Creighton University
UNLV
#24 Women's Basketball Preps For #20 UNLV with Practice Day and Interviews
3/22/2024 4:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bluejays meet UNLV on Saturday evening
Scouting #23 Creighton (25-5)
The Bluejays enter the NCAA Tournament with a chip on their shoulder. Creighton won 25 games, with four of their losses coming to squads in the NCAA Tournament. Despite being in the AP and Coaches Poll for the 15 consecutive weeks, Creighton drew a seven seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Further the opponent the Bluejays draw in the opening round can just as easily feel slighted as UNLV travels to UCLA with a mere two losses.
The Bluejays are led by the trio of Lauren Jensen (17.1 ppg), Emma Ronsiek (16.6 ppg) and Morgan Maly (15.1 ppg), as the three combined to account for 48.8 points per game.
Scouting UNLV (30-2)
As the Bluejays come into the First Round with a bit salty, the Lady Rebels have as compelling of an argument. UNLV enters the NCAA Tournament on a 15 game win streak, last suffering a defeat on Jan. 20 to New Mexico (69-66).
Senior center Desi-Rae Young is the Lady Rebels leader with 17.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Young has been with head coach Lindy La Rocque throughout her tenure. Kiara Jackson also brings a double-digit punch at 11.4 ppg, while Alyssa Brown averages 8.4 rebounds per game.
Keys To the Game on March 23 (vs. UNLV)
- Slowing Young: To defeat UNLV, the Bluejays will have to make Young work on both ends of the court and keep her off the offensive glass. Young enters the NCAA Tournament with 87 offensive rebounds.
- Share the Ball: The Bluejays' offense was more less vibrant in the BIG EAST Tournament than it was throughout most of the season. In two games at the BIG EAST Tournament the Bluejays had just 20 assists, while Creighton topped 20 assists in nine games this season.
- Get Ronsiek Rolling Quickly: Senior forward Emma Ronsiek was dominant for most of the 2023-24 season, but she was slowed over the Bluejays' final three contests. Ronsiek scored 482 points in Creighton's first 27 games (17.9 ppg), but just 17 points over the last three (5.7 ppg).
Special History Between UNLV and Creighton
Despite having met just five times, the Bluejays and Lady Rebels have met for high stakes once before. Creighton and UNLV faced off in the 2004 WNIT Championship game at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The Bluejays earned the 73-52 win in Creighton's second season under Jim Flanery. One of the assistant coaches for the Bluejays was Jarrod Olson, who has guided Cal Baptist to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Olson and Cal Baptist face UCLA in the other game at Pauley Pavilion in this NCAA First Round site.
Pirates Are The Common Thread
Creighton and UNLV share just one common opponent during the 2023-24 season, Seton Hall.
The Bluejays defeated the Pirates in all three meetings this season, while UNLV suffered it lone non-conference loss in a road game at Seton Hall.
Seton Hall 84, UNLV 54 - December 16, 2023 - New Jersey
Creighton 57, Seton Hall 49 - January 28, 2024 - Nebraska
Creighton 72, Seton Hall 65 - March 3, 2024 - New Jersey
Creighton 72, Seton Hall 65 - March 9, 2024 - Connecticut
Getting To 60 A Key For Creighton
The Bluejays are 23-1 this season when scoring at least 60 points. The only loss Creighton suffered when reaching that mark was a 76-70 defeat at Marquette on Dec. 13, 2023. Â
Bluejays Remember Pauley Somewhat Fondly
This will be Creighton's second NCAA trip to historic Pauley Pavilion as the Bluejays went to UCLA for the First and Second Rounds in 2018. That season the Bluejays upset sixth seeded Iowa and National Player of the Year Megan Gustafson in the opening round, 76-70. The Bluejays advanced to face UCLA in the round of 32, falling 86-64.
Falling to a Six Seed in the BIG EAST Tournament, Brings Better Memories
Creighton's last time on the floor the sixth seeded Georgetown Hoyas bested No. 2 Creighton 55-46. The Bluejays are hoping the loss will spur them in the same way the loss to the sixth seeded Seton Hall Pirates did in 2022. That season the Bluejays upset Colorado, Iowa and Iowa State to reach the Elite Eight.
