11:58 p.m. Creighton is approaching its CIT appearance as a basketball version of mouthwash.

The Bluejays’ last outing left them with a bad taste in their mouths as well as an embarrassing loss on their record. That’s one reason the Creighton players say they are eager to take on South Dakota in the opening round of the second CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

“That last six minutes against Bradley, we didn’t show up at all,’’ said Creighton forward Justin Carter, referring to the March 5 loss to the Braves in the Missouri Valley tournament. “That wasn’t Creighton basketball.’’

There are some that might contend this team hasn’t played Creighton basketball the entire season. That’s why one CIT win, or even four, will do little to appease the critics. A season that started with great promise in November melted down long before the calendar turned to March.

So what’s to be gained from participating in a tournament in which nobody wants to play?

“I think guys are excited to get back out on the floor and keep improving as we go into the offseason and start getting ready for next year,’’ Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries said. “We have a bad taste in our mouths after that loss in the tournament.

“We want to get that out and have something a little more positive going into next year. It’s a chance to play and hopefully do things a little better than our last outing and try to get a couple of wins.’’

A victory tonight against the Coyotes would probably set up Creighton for another home game in the second round. The CIT is run like the old National Invitation Tournament in that there is no predetermined bracket.

Second-round pairings will be adjusted after first-round games are played. The only seedings are based on a team’s perceived ability to put backsides into seats. Creighton was considered No. 4 in that regard behind Marshall, Southern Mississippi and Missouri State.

So, if the Bluejays get by South Dakota, the chances are good that Creighton would play the quarterfinals at home. If so, the game also would be played at the Civic Auditorium because of a scheduling conflict at Qwest Center Omaha.

The Bluejays got a look Monday at the Civic, where Creighton played home games from 1961 through the end of the 2002-03 season. If nothing else, this experience should show the Bluejays just how good they have it by not having to play there.

At 57, I hope I have aged better than the 55-year-old arena. The playing floor had more than a couple of spots that looked like a pot-holed Omaha street. We could find out tonight how adept how good the Coyotes and Bluejays are at fielding bad hops.

“It’s smaller than the Qwest,’’ Carter said when asked of his impressions of the Civic.

None of the current Bluejays have had an opportunity to play at the Civic. DeVries has, when he played for Northern Iowa against Creighton. He also coached there.

“This place brings back a lot of memories, most of them of us hitting 3’s,’’ he said. “Hopefully, that will play out tomorrow night and we can relive a few memories and start some new ones.’’

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