Arch Madness: St. Louis turns to Funkytown
ST. LOUIS – For the first half it looked like the Missouri Valley Conference record crowd was in for an episode of the Nate Funk and Blake Ahearn show, but in the end it was all about the Funk.
In a league known for unselfish team play, the Creighton men’s basketball quarterfinal match with the Missouri State Bears was undoubtedly a star display.
Senior guard Funk scored 33 points on 10 of 15 shooting. If that wasn’t enough he grabbed eight rebounds and two steals.
Funk said he had already moved on, looking towards the championship.
“I already forgot about my 33 point performance,” Funk said. “I’m already looking ahead.”
“Like any shooter, when you hit a couple the basket just seems to get bigger and bigger,” Funk said, after being probed about his performance for a second time.
There’s reason to take a second and reflect on Funk’s performance. His 33 points were the most scored by a Creighton player in the MVC tournament and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Jays.
In the first half, Funk and Ahearn traded shots back and forth, scoring 17 and 15 points respectively. Each star helped bolster his team’s attack, with Ahearn’s buckets keeping his team within reach.
Neither player appeared to be able to miss, approaching each and every shot with cockiness and without fear. Whether it was an Ahearn 3-pointer from 26-feet out or a Funk fadeaway from the top of the key, it was a definitely a show for those in attendance.
But the second half was a different story. Funk drop in an additional 16 points, scoring at will, while Ahearn was held to 5, spread throughout the half. It’s no surprise who ended up on top in this game.
Asked about Funk’s performance, senior center Anthony Tolliver jokingly deadpanned, “He’s a pretty good player.”
After waiting a moment for the media members to laugh, Tolliver added, “He plays at a different level sometimes, when he’s at that level I don’t think there are a lot of teams that can beat us.”
In a matchup between two teams that appear worthy of the NCAA tournament, the difference in mental toughness between Funk and Ahearn showed the potential difference between the two teams. With Funk, Tolliver and Porter, the Jays have someone to pick the team up and carry them, but Missouri State lacks this go-to player, the Bears seniors wilting in the spotlight.
Tomorrow’s game with the Southern Illinois Salukis should be a tough one, but the Jays looked poised to end an eight-game losing streak against SIU.
In fact, it might just be déjà vu all over again for the MVC, with No. 1 Southern Illinois and No. 2 Creighton facing off in the championship. The last time the top four teams made the quarterfinals was in 2003, when Southern Illinois was ranked No. 1 and Creighton was No. 2. The teams met in the finals with the Jays victorious in resounding fashion. That was the last victory for the Jays over the Salukis but that could come to an end tomorrow at 1 p.m. on CBS.
