's steady floor game, as he handed out five assists and ultimately delivered the decisive bucket in the closing seconds.
Creighton's efficiency from deep couldn't outweigh DePaul's control of the interior and overall shot-making, as the Blue Demons held the statistical edge in several key areas. DePaul shot 53 percent from the field compared to Creighton's 47 percent and dominated the glass with a 30-22 rebounding advantage, which helped offset CU's 14for27 performance from three-point range.
While Creighton protected the ball slightly better with just 10 turnovers to DePaul's 12, the Blue Demons spent more time playing from ahead, leading 47 percent of the night and building an eightpoint cushion at their largest. The Jays' sixpoint peak lead and reliance on perimeter shooting ultimately couldn't overcome DePaul's stronger efficiency inside the arc and on the boards, giving the Blue Demons the statistical edge that matched the final score.
Creighton won't have long to dwell on the heartbreak in Chicago, as the Bluejays now turn their attention to a tough Valentine's Day matchup against the Villanova Wildcats. Villanova enters at 19-5 overall and 10-3 in Big East play, carrying the poise and balance of a team firmly in the conference title hunt. Creighton will look to regroup, rediscover its offensive rhythm, and steady itself against one of the league's most disciplined defenses. With tipoff set for 2:30 p.m. on FOX, the Jays face a pivotal opportunity to reset their trajectory and reclaim momentum as the stretch run of conference play tightens.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/creighton as Last-Second Layup Ends DePaul's 23-Game Skid Against Creighton in Stunning Upset .
