DES MOINES, Iowa - A 12-point halftime deficit proved too much for the Creighton women's basketball team to overcome in a 64-52 loss at Drake Friday night at the Knapp Center. Drake built a 39-27 and used a solid second half to hold the Bluejays off, dropping Creighton to 6-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, 9-14 overall in the defeat.
Drake (8-14, 3-9 MVC), the preseason MVC favorites, shot 56 percent in the first half, including back-to-back three-point field goals by Lindsay Whorton at the end of the half to bump a six-point DU lead up to the 12-point deficit.
DU then scored the first four points of the second half to push to a 16 point lead and the Bluejays could never get closer than eight points in the second half. The Bulldogs pushed ahead by as many as 18 in the second half as the Bluejays shooting cooled off and after CU's leading rebounder, Megan Neuvirth, fouled out with 6:50 to play, it led to the Bluejays' second straight loss. The Jays shot just 30.6 percent in the second half and shot only 37.1 percent in the game.
Sara Cain led the Bluejays with 12 points, while Kristina Voss scored 11 points all in the first half. Chevelle Herring also ended with 11 points, making 3-of-5 shots from three-point range, after entering the ball game 2-of-23 from long range in MVC action this season.
Whorton led all players with 19 points, making 3-of-5 three-pointers. Brandy Dahir set the table in the first half as DU shot out of the gates, and she finished with 17 points. Monique' Jones added 13 points and six boards for the Bulldogs.
DU out-scored the Jays 17-2 at the free-throw line, as CU went 2-for-4 at the line and DU made 17-of-23 charity shots. After a hot-shooting first half, DU ended the game shooting 46.8 percent from the field.
The Bluejays return to action at home on Thursday when they play host to the Evansville Purple Aces. CU and UE will tip off at the Omaha Civic Auditorium at 7:05 p.m.
