It appeared that the first half acted as an exhibition of how excellent Creighton’s defense could be. With nary any reliance on their offensive ability, the Jays decided instead to focus on picking apart passing lanes and utterly frustrating the Buffalo offense.
Khyri Thomas was the master pickpocket, breezing into the passing lanes and making Blake Hamilton furious. Fortunately for the Bulls, they were able to capitalize a great deal when Khyri was on the bench, as Hamilton had only 6 points, both threes, when Khyri guarded him. When he wasn’t on the floor, Hamilton poured in 9 quick points to finish out his 15 points in the half.