LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jamiya Neal scored a career-high 29 points and had 12 rebounds, Steven Ashworth connected from well beyond the arc on the way to 22 points, and ninth-seeded Creighton beat No. 8 seed Louisville 89-75 on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Greg McDermott's Bluejays (25-10) won their fifth consecutive March Madness opener and beat a team ranked in the top 10 for the second time this season. Louisville (27-8), despite its unimpressive seeding, entered at No. 10 in the AP Top 25.

“We felt like we had to win the 3-point-line battle," McDermott said, "so we did what we could to force them into 2s, and if they shot 3s that they’d be challenged. I think for the most part we were able to do that.”

Seeking its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five years, Creighton will play No. 1 overall seed Auburn, an 83-63 winner over 16th-seeded Alabama State, in the second round of the South Region on Saturday.

Chucky Hepburn scored 22 points and Terrence Edwards Jr. had 21 for Louisville (27-8), which improved its record by 19 wins over last season with a transfer-heavy roster under first-year coach Pat Kelsey. It was the Cardinals' first March Madness appearance since 2019, and they ran into a Creighton team with plenty of postseason experience.

“They played well today. They were the better team,” Kelsey said.

After a cold start by the Bluejays, Ashworth and Jackson McAndrew (11 points) got hot from the perimeter, with each making two 3-pointers in a 12-0 run.

Ashworth's 3 near the March Madness logo made it 31-25. McAndrew connected from deep after an offensive rebound, Ashworth converted again, and then McAndrew drained a transition 3 to make it 40-25. Creighton ultimately surged to a 20-point lead late in the first half and cruised from there.

“It was one of those moments where you could feel the momentum trying to swing their way and one of those things where you try and stop it,” Ashworth said.

Ashworth finished 4 of 8 from long range as Creighton made 11 of 24 from 3 and 32 of 56 overall (58%).

Neal, an Arizona State transfer, scored 17 points after halftime to top his previous best of 24 against UConn on Jan. 18. Fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14 points as he seeks to return to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time of a career that began in 2020-21.

Key stats

Creighton made 14 of 21 free throws, while Louisville made 7 of 8. ... The Cardinals were 8 of 29 from long range and shot 30 of 70 overall (43%).

Closing the deal

Neal shot 11 of 16, including 2 of 5 from behind the arc, and matched his career high on the boards. He also threw down a vicious second-half dunk and credited Ashton and McAndrew for opening up the floor.

“They spaced the floor for me, and I like to play in space,” he said. “That leaves me a lot of opportunity to go out there and do my thing.”

Smith re-injures ankle

Louisville perimeter threat Reyne Smith scored five points in his return from a four-game absence but re-injured his right ankle midway through the second half. The senior from Australia was curled up on the floor for several minutes and was visibly upset as teammates hugged each other and Kelsey knelt over him. Smith was helped off the floor with towels covering his head.

No. 1 overall seed Auburn puts away Alabama State 83-63 to open March Madness

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Auburn is sticking around this NCAA Tournament longer than last year, even if the Tigers didn't play with the energy coach Bruce Pearl wants to see.

Miles Kelly made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points, All-American Johni Broome added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Auburn beat 16th-seeded Alabama State 83-63 on Thursday in the first round of the South Region.

Pearl's Tigers (29-5) lasted one game in 2024, losing to Yale days after winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament. This time, Auburn came in having lost three of four inside the power-packed SEC with a resume still strong enough to earn the top overall seed among the four No. 1 teams.

“We just weren’t sharp,” Pearl said of his Tigers. “One thing you can control. Our teams always play with great effort and energy too or our system doesn’t really work. I just didn’t think we did today.”

Auburn will play No. 9 seed Creighton, an 89-75 winner over eighth-seeded Louisville, in the second round on Saturday for a trip to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta.

“We won't beat Creighton if we play like we did tonight,” Pearl said.

Alabama State, whose lone lead was 3-0, didn't make it easy in the first half.

The Hornets fell behind 28-15 but scored the next nine points and pulled within 32-31 on a layup by Amarr Knox, the guard whose buzzer-beater gave the Hornets their victory over Saint Francis on Tuesday in the First Four. Fans inside Rupp Arena started roaring for Alabama State, hoping to see a big upset and bringing energy to the tired Hornets.

Alabama State coach Tony Madlock said he was proud of what his team did for Montgomery, their university and all historically Black colleges and universities to get to the Big Dance and win their first tournament game. And yes, they did something in this game to be proud of.

“(We) had some moments in this game where, you know, we made coach Pearl call timeout,” Madlock said.

Knox had a chance to give Alabama State the lead with 1:27 left in the half, but he missed both attempts at the line.

“I should've made those two free throws,” Knox said. “I definitely should’ve made those.”

Broome scored the first of nine straight for the Tigers, who took a 41-31 lead into halftime. Auburn smothered Alabama State in the second half even with Broome picking up a third foul within the first four minutes.

Tahaad Petitford added 16 points for Auburn and Chaney Johnson had 13.

The Tigers improved to 7-0 against Alabama State (20-16) with this the first NCAA Tournament game between the schools separated by about 50 miles in south Alabama. The historically Black school still goes home with its first NCAA Tournament win in its fifth appearance.

Knox led Alabama State with 18 points. TJ Madlock added 11.

Takeaways

Alabama State: The Hornets had nothing to lose. The Southwestern Athletic Conference program came up with 10 steals and forced Auburn into 12 turnovers.

Auburn: The Tigers had a 46-36 rebounding advantage, but their issues at the free-throw line could prove costly in the second round and beyond. They shot 56.3% (18 of 32).

Up next

The Tigers are trying to get past the first weekend for the first time since their only Final Four in 2019. They lost in the second round in three straight tournaments from 2021-23.