Possible Matchup with Former Assistant
Head coach Jim Flanery will get the chance to catch up with former assistant Jarred Olsen, the head coach of Cal Baptist. Facing host UCLA, if Cal Baptist pulled the upset and Creighton holds serve it would setup a meeting between mentor and disciple. Olsen was an assistant under Flanery from 2002-06.
Creighton and UNLV meet at 6 p.m. Central on Saturday in a game that will be televised by ESPNews and can be heard on 1620 The Zone.
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NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: First Round - UNLV vs Creighton
Friday, March 22, 2024
Los Angeles, California, USA
Pauley Pavilion
Creighton Bluejays
Jim Flanery
Lauren Jensen
Emma Ronsiek
Media Conference
JIM FLANERY: Yeah, thrilled to be here. Really proud of our group. 25-5 is a testament to the work that they have put in and the connectedness that they have and just the consistency has been -- has really been there all year.
And so we know we have a big challenge tomorrow with UNLV, a program that they are in their third straight NCAA Tournament, so they know how to win, and I know only lost twice this year.
So it's a great challenge for us. We've had a week to prepare. I think we'll be ready to go, and I know our players are excited. You know, when your name gets called on Selection Sunday, there are few things better when you're doing what these guys do or what I do. We'll be ready to go tomorrow.
Q. You guys are the first student athletes to qualify for three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. I know the season is not over and there's still more to play for but has that sunk in at all that this program's history; that you're the first to do that?
LAUREN JENSEN: Yeah, it's really cool. You know, it's an honor. This program is great. There's been so many great players and great teams that have come before us, and to be the first team that has done it three years in a row, it means a lot.
EMMA RONSIEK: Yeah, what Lauren said. Coming into Creighton, we knew that this class, especially, was going to be special but then just learning from past players and then having really great underclassmen -- yeah, it's just been awesome and it's an awesome reward to be doing this three times.
Q. Have you talked to your sister last week?
JIM FLANERY: Yeah, I talked to her a few times on the phone, just watching up, seeing what UNLV is all about. But yeah, UNLV is going to be a really good game. They are going to be challenging us on all ends of the floor, so we are really excited to just get this game going.
Q. How much do you draw from your run two years ago and your early exit last year, and what you can use that for going into this one?
LAUREN JENSEN: Yeah, we've definitely had both sides of it. Two years ago we went to the Elite 8 and last year had an early exit in the first round. So drawing on that experience, you know, we've been here before, and leaning into that and leaning into each other is going to be important.
EMMA RONSIEK: Yeah, I also think that's what makes basketball such a special sport is that on any given day, any team can beat anyone, especially in the NCAA Tournament because every team has earned a spot here. I think that's what makes what we did our sophomore year really special.
But also looking back at last year, it was a one-and-done situation for us, but I think we are still proud of what we did last year, and we are still looking to grow this year even more.
Q. How much have you been able to take in on what UNLV does? What have you learned over the last week?
JIM FLANERY: Sure. Honestly going in, I did not know a lot. I had not seen them play earlier, you know, but they did play two common opponents, Seton Hall and Wyoming, who they played twice. So leaned into those films a little bit. But you know, I knew about how good Desi-Rae Young is, was, because I had heard her name quite a bit. And Ashley Scoggin had played at Nebraska, so we were familiar with her and knew that she was here.
Yeah, they are a really balanced team. It starts, obviously, with Young in the post but really impressed with their point guard, Jackson. She's a really good player in a lot of ways, and they shoot it well. They can score inside. I like their rotation. They seem to have continuity there, and they have a freshman who you can really tell has blossomed over the course of the year, Kimpson, and like I said, they are used to winning.
The nice part about it is, you know, we got the news Sunday night and we are not playing till Saturday, so that's plenty of time to prep, both ways. They are going to be prepared for us and we are going to be prepared for them, whether they had any idea what we were like before, you know, when you do have that, almost a full week, you feel a little bit better. Coaches a like to be prepared, and players, especially this group.
So I think we'll have in all the necessary things that we need to have in, but I also think, you know, in the tournament, there are in-game adjustments that you have to have. Because there is, even with all the prep we've had this week, there is little a less familiarity than you get in the league when you're playing and you know the coaches and when you know the teams as well as you do.
So I feel like there has to be just enough -- just a little bit more in-game stuff because you're not necessarily quite as familiar.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports142332-1-1003 2024-03-22 17:57:00 GMT
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