Women's Basketball Heads to St. John's on Friday

Omaha, Neb. -- Creighton begins its final weekend in the opening round of BIG EAST play with a trip to New York to battle St. John's on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:00 pm (CT).

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1/20: - 6:00 pm - Creighton (12-5, 6-1 BIG EAST) at St. John's (12-6, 4-3 BIG EAST)

Series History: St. John's leads Creighton, 7-4

Stats (Free): creighton.statbroadcast.com

Online: BEDN
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Bird Seeds

The Red Storm hold a 7-4 series advantage over the Bluejays, but the two teams have split the regular season series in each of their first three seasons as BIG EAST opponents.
St. John's, however, has been a thorn in the Bluejays side in the post-season. Creighton is 4-0 against the rest of the BIG EAST in the conference tournament, defeating Butler (2013), Providence (2016), Seton Hall (2016) and Villanova (2016). The Bluejays are 0-3 against the Red Storm, having been eliminated by St. John's in each of Creighton's first three seasons as a member of the BIG EAST.
St. John's serving as a the Bluejays' nemesis goes back to the 2011-12 season as the Red Storm eliminiated Creighton from the NCAA Tournament with the game-winning bucket in the closing seconds.
Creighton enters Friday's battle having won three straight and eight of its last nine. St. John's, meanwhile, has dropped two of their last three.
The Bluejays have posted victories in their last two contests in Carnesecca Arena, claiming a 64-57 victory in Queens last season and a 75-50 win there in 2015.
At 6-1 the Bluejays are off to their best start in league play as a member of the BIG EAST. Creighton was 5-2 through seven games in 2013-14.

St. John's vs. Creighton Series:
St. John's holds a 7-4 edge over Creighton, taking two of the three meetings last season. The Bluejays, however, have won the last two battles in Queens. Creighton and St. John's have split the regular season series in each of the last three seasons, but the Red Storm have posted victories in each season in the BIG EAST Tournament.

About St. John's

Located in Queens, N.Y.
Led by Joe Tartamella, the Red Storm have posted an 99-51 mark during his five seasons at the helm.
Tartamella began his career as a head coach during the 2012-13 season. Prior to becoming the head coach, Tartamella served as an assistant coach for the Red Storm for nine seasons.

Scouting St. John's (12-6, 4-3 BIG EAST)

After dropping three of their first five contests, the Red Storm won six straight and nine of their next 10 games. St. John's, however, has dropped two of its last three.
The Red Storm are led by senior Jade Walker, who is averaging 14.5 ppg. Just a step back is sophomore Akina Wellere's 10.9 ppg.
Walker has raised her play to another level in BIG EAST action, averaging 18.9 ppg.
Under Tartamella the Red Storm have always been a strong defensive team. This season is no different as St. John's has limited its opponents to just 54.3 ppg.

Keys to the Game w/St. John's

Win the interior battle: This season both Jade Walker and Brianna Rollerson have come into their own on the inside. To post a victory on Friday, the Bluejays need to win this individual battle.
Convert from Outside: The styles of the Bluejays and Red Storm differ significantly beyond the arc, but the addition of Akina Wellere has given St. John's a consistent threat from long range. Creighton needs to convert from beyond the arc and limit Wellere's impact.
Ball Security: St. John's forces over 17
turnovers per game this season. The Bluejays are 8-0 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents.

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Players Mentioned

Brianna Rollerson