2006-07 Game 29: Jays 71, Wichita State 57

Saturday's white-out was not limited to the outdoors. For Creighton's home finale, 17,200 fans dressed in white packed the Qwest Center to watch the Jays defeat Wichita State 71-57.

With a monstrous late-season snowstorm preparing to blanket the city, Creighton's fans blanketed the arena in a sea of white -- T-shirts, that is. (Don't get too worked up, Senator Chambers, that wasn't a racist comment.)

Coming off two excruciatingly difficult losses, the Jays task was more than just sending the seniors off with a win in their home finale. It was getting confidence back before St. Louis, it was clinching sole possession of second place in the league, and it was nailing the coffin shut on Wichita State's season.

They accomplished all of that and more.

My day on Saturday began with three hours of reviewing student graphic design portfolios at Metro's Elkhorn campus. A buddy of mine teaches a class of seniors there, and had asked me some time back if I would come lend my significant expertise in critiquing his students' books. I agreed, on the condition he guaranteed I'd be out of there by 3. Creighton played at 4, and I figured an hour was enough time to drive from Elkhorn, park, get a beer, and get to my seat.

What I didn't account for is actually enjoying laying knowledge on the students, and spending more time with each one than I had allotted. 3 o'clock came, it was time to go, and I had one student left. I shortchanged the last guy by 4 minutes, wrapping up his critique in just 16 minutes and then jetting for my car. As me and my buddy Donovan headed for the West Dodge Expressway, it was 3:20, it was starting to snow, and I wondered if we'd get there in time.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop speeding in construction zones.

Driving a speed I will deny driving if a duly deputized officer were to ask, we made it from Elkhorn to the Qwest Center -- roughly 170 blocks due east -- in just under 20 minutes. By the time we parked and got inside, we had missed the grand finale of the tunnelwalk video I'd helped produce, but we had time to get a beer before tip. You win some, you lose some.

Early on, the game was tight. Creighton led for all but 18 seconds all day (a brief 4-3 lead for Wichita from the 18:33 to the 18:15 mark of the first half), and took a 23-18 lead into the last media timeout of the half. Wichita went on a quick 5-0 run to knot it at 23, and unlike in previous games, Coach Altman called timeout to stem the momentum. And the strange thing is, it worked. Dane Watts hit a 3-ball, and Wichita would never be as close the rest of the day.

The Jays closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 33-25 lead into the locker room.

Now, based on knowledge of the past, Wichita State probably felt they had the Jays right where they wanted 'em -- taking a decent-sized lead into the locker room. But this was senior night, after all, and you had to think there was absolutely no way Funk, Tolliver and Porter would allow a meltdown.

They opened the second frame with an 11-4 run -- making it a 21-6 run over two halves -- and all of a sudden, a 23-all tie was a 43-29 advantage. Game, set, match. Oh, Wichita made a run here and there, but was never closer than 8 points the rest of the way, and the game never felt in doubt.

One of the big keys was shutting down Kyle Wilson. The big guy had 25 points in Wichita's earlier win over the Jays, but was harassed by Tolliver into 1-8 shooting and just 6 points. And if I never hear about him looking like Dirk Nowitzki again, it will be one too many times.

Nick Porter's 13 second-half points were a big contribution to the win. But so were Dane Watts' five three-pointers, Nate Funk's 16 points, and Tolliver's 11 points, 6 boards and 3 blocks. And lets not forget the sweet cross-under bucket by my boy, Manny Gakou, who played seven stellar minutes in his Qwest Center finale.

One of the nice things about a big lead on senior night is the ability to get an individual curtain call for each senior. In the last 1:24, first Tolliver, then Porter, and finally Funk got their own standing ovation. Altman even inserted Gakou into the lineup for one possession, just so he could remove him to an ovation as well. And Manny got as big an ovation as the others. You bet he did.

Random stat that may only amuse me: Creighton has won its last 11 home finales involving a senior, and five of them have been against Wichita State. That's some creative scheduling, right there.

Random stat, Part Two: Dana Altman has now beaten Wichita State TWENTY-FIVE times, more than anyone else -- and the Jays have won 14 straight against the Shockers in Omaha. This would be just kinda sorta interesting, except Altman has only coached here 13 years. Meaning this stat stretches into the Rick Johnson era, a truly fantastic era indeed as you well know. I'm guessing this is the only meaningful positive statistic that stretches into the RJ era by this point. Could be wrong, but that's my guess and I'm sticking to it.

***

One final time, its time to award the Polyfro Heee-Haw Player of the Game! Tonight, I'd love to give props to Dane Watts -- 15 points, 6 boards, 5-7 from 3-land in 29 minutes -- but this one belongs to the seniors. Nick Porter, Anthony Tolliver, Nate Funk and Manny Gakou -- this Haw's for you.

You bet.