Creighton University
Southern Illinois
Women's Basketball Wins 66-59 Over SIU
1/14/2012 4:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. - Carli Tritz led Creighton wih 17 points and Sarah Nelson added a double-double to help the Creighton women's basketball team knock off Southern Illinois 66-59 Saturday afternoon at D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne & Eileen Ryan Athletic Center. The win was the 100th home victory in head coach Jim Flanery's tenure.
As it had done in six of its previous seven wins, Creighton fell behind the visiting Salukis early in the contest. SIU led 12-4 five minutes into the game by hitting five of its first eight shots. SIU was up 15-9 after a Teri Oliver three-pointer with 14:01 left, but from there the Salukis would miss their next 11 shots as Creighton grabbed its first lead of the game during that dry spell.
The Bluejays (8-8, 2-3 MVC) used an 8-0 run to go ahead 17-16 with just under nine minutes left in the first half and would lead 28-20 following an 11-2 run. The Salukis scored six straight points before Tritz closed the half with a bucket and the Jays carried a 30-26 lead into the half.
Creighton never trailed in the second half, but the Salukis closed within one points, when Antishia Wright converted a three-point play following a steal. Her basket and free-throw made the score 43-42 Creighton with 10:15 left in the game.
A pair of back-to-back Ally Jensen three-pointers helpd the Bluejays take control of the game with just over five minutes remaining. Jensen's first triple put the Jays up 54-46 and she was rewarded with an open look on CU's next trip down the floor after she was credited with a steal on the other end. She burried the triple and the Jays were up 11.
The Salukis (3-13, 0-6 MVC) didn't fold however, getting back to a two possession game in the final minute of play. The Bluejays made 5-of-6 free-throws in the final 30 seconds to ice their eighth straight win in the series.
Creighton shot just 32.8 percent in the game, but made a season-high 20 free-throws on a season-best 27 attempts. CU out-rebounded the bigger SIU team 50-47.
Tritz led all players with 17 points, making 7-of-10 shots, before fouling out with 5:12 left in the game. She also added seven rebounds for CU. Sarah Nelson grabbed her fifth double-double of the year, finishing with 11 rebounds, 10 points and career-high five assists. Jensen finished with 13 points, making 3-of-9 three-pointers.
SIU shot just 31.9 percent in the game, as Cartaesha Macklin went 4-of-20 from the field and led the Salukis with 12 points. Ariel Haynes added 10 points and Alexus Patterson tied for game-high honors with 11 rebounds. CU held SIU's leading scorer Teri Oliver nearly 10 points under her season average, as the junior finished with just eight points. The loss was SIU's 24th straight in league play, tying the MVC record.
Creighton will look to continue its winning streak when it plays at Indiana State (10-7, 4-1 MVC) next Friday night at 6 pm (CST).
NOTES: Flanery is now 100-33 (.752) at home in his 10th season as Creighton's head coach ... McKenzie Fujan grabbed a career-high eight rebounds (doubling her previous best) ... Sammy Jensen had a three rebounds in 82 minutes entering Saturday, she pulled down a career-best five boards in 11 minutes vs. SIU ... Of SIU's 59 points, 20 came on fast-break opportunities ... SIU tied Bradley's MVC record with its 24th straight Valley loss, BU set the record between Feb. 26, 1998 and Jan. 13, 2000.
