Creighton University
Nebraska
No. 24 Nebraska Gets By Bluejays, 69-56
12/9/2009 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LINCOLN, Neb. - National Player of the Year candidate Kelsey Griffin tied a career-high with 31 points to lead the 24th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 69-56 victory Wednesday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers closed the game on an 11-1 run to blow open a tightly contested game.
Griffin scored the most points of any individual player against Creighton in three years, as she also added 11 rebounds for her 23rd career double-double in a career-high 34 minutes of action. With the win the Huskers tied a program best start as they moved to 9-0 on the season.
Megan Neuvirth came close to matching Griffin's effort for Creighton (5-2), as she recorded her 14th career double-double. It was her first of the season as she poured in 25 points on a career-high 11 field goals (11-for-21), to go along with 12 rebounds. The point total was one short of her career high.
The Jays forced the Huskers into 21 turnovers, but also committed a season-high 21. The Huskers made the most of those opportunities as they posted a 26-14 advantage in points off turnovers; the first time Creighton has been bested in that category this season.
The Jays hung with the Huskers for much of the evening, as they brought it to a one-possesion game with 5:21 left in the game. After failing to tie the game on two straight possessions, two straight three-point plays by the Huskers, the first from Dominique Kelley and the second from Griffin, put the game away for Nebraska.
Despite shooting 34 percent in the first half, Creighton went into halftime trailing by just one point. The Jays out-rebounded the Huskers 20-17 in the first half, including a 7-2 advantage on the offensive end, and forced 10 turnovers to stay within striking distance.
Nebraska got out to a quick start, leading by as much as eight points early in the half, before Creighton came within a bucket of taking the lead. The Jays never led in the game, but tied the score at 27 with 4:12 left in the first half on a Neuvirth three-pointer. The Jays had multiple opportunities to take the lead thereafter, but went into the half trailing 30-29.
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first, as Nebraska went on an 8-0 run to build to a 38-29 lead. The second half spurt extended to 12-2 on a Griffin fast-break bucket to give the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 42-31, with the Jays mustering just one field goal in the first 6:58 after halftime.
Kelsey Woodard added 12 points and five rebounds for Creighton, and Sam Schuett added eight rebounds. Schuett, who scored a career-high 30 points in her last trip to the Devaney Center, was limited to just five points in the game.
Creighton shot just 37.1 percent from the field in the game and made only 6-of-19 three-pointers (.316). CU entered the game ranked second in the NCAA with 10.5 three-pointers per game and 19th in the country, shooting 39.4 percent from long range.
The Bluejays were whistled for 22 fouls, compared to just 12 by the home team, as the Huskers attempted 18 more free-throws than the Jays. NU finished 14-of-24 (.583) at the stripe, compared to 4-of-6 (.667) by Creighton.
Griffin, a Naismith Candidate, was 12-of-16 from the field and 7-of-13 at the free-throw line. NU freshman Lindsey Moore added a career high 11 points, and Kelley added 13 for the Huskers. NU shot 50 percent from the field (26-of-52) in the contest.
The Bluejays will continue their three-game run against ranked Big 12 competition on Sunday, when they travel to Lawrence, Kan., to face 23rd-ranked Kansas. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
