The previous 38 minutes of game clock had been ugly, the product of two in-state rivals trading haymakers and free throws while eschewing any ideas of finesse basketball. Nebraska closed out on the perimeter. It harassed Creighton, matched the Bluejays on the glass and erased Ryan Kalkbrenner under the basket until it emerged victorious, 74-63, for its second win in three years over CU.

“We knew this was the only way we were gonna do it,” NU coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We weren’t gonna come here and out-finesse them and we weren’t gonna come out here and be more pretty than Creighton.”

The teams combined to commit 41 fouls and attempt 53 free throws.

Lacking smoothness, Nebraska’s offense propelled itself along with enough individual plays and timely shots. Creighton ran Connor Essegian off the 3-point line, so the junior guard settled into his spots in the midrange, sinking jumpers and occasionally getting to the rim for 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting and six free throws.

Juwan Gary opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from the wing, his first act in a performance that was aggressive and impactful on both ends. When smaller defenders switched onto him, the veteran forward took advantage. When Ryan Kalkbrenner roamed the paint, Gary was fearless. His first-half steal and fastbreak dunk coaxed faint “Go Big Red” chants from the mostly blue crowd. He mimicked blowing a kiss out to the crowd after hitting a contested 3 late in the shot clock. By the end of the night, he had 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

“It’s my last time being at Creighton,” Gary said. “Senior year, this is something I’m always gonna see (in) five years like man, I’m so glad I beat them guys twice.”

The sleeping giant that is Creighton’s shooting ability stirred but never woke up. Jackson McAndrew and Pop Isaacs connected late in the first half to cut into Nebraska’s once 18-point lead. Steven Ashworth hit a jumper from the wing in transition early in the second half, then another from the same spot with a defender in his jersey later in the period.

But as Creighton spun its wheels when it got into striking distance, never able to make the final kick as it never led. The Jays were 12-42 from 3-point range as Nebraska (4-1) fronted Kalkbrenner on the low block, making it as hard as possible for CU (4-1) to run its offense through their star center. It led to a turnover in the first half when Braxton Meah got a long arm on Ashworth’s entry pass. Kalkbrenner attempted one field goal — a 3-pointer — and eight free throws, finishing with 4 points.

When Kalkbrenner kicked the ball out to the perimeter, Nebraska scrambled. Rarely did Creighton get a shot up without a hand in the face. Open shots clanged off the rim all the same as Nebraska gained and maintained a cushion.

Sam Hoiberg forced a Ty Davis airball late in the shot clock in the first half. Isaac Traudt missed all of the rim from the corner with no one close to him. Nebraska pounced on the Jays’ lack of execution, snowballing it into an empathic, early-season-defining win.

“We hungry for wins,” Gary said. “We knew coming into this facility, we knew it was gonna be a hostile environment, but end of the day it’s still a game. We still knew this was gonna be a team that we could compete with for sure.”