Creighton University
Indiana State
Bluejays Open MVC Play With 55-44 Win at Indiana State
12/31/2009 7:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Sam Schuett scored a season-high 19 points to lead the Creighton women's basketball team to a 55-44 win at Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams at Hulman Center Thursday night. The Bluejays made 11 three-point field goals of their 15 field goals in the game as they snapped a three-game losing streak in the process. The MVC-opening win moves CU to 6-4 overall, while dropping the Sycamores to 9-3.
After Schuett hit a three-pointer to get the scoring started, the Sycamores scored the next eight points to take their largest lead of the game, up 8-3 just over five minutes into the game. ISU led 17-13 with 5:14 left in the first half before the Bluejays closed on a 16-4 run, keyed by a pair of three-pointers each from Schuett and Ally Jensen. Jensen's third three-pointer of the half with less than a minute to play gave the Jays a 29-21 lead at the break.
Seven of CU's nine field goals in the opening half were from three-point range, as the Jays finished the half by making five of their final eight shots from long range after a slow start.
The Sycamores scored the first four points out of halftime to get within four - the closest they would be in the second half. The Bluejays surged ahead by 12, leading 39-27 with 12:15 left in the game after a 10-2 run. ISU made one last push, scoring seven unanswered points, but the Jays responded by getting their lead back to double digits, up 44-34 with over eight minutes left. CU would again lead by a dozen with 5:12 remaining after Kelsey Crites beat the shot clock with her second three-pointer of the season.
CU made all 10 of its free-throws in the second half, including six in the final 1:27 to prevent the Sycamores from getting back into the game.
The Jays made 11-of-35 three-pointers to finish 31.4 percent from beyond the arc and won despite shooting just 28.3 percent from the field. CU shot a season-high 87.5 percent from the free-throw line, making 14-of-16 at the stripe. CU out-rebounded the Sycamores 41-37, after ISU entered the game with a better than plus-seven average edge in rebounding on the year.
Schuett drained a career-high five three-pointers in the game, going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to finish with a season-best 19 points. Jensen finished with nine points, all in the first half, while making 3-of-7 from long range. Kelsey Woodard led the team with four assists and three steals despite shooting 2-for-10 from three-point range. Kellie Nelson had six rebounds and blocked a career-high three shots despite playing just 13 minutes because of foul troule.
Kelsey Luna led the sluggish ISU offense with 16 points and the guard also topped the team with seven rebounds and four steals. ISU shot just 26.4 percent in the game, including 23.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Creighton returns to action when it plays at Illinois State on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. The Redbirds also won their MVC opener, topping Drake on Thursday afternoon. The Bluejays and Redbirds were the top two picks in the MVC preseason poll.
NOTES: Schuett had previously made four three-pointers in four different games in her career ... Schuett has made her last 14 free throw attempts ... Creighton is now 6-1 when leading at halftime and 108-23 when up at half under Jim Flanery ...Creighton is now 6-0 this year when making seven or more three-pointers ... CU is 4-0 when making at least 10 three-pointers this year, and 28-11 when making 10 or more treys under Flanery ... Creighton went nearly 18 minutes between two-point baskets, from 10:11 of the first half on a Herring runner in transition to a Neuvirth putback with 10:15 left in the second half ... Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in 49 games since the last time it allowed an opponent to make 10 or more trifectas on March 3, 2001 ... Creighton's six blocked shots were a season high ...Creighton finished the decade with a 185-125 record ... CU is 12-6 all-time in MVC openers and 12-6 in its first MVC road game of the year ... The Jays have won the final game of a calendar year in three straight seasons and in eight of the last nine years ... Creighton's 55 points were a season low, but its 44 points allowed were also a season-low.
