GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Creighton lost a battle but won the war Friday when it rallied past Alabama in the second half to earn a 58-57 victory that sends it Sunday to face either North Carolina or Vermont for a trip to the Sweet 16.
By Chuck Burton, AP
Alabama's Trevor Releford sits on the court as Creighton players celebrate at the end of the Bluejays' win.
The eighth-seeded Blue Jays were held to more than 20 points under their season average by No. 9 seed Alabama's high-pressure defense. But Creighton (29-5) stepped up its offense over the final 20 minutes by using two scoring streaks to overhaul the Crimson Tide (21-12).
"Here we beat Alabama at their own game," said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. "I would not have guessed that we could win a game at 58-57. I though we were going to need to be in the 70s and get the tempo in our favor the entire game."
The Blue Jays won despite sinking only one of five free throws in the final 33 seconds. Trailing by the final score, Alabama brought the ball in-bounds from in front of its bench with 4.7 seconds remaining. But coach Anthony Grant called time out almost immediately, leaving only 2.4 seconds. Trevor Releford took the ensuing in-bounds pass, and his long attempt from the top of the key was well short under pressure from defender Josh Jones.
"They switched to a zone and we had a man (to-man) play on," Grant said. "So I tried a quick timeout to give our guys something to go with. But they did a good job. They closed out on the ball and affected the shot."
The game was a classic confrontation between offense and defense. Creighton averaged 80 points a game and reached that mark 18 times, including five of its last seven games. The Bluejays led Division I by shooting 50.9% from the field and were third in 3-point shooting at 42.5%.
Alabama limited opponents to a 58.1-point average while allowing them to shoot 38.8% from the field and 28.3% from 3-point range. The Crimson Tide held 11 teams to their season-low in scoring and only 13 managed to reach 60 points.
At halftime, defense ruled. Alabama led 30-23 as Creighton scored its fewest points in the opening 20 minutes since scoring 28 in a win over Indiana State in February. The Bluejays shot 35% while the Crimson Tide offense burned them from the perimeter.
Alabama shot 28.5% from 3-point range during the season but hit four of nine in the first half. Trevor Lacey, who carried a 7.1-point average, was 3-for-3 behind the arc for 12 points as the Tide closed the half on a 10-0 burst.
"I thought in the first half our defense really set the tone," Grant said. "The second half kind of played to their tempo. They turned up their intensity and aggressiveness."
Jones (seven points in the second half and All-American forward Doug McDermott (16 rebounds, 10 assists) brought Creighton back. A 10-0 run tied the game at 37-37 with 13.27 remaining, and a 14-0 streak capped by Jones' 3-pointer with 2.42 to play gave the Blue Jays a 57-50 advantage they held despite managing just a single free throw down the stretch.
"In the second half, we did a good job of looking inside and getting those transition post-ups," Doug McDermott said of Creighton's 54% shooting (including 4-of-8 3-point attempts). "And Josh Jones made a couple of big plays."
Creighton was playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007 and the victory was its first since 2002. Terrell Taylor hit a 3-point shot with 0.2 seconds remaining in double overtime to beat fifth seed Florida, 83-82.
"It's been 10 years since Creighton's won a game in the NCAA tournament," Greg McDermott said. "For that to happen, for our team, for our university, for our great fans, it's an incredible feeling."
Releford finished with 14 points for Alabama, while Lacey had 13 and JaMychal Green 12. Although the Crimson Tide pressure made it difficult for Creighton to get into its offense, the Bluejays committed only seven turnovers.
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