Creighton University
Indiana State
Bluejays Come Back to Chop Sycamores, 68-60
1/31/2008 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Creighton jumped out to a 10-7 start to the game, but the Sycamores quickly turned the three-point deficit into a six-point lead, rattling off nine straight points. The Sycamores pushed ahead by as many as 12 points twice in the first half, including a 37-25 lead with inside a minute to play before Ally Thrall tacked on three points to make the ISU lead 37-28 at the half.
Freshman Kelsey Woodard helped to quickly eliminate CU's halftime deficit, scoring the first eight points of the second half, including a pair of three-pointers. Rookie Kellie Nelson evened the game with a free-throw just over five minutes into the half and the Jays took a 39-37 lead on a pair of Kristina Voss free-throws at 13:51.
Leah Phillips scored ISU's first point of the second-half on a free-throw 7:31 into the half. CU built its lead to seven, 47-40, on back-to-back three-pointers by Sam Schuett. The Sycamores finally drained their first field goal of the half on a Laura Rudolphi jumper 8:07 into the frame. ISU would get within two after another Rudolphi bucket with just inside nine minutes to play, to make the score 49-47 in favor of the Jays.
Senior Sara Cain answered with her only three-pointer of the game and the Sycamores would get no closer. CU's largest lead of the night came after Thrall drained a three with 2:23 to play to give the Jays a 68-55 edge.
Woodard finished with a game-high 20 points, including a career-best five three-point field goals. She went 5-for-7 from long range and also added five rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocked shots.
Thrall added 13 points, a season-high eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 40 minutes of play. Voss also had 13 points and pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds, the most by a Bluejay in over two years. The junior center went 7-for-7 at the free-throw line to aid in her second double-double of the year. Schuett finished with 10 points, all coming in the second half.
ISU was led by Angela Phillips' 12 points, all coming on her four three-pointers. Maria Olsthoorn added 11 for the Sycamores. CU held Rudolphi ? ISU's leading scorer ? to just eight points and five turnovers.
The Bluejays out-rebounded the Sycamores 44-32, while making 10-of-25 three-pointers. The Jays made 7-of-12 shots (.583) from three-point range in the second half. ISU went 5-for-24 (.208) from the floor in the second half, as the Sycamores scored 12 points from the field and 11 at the free-throw line after halftime.
Creighton returns to action on Saturday when the Bluejays travel to nationally-ranked and first-place
