Saturday, December 31
D.J. Sokol Arena
2:05 PM
Creighton University
44
vs
47
Drake
Drake Beats Bluejays 47-44 in MVC Women's Basketball Opener
12/31/2011 4:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. - Drake opened the Missouri Valley Conference season with a 47-44 win over the Creighton women's basketball team at D.J. Sokol Arena Saturday afternoon. The game featured 10 ties and eight lead changes, while Jordan Garrison's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer fell just short and the Bluejays suffered a loss in their MVC home opener for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
The teams combined for just 27 points in the first half, as Creighton (6-6, 0-1 MVC) owned a 14-13 lead at the break despite shooting just 25 percent from the field (6-of-24). The Bulldogs (7-5, 1-0 MVC) also struggled in the first half, making only 5-of-22 shots from the field to shoot 22.7 percent, while also committing 11 turnovers in the opening stanza.
The Bluejays grabbed what proved to be their largest lead of the game when Ally Jensen hit the first basket of the second half, a three-pointer to make the score 17-13. Drake scored six straight points to go ahead 24-19 with 13:20 left, before the Bluejays responed with seven consecutive points to go up 26-24 with 11:32 to play.
Creighton owned its final lead of the game, up 30-28, before the Bulldogs made a pair of three-pointers and would never trail again. The Jays would pull even at 34-34, but the Bulldogs would regain the lead on their next possession and led for the final five minutes.
Kyndal Clark missed her second free-throw attempt with 6.6 seconds remaining to give Creighton one last attempt at tying the game, but Garrison's desperation attempt at the buzzer fell just short off the iron.
Sarah Nelson led all players with 18 points and four assists, while Tritz finished with 14 points and tied her career-high with six steals in the defeat. Creighton failed to score 60 points for the sixth straight game, its longest such streak since the 1981-82 season.
The Jays held Drake's leading scorer Rachael Hackbarth 10 points below her season scoring average, as the Bulldog forward finished with eight points and led all players with 10 rebounds before fouling out with 1:22 left in the game. Clark led the Bulldogs with 16 points, making 3-of-6 three-pointers in her first MVC game, while Brittnye McSparron chipped in 10 points for the Bulldogs.
Drake out-rebounded the Jays 40-28 and shot 52.4 percent in the second half to come away from Omaha with a win for the first time since since the 2008-09 season. The Jays forced 21 Bulldog turnovers and converted those into 20 points, but could not overcome a poor shooting night. Creighton shot just 33.3 percent from the field and a season-low 15.8 percent from three-point range, making a season-low 3-of-19 threes.
Creighton will look to capture its first MVC win of the season when it travels to preseason Valley favorite Missouri State on Thursday for a 7:05 pm game.
NOTES: CU is now 13-7 all-time in MVC openers, including 7-3 under Jim Flanery ... The Jays are 15-5 in their MVC home opener, 8-2 under Flanery ... CU lost for the first time this season when leading at halftime (6-1) ... CU had made at least five three-pointers in every game this year and in a school-record 19 straight games, before finishing with three triples today ... Creighton is now 15-4 in MVC play at D.J. Sokol Arena ... The Jays are now 5-3 on New Year's Eve all-time.
The teams combined for just 27 points in the first half, as Creighton (6-6, 0-1 MVC) owned a 14-13 lead at the break despite shooting just 25 percent from the field (6-of-24). The Bulldogs (7-5, 1-0 MVC) also struggled in the first half, making only 5-of-22 shots from the field to shoot 22.7 percent, while also committing 11 turnovers in the opening stanza.
The Bluejays grabbed what proved to be their largest lead of the game when Ally Jensen hit the first basket of the second half, a three-pointer to make the score 17-13. Drake scored six straight points to go ahead 24-19 with 13:20 left, before the Bluejays responed with seven consecutive points to go up 26-24 with 11:32 to play.
Creighton owned its final lead of the game, up 30-28, before the Bulldogs made a pair of three-pointers and would never trail again. The Jays would pull even at 34-34, but the Bulldogs would regain the lead on their next possession and led for the final five minutes.
Kyndal Clark missed her second free-throw attempt with 6.6 seconds remaining to give Creighton one last attempt at tying the game, but Garrison's desperation attempt at the buzzer fell just short off the iron.
Sarah Nelson led all players with 18 points and four assists, while Tritz finished with 14 points and tied her career-high with six steals in the defeat. Creighton failed to score 60 points for the sixth straight game, its longest such streak since the 1981-82 season.
The Jays held Drake's leading scorer Rachael Hackbarth 10 points below her season scoring average, as the Bulldog forward finished with eight points and led all players with 10 rebounds before fouling out with 1:22 left in the game. Clark led the Bulldogs with 16 points, making 3-of-6 three-pointers in her first MVC game, while Brittnye McSparron chipped in 10 points for the Bulldogs.
Drake out-rebounded the Jays 40-28 and shot 52.4 percent in the second half to come away from Omaha with a win for the first time since since the 2008-09 season. The Jays forced 21 Bulldog turnovers and converted those into 20 points, but could not overcome a poor shooting night. Creighton shot just 33.3 percent from the field and a season-low 15.8 percent from three-point range, making a season-low 3-of-19 threes.
Creighton will look to capture its first MVC win of the season when it travels to preseason Valley favorite Missouri State on Thursday for a 7:05 pm game.
NOTES: CU is now 13-7 all-time in MVC openers, including 7-3 under Jim Flanery ... The Jays are 15-5 in their MVC home opener, 8-2 under Flanery ... CU lost for the first time this season when leading at halftime (6-1) ... CU had made at least five three-pointers in every game this year and in a school-record 19 straight games, before finishing with three triples today ... Creighton is now 15-4 in MVC play at D.J. Sokol Arena ... The Jays are now 5-3 on New Year's Eve all-time.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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