Sports

Creighton destroyed by Baylor

SAN ANTONIO — This NCAA Tournament ended for Creighton where the last two had, with a third-round loss. But rest assured, none hurt this much, or will sting this long. With four senior starters and the likely player of the year in Doug McDermott, the Bluejays got battered and bludgeoned by Baylor.

This contest was over before the midpoint of the first half. And in truth it was more a romp than a contest, the Bears rolling to an 85-55 laugher, and into a Sweet 16 date with Wisconsin. It’s hard to believe the Badgers like what they saw.

On offense, the Bears shot a scalding 63.8 percent. On defense they held McDermott — averaging a nation-leading 27.0 points per game — to 15. They reached Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012 and lost to the eventual national champs in each, Duke in 2010 and Kentucky in 2012. Now Baylor heads to Anaheim, Calif., looking like a team capable of coming back to Texas for the Final Four.

“We hear [the doubters]. We take pride in people hating on us and proving people wrong,’’ said Isaiah Austin. “We have a tremendous amount of confidence, and everybody has bought into the one goal we have, which is winning the national championship.’’

Creighton struggled with the last two zones they saw, George Mason and Providence. But Baylor’s athletic, long-armed zone was on another level, with the 7-foot-1 Austin, 6-10 Cory Jefferson and 6-7, 270-pound backup Rico Gathers smothering the Bluejays’ meticulous offense.

“This is the worst we’ve played all season. It just stinks that it was the last one. It’s tough to go out this way,” said McDermott, who checked out with 2:31 left to an ovation and hug from his father Greg, Creighton’s coach. “We still won three games in the NCAA Tournament the last three years, but it’s just hard to end on something like this.”

“We just had to cherish that moment. It was the last time I’ll be able walk off the floor and give my dad a hug. It’s tough, but it’s the way it is.’’

McDermott and his teammates came into the AT&T Center looking like the well-oiled offensive machine that plays here, the Spurs. But Sunday they looked all hat and no cattle, handed a Texas-sized beating.

After a 2-8 start in Big 12 play, Baylor has won 12 of its last 14 and looked like the team that rose as high as No. 7 in the polls.

After Kenny Cherry’s 3-pointer 6:53 in, the Bears had hit seven of their first nine shots for a 19-7 lead. They made it nine of their first 11 and a 26-7 cushion on Jefferson’s free throw. Yes, the clock read 9:26 left in the first half, but the way Baylor was dominating, this was a fait accompli.

Austin — who is partially blind, wearing a prosthetic right eye after a detached retina injury in junior high — had 17 points to share game-high scoring honors with Brady Heslip.

“I’m not sure if it was Baylor being that good or us being that bad or somewhere in between. Over the course of the season you’re going to have a few clunkers. We had one at the wrong time,’’ Greg McDermott said.

“It’s been an incredible journey. I wish every parent could experience what I’ve had the opportunity to. I’ve had a front row seat for history and it was my son that was doing it.’’