Saturday, March 7
Uncasville, CT
1:30 PM
Creighton University
vs
Marquette
Photo by: Creighton Athletics
WBB Preview: Bluejay WBB Opens BIG EAST Tournament Against Marquette
3/6/2026 11:10:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Uncasville, Conn. -- Creighton Women's Basketball begins play at the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday, March 7 at 1:30 pm (CT) as the fifth seeded Bluejays take on No. 4 Marquette. The entire BIG EAST Tournament will be broadcast on Peacock and the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN).
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Series with Marquette (Creighton leads 20-15)
Home: 14-2 - Away: 6-11 - Neutral: 0-2
The Bluejays and Golden Eagles have met 35 times, including 28 times since becoming BIG EAST foes. Marquette has won all three meetings in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Series Game-by-Game
Date  Opponent  Score
1/11/86  at Marquette  W, 75-56
1/25/86  Marquette  W, 84-53
12/20/86  Marquette  W, 72-49
1/7/87  at Marquette  W, 77-60
3/24/08  & at Marquette  L, 69-75 (ot)
11/19/09  at Marquette  L, 59-66
11/28/10  Marquette  W, 63-61
1/25/14  Marquette  W, 83-64
3/1/14  at Marquette  L, 71-73
1/25/15  at Marquette  W, 93-75
2/22/15  Marquette  W, 82-60
1/24/16  at Marquette  L, 72-79
2/19/16  Marquette  W, 83-81
1/2/17  at Marquette  W, 83-63
1/29/17  Marquette  W, 80-77
3/6/17  ª at Marquette  L, 65-72
1/7/18  Marquette  L, 77-92
2/4/18  at Marquette  W, 74-73
3/5/18  $ ª vs. Marquette  L, 70-76
12/31/18  at #20 Marquette  L, 67-85
3/1/19  #13 Marquette  W, 71-65
1/3/20  Marquette  W, 72-62
2/2/20  at Marquette  L, 50-52
2/1/21  Marquette  L, 53-66
2/22/21  at Marquette  L, 41-65
3/7/21  ª vs Marquette  L, 59-64
1/7/22  Marquette  W, 62-45
2/6/22  at Marquette  L, 47-50
1/8/23  Marquette  W, 68-42
2/22/23  at Marquette  W, 55-44
12/13/23  at Marquette  L, 70-76
1/1/24  Marquette  W, 76-71
1/8/25  Marquette  W, 71-68
12/8/26  at Marquette  L, 49-67
2/8/26  Marquette  W, 80-74 (OT)
ª = BIG EAST Tournament game
$ = played in Chicago, Ill.
& = WNIT game
About Marquette
Scouting Creighton (15-14)
The Bluejays ended the regular season riding the high of a three-game win streak, most recently defeating Xavier in a nailbiter 73-71 victory that came down to the last play.Â
To open the fourth quarter, the Bluejays found themselves trailing by 52-46 before the Musketeers stretched their lead to nine, 55-46, quickly after the final frame began.Â
In what would become the beginning of the game-winning comeback stretch, the Bluejays scored eight consecutive points, collected with a triple from Allison Heathcock and supplemented by two baskets from Boffeli. Creighton's eight-point run was countered by five-straight from the Musketeers before Norah Gessert stopped the bleeding with a triple.
Coming down to the final minute, and having gotten within one point a couple of times, the game came down to the final 15 seconds. Out of a timeout and trailing 71-69, the Bluejays found senior Kennedy Townsend, who drained a clutch long-range triple to take the lead 72-71 before Gessert iced it with a free throw. Â
The two-point victory saw three Bluejays in double-figures. Boffeli led the team with a double-double, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds. Norah Gessert trailed close behind with 17 points and Heathcock racked up 13.
Scouting Marquette (18-11)
With the BIG EAST Tournament on the horizon, the Golden Eagles ended the regular season with a 69-65 victory over Providence.Â
The four-point victory margin was bolstered by 24 points from Skylar Forbes and a 15-point, 12-rebound performance from Lee Volker. The sharpshooting helped the visiting Golden Eagles fend off a strong fourth-quarter showing from Providence.
After a closely matched first half and a 38-37 score to show for it, the Golden Eagles made headway in the third, securing a comfortable 59-45 lead going into the final frame thanks to a 21-8 scoring stretch.Â
The fourth quarter saw the Friars crawl back within striking distance with help from eight turnovers by the Golden Eagles, challenging Marquette to make a stand. Providence got as close as within four, but clutch defensive stops, including a block from Forbes, allowed the Golden Eagles to steal the road victory.
Forbes, the Golden Eagles' leading scorer in the regular season finale, spearheads the team this season, averaging 15.5 points per game.Â
Keys to the game:
Recap of Last Meeting: 2-8-26
Creighton 80, Marquette 74 (OT)
The regular season saw the Bluejays and Golden Eagles split the series, with Marquette winning the first meeting and the Bluejays executing a six-point overtime victory in the most recent contest.Â
Led by 25 points from Ava Zediker and a 23-point, 14-rebound double-double for Grace Boffeli, Creighton pulled off the victory in large part thanks to timely threes down the stretch.
The two teams traded dominance in the first two quarters, as the Golden Eagles won the first quarter 21-14 before the Bluejays responded with an 18-13 advantage in the second. The score stood close, at 34-32 in favor of Marquette at halftime.
After the third quarter saw the Golden Eagles reached a 10-point margin, the Bluejays responded in the fourth, doubling Marquette's point production 21-11 and coming up with a triple from Neleigh Gessert in the final 20 seconds to force overtime.
Locking down the overtime victory were Zediker and Boffeli, who combined for 11 of Creighton's 13 points in the extra time.Â
Milestone Watch
Boffeli, Gessert and Zediker Earn All-BIG EAST Honors
A trio of Creighton