Akron basketball falls to Creighton in March Madness, eliminated from NCAA Tournament

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
Akron's Enrique Freeman (25) walks off the court after a Zips loss to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Akron's Enrique Freeman (25) walks off the court after a Zips loss to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH — The Akron Zips have yet to hop over the proverbial NCAA Tournament hump.

The 14th-seeded Zips were rejected in their latest March Madness appearance, falling 77-60 to the No. 3 Creighton Bluejays in a Midwest Region first-round game Thursday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena.

Akron dropped to 0-6 in Division I NCAA tourney games (1986, '09, '11, '13, '22 and '24).

Led by honorable mention All-America forward Enrique Freeman, Mid-American Conference Tournament champion Akron nearly upset UCLA two years ago.

Akron's Ali Ali (right) hugs teammate Enrique Freeman after being fouled by Creighton's Baylor Scheierman (55) during the first half of the Zips' NCAA Tournament first-round game at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Akron's Ali Ali (right) hugs teammate Enrique Freeman after being fouled by Creighton's Baylor Scheierman (55) during the first half of the Zips' NCAA Tournament first-round game at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

But experiencing the 2022 NCAA Tournament did not translate to success for UA (24-11) in a high-stakes scenario against Creighton (24-9). The Bluejays made the Elite Eight last year and look the part of a team capable of another deep run.

Creighton will advance to a second-round showdown with No. 11 Oregon, which defeated No. 6 South Carolina 87-73 later Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Akron's Mikal Dawson (22) sits dejectedly on the bench as the clock winds down in the Zips' loss to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Akron's Mikal Dawson (22) sits dejectedly on the bench as the clock winds down in the Zips' loss to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Creighton's size and shooting prowess created problems for Akron

Freeman is a phenomenal player. Yet, at 6 feet, 7 inches, he's not a prototypical post presence. Creighton senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner gave Freeman and UA problems on both ends of the floor.

The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner compiled 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Junior guard Trey Alexander added 19 points for Creighton, which finished 26-of-46 shooting (56.5%) from the field (10 of 17 on 3-pointers) and won the rebounding battle 38-26.

Freeman led Akron with 21 points and 14 rebounds. UA senior guard Ali Ali added 14 points. The Zips were 25-of-66 shooting (37.9%) from the field (6 of 28 on 3-pointers).

Akron's Ali Ali (24) is fouled by Creighton's Baylor Scheierman (55) as he shoots during the first half of the Zips' NCAA Tournament first-round game at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Akron's Ali Ali (24) is fouled by Creighton's Baylor Scheierman (55) as he shoots during the first half of the Zips' NCAA Tournament first-round game at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Akron went back and forth with Creighton for much of the first half but couldn't keep up following halftime

After engaging in a back-and-forth battle, Akron trailed 39-34 at halftime. Creighton created the separation by mounting an 8-0 run to end the first half.

The Bluejays extended their run to 11-0 with a 3-pointer early in the second half by sophomore guard Mason Miller, the son of former NBA player Mike Miller, who spent time with the Cavaliers. The Zips remained in striking distance for a bit, trailing 49-42 when sophomore guard Nate Johnson made a jump shot with 16:36 left.

However, Creighton's firepower left Akron disjointed at times. The Bluejays went ahead 59-42 amid a 28-8 run they started late in the first half. Miller's 3-pointer with 12:29 remaining gave Creighton the 17-point lead. Moments earlier, Ali checked out of the game after picking up his fourth foul with 12:46 left. He eventually fouled out with 2:59 left.

Akron encountered a 20-point deficit, its largest of the game, when Alexander made two free throws with 9:37 remaining.

UA rallied to trail 70-58 when senior forward Sammy Hunter made a 3-pointer just before a media timeout with 3:58 left. Creighton regrouped, though, and held off Akron.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron vs Creighton in March Madness: Enrique Freeman scores 21 in loss

Advertisement