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OMAHA, Neb. — It turns out the Big East's three-time defensive player of the year can play a little offense, too. Ryan Kalkbrenner turned in the performance of the young college basketball season with 49 points in No. 15 Creighton's 99-86 victory over UT-Rio Grande Valley. He made a school-record 20 field goals on 22 attempts to help the Bluejays hang on in their opener. The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner said he didn't realize how many points he had and he was thinking about getting the win in a tougher-than-expected game. As he walked off the court and through the tunnel after the buzzer, fans nearby chanted "MVP! MVP!" Kalkbrenner, the Big East preseason player of the year, also had 11 rebounds and three blocks.
