PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In case Creighton didn't have a firm grasp of its deficiencies now that starting center Martin Krampelj is done for the year, Providence did well exposing those flaws Saturday.
CU's shooters had less space on the perimeter. Things weren't any easier at the rim, either.
And on the other end? The Friars cleverly created favorable matchups against Creighton's smaller lineups, bulling their way into the lane for high-percentage looks.
The Jays did hang tough Saturday, overcoming their weaknesses at times by displaying some grit and tenacity in a hostile road environment. They twice pulled within four points during the game's final five minutes.
But Providence (14-6, 5-2 Big East) ultimately held CU off, handing their recalibrating counterparts an 85-71 loss before 12,927 fans at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. It was humbling proof that Creighton (15-5, 5-3) will indeed need to make some strategic tweaks following Thursday's announcement that Krampelj, their athletic 6-foot-9 interior presence, is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
“Obviously we're adjusting to life without Martin,” coach Greg McDermott said. “We had some lineups out there that we haven't had out there all year long. It's going to take a little time for us to adjust to that. But we'll get better as time goes on.”
An unforgiving group of conference opponents won't be taking it easy on CU, either.
Providence certainly proved that Saturday.
The Friars played with energy and intensity from the start — so much so that their coach, Ed Cooley, went out of his way to compliment his guys for their collective mentality afterward. They made eight of their first 11 field goals. They blocked four shots in the first eight minutes.
When the Jays went ahead 39-38 in the opening minutes of the second half — their only lead of the game — Providence answered right back.
It took just 18 seconds for senior Jalen Lindsey to put the Friars back in front with a 3-pointer, making it 41-39. They scored on five of their next eight possessions, stretching their advantage out to as many as 11 points.
Point guard Kyron Cartwright, quick and shifty with the dribble, knifed into the lane for close-range buckets and foul-shooting opportunities. The 6-foot-7 Alpha Diallo was a mismatch problem all game long — he had a strong two-handed dunk that brought the crowd to its feet and put Providence ahead 61-51 with about 10 minutes left. Reserve Isaiah Jackson, a versatile 6-foot-6 guard, made four of his five buckets inside.
The Friars ended up shooting 53.4 percent — the second-best single-game performance by a CU opponent this season.
“We're a defensive team — I know a lot of people don't believe it,” senior Toby Hegner said. “But we didn't show it that well (Saturday). We've got to get back to our roots.”
Still, the Jays managed to hang around.
Junior Khyri Thomas made a 3-pointer to pull Creighton within 67-63 with five minutes left. Junior Ronnie Harrell's jumper made it 69-65 on CU's next trip down.
Hegner even had the ball in the paint with a chance to bring the Jays within two points. He turned over his right shoulder and rose up with his left hand — but the finger-roll bounced off the front rim.
The Friars immediately countered by grabbing the board and firing the ball upcourt before CU's defense could get set. Lindsey splashed in a 3-pointer to make it 72-65. A Jackson putback and a Diallo three-point play clinched the win from there.
It was Lindsey's 3 that stood out to Cooley, though. A “back-breaker,” he said.
“I couldn't believe he took the shot, to be honest with you,” Cooley said. “That's a senior. Pretty big shot.”
Creighton could only play the what-if game from that point on. Hegner's late miss in the paint was one of many at-the-rim chances that CU failed to capitalize on — the kinds of looks that Krampelj, a 67.1 percent shooter, typically converted.
The Jays ended up going 16 of 31 on layups Saturday. They had no dunks. They actually opened the game by missing 14 of their first 16 shots inside the arc.
“Myself included, we've just got to get in there — and we've got to finish (in the paint),” Hegner said. “I left a lot out there. That could have changed the game. I'm going to learn from it. We're all going to learn from it.”
Creighton plays at St. John's (10-10, 0-8) Tuesday.
