Dana Altman and his Creighton Blue Jays probably had nightmares last night about falling bricks.
Creighton had its second round NIT game with Kentucky all but wrapped up. All they had to do was make their free throws. And that's where things went off track.
The Jays struggled from the line down the stretch connecting on just 5 of 6 attempts. Yikes. Kentucky, whose biggest lead of the game was 2 points which was also the margin of victory, took advantage scoring the last bucket with Jodie Meeks making his free throw to put the Wildcats up by two.
Creighton still had a chance to win but the three point attempt was just off the mark.
But free throws were the real story. Creighton shot 75 percent from the free throw line this season. Not great but certainly better than the 1-6 performance down the stretch.
In addition, it was a shame to see the Jays go down like that. The crowd in Omaha was great last night and really pushed their team on. There was a point in the game down the stretch where Creighton dunked the ball with the shot clock running out and the crowd was so loud that no one could hear the whistle for the foul that was called on Kentucky. Even the players had run down to the other end.
Despite the unfortunate outcome for Creighton, last nights came truly rivaled the NCAA Tournament games over the weekend. That has always been a mark of the NIT tournament, though. Great games with little hype. So if you are watching the NIT tournament continue to enjoy the excitement and if you haven't been watching, tune in. You will see some really great basketball.
Keywords: College Basketball, College Tournaments, Creighton Blue Jays, Kentucky Wildcats, National Invitational Tournament, NCAA Basketball, NIT Tournament, Post-season Tournament
