Creighton Bluejays: Trey Alexander's 31 Points Not Enough to Overcome St. John's

Behind a rowdy St. John's crowd in Madison Square Garden, Creighton and Trey Alexander fell 80-66 to the Red Storm on Sunday.

Since Jan. 20, Creighton guard Trey Alexander has been on a stretch that has helped fortify his case as a first-round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

In 10 games since that mark, he's generated double-digit outings throughout each one while shooting no less than 43% from the field omitting just one contest. The 20-year-old has averaged 21.1 points along with 23 3-pointers in that span.

On Sunday though, he saw his most imposing offensive performance this year with a season-high 31 points, rivaling his 32-point career performance last season in an 80-65 win over DePaul. And though the score between St. John's and Creighton was similar, the outcome was different.

Even with a season-high from Alexander on an impressive 12-of-23 shooting, the scoring distribution was not near on par with how the Bluejays typically delegate it. By the end of the night, it was an 80-66 victory for St. John's behind its home crowd in Madison Square Garden, proving to be their best win on the season coming against the No. 15 team in the country.

And for Creighton, this was a loss on the heels of a massive upset against the top-ranked team in the country in UConn, where the Bluejays shot lights out from distance. Nearly every player in the seven-man rotation sank a three besides forward Ryan Kalkbrenner, as Steven Ashworth put up five of his own and Alexander with his two. 

In the win, Alexander picked his shots and produced 16 points on 7-for-13 from the field, also generating four assists as the Bluejays played their well-rounded brand of facilitating basketball. But versus St. John's, Alexander's offensive proficiency was something to see even in the loss, especially as a guard who takes significantly less shots (14.8) than he did on Sunday with 23 attempts.

The rest of Alexander's junior season in March will be essential to boosting his possible placement in the draft. Though, he won't force anything. He'll continue to compete to his strengths without forcing it, something that's been a strong suit of his since his arrival on campus.

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