Sunday, December 5
Omaha, Neb.
1:00 PM
Creighton University
5-2,2-0Big East
72
vs
58
Villanova
3-5,0-2Big East
1
2
3
4
F
Villanova
18
13
6
21
58
Creighton
21
19
20
12
72
Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
Jensen's Career-High Keeps Women's Basketball Unbeaten in BIG EAST, Downing Villanova 72-58
12/5/2021 2:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lauren Jensen scores a career-high 23 points
Omaha, Neb. -- Lauren Jensen scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Creighton women's basketball team to a 72-58 victory in BIG EAST Conference action on Sunday, Dec. 5 inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
Jensen was one of four women in double-figures for Creighton, which has won four games in a row to start 5-2 (2-0 in BIG EAST play) for the fifth time in 20 seasons under Jim Flanery. The loss dropped Villanova to 3-5 on the season and 0-2 in conference action.
Both teams came out firing early, making four three pointers apiece in the first quarter as the Bluejays claimed an early 21-18 lead. Emma Ronsiek was 3-for-3 from the field and led CU with eight points and the Bluejay bench outscored Nova's reserves by an 8-0 count.
Creighton made six straight shots in the second quarter as part of an 11-0 run to go in front 38-24 and would settle for a 40-31 lead going into the half. Jensen and Carly Bachelor each scored six points in the second quarter for the hosts. Creighton owned a 19-6 rebounding advantage in the first half and converted six offensive boards into eight points.
Jensen wasted no time returning that lead to double-figures with a steal and breakaway layup in the opening seconds of the third quarter. All five CU starters scored in the first four minutes of the quarter as it opened with a 10-4 run to stretch the lead to 50-35. Jensen buried back-to-back three-pointers late in the third quarter as CU took a 60-37 lead into the final frame. Twelve of CU's points in the third quarters were a direct result of 12 Villanova turnovers in the period.
Villanova (3-5, 0-2 BIG EAST) battled back with a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter to get within 17 (63-46), but Morgan Maly countered with a three-pointer and Wildcats would not get closer than 14 the rest of the way. Nova outscored CU 21-12 in the final quarter.
Zanai Jones paced the Wildcats with 13 points and five rebounds.
In addition to Jensen's 23, Ronsiek (12), Maly (11) and Bachelor (10) all reached double-digits in the scoring column for the victors. The Bluejays won the board battle 34-24 and outscored VU 17-7 off turnovers.
The Bluejays will spend the next week in the classroom completing the semester with final exams before returning to the court to host Arizona State on Sunday at 1 p.m. in CU's penultimate non-conference home game of the year.
NOTES: Creighton has started 2-0 in BIG EAST play for the fifth time in nine seasons, having also done so in 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2019-20 previously. In four of those seasons (all but 2016-17), the Jays did so with wins over Georgetown and Villanova, as was the case this season ... Villanova was playing without injured All-America candidate Maddy Siegrist (wrist), who had 34 points and 19 rebounds in the team's lone meeting last winter ... Creighton had never scored more than 69 points against Villanova in 16 previous meetings against the Wildcats ... Creighton is now 5-0 this season at home, with two more home games in the next 11 days.
Jensen was one of four women in double-figures for Creighton, which has won four games in a row to start 5-2 (2-0 in BIG EAST play) for the fifth time in 20 seasons under Jim Flanery. The loss dropped Villanova to 3-5 on the season and 0-2 in conference action.
Both teams came out firing early, making four three pointers apiece in the first quarter as the Bluejays claimed an early 21-18 lead. Emma Ronsiek was 3-for-3 from the field and led CU with eight points and the Bluejay bench outscored Nova's reserves by an 8-0 count.
Creighton made six straight shots in the second quarter as part of an 11-0 run to go in front 38-24 and would settle for a 40-31 lead going into the half. Jensen and Carly Bachelor each scored six points in the second quarter for the hosts. Creighton owned a 19-6 rebounding advantage in the first half and converted six offensive boards into eight points.
Jensen wasted no time returning that lead to double-figures with a steal and breakaway layup in the opening seconds of the third quarter. All five CU starters scored in the first four minutes of the quarter as it opened with a 10-4 run to stretch the lead to 50-35. Jensen buried back-to-back three-pointers late in the third quarter as CU took a 60-37 lead into the final frame. Twelve of CU's points in the third quarters were a direct result of 12 Villanova turnovers in the period.
Villanova (3-5, 0-2 BIG EAST) battled back with a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter to get within 17 (63-46), but Morgan Maly countered with a three-pointer and Wildcats would not get closer than 14 the rest of the way. Nova outscored CU 21-12 in the final quarter.
Zanai Jones paced the Wildcats with 13 points and five rebounds.
In addition to Jensen's 23, Ronsiek (12), Maly (11) and Bachelor (10) all reached double-digits in the scoring column for the victors. The Bluejays won the board battle 34-24 and outscored VU 17-7 off turnovers.
The Bluejays will spend the next week in the classroom completing the semester with final exams before returning to the court to host Arizona State on Sunday at 1 p.m. in CU's penultimate non-conference home game of the year.
NOTES: Creighton has started 2-0 in BIG EAST play for the fifth time in nine seasons, having also done so in 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2019-20 previously. In four of those seasons (all but 2016-17), the Jays did so with wins over Georgetown and Villanova, as was the case this season ... Villanova was playing without injured All-America candidate Maddy Siegrist (wrist), who had 34 points and 19 rebounds in the team's lone meeting last winter ... Creighton had never scored more than 69 points against Villanova in 16 previous meetings against the Wildcats ... Creighton is now 5-0 this season at home, with two more home games in the next 11 days.
Team Stats
VU
CU
FG%
.420
.481
3FG%
.333
.346
FT%
.818
.647
RB
24
34
TO
17
14
STL
6
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballF
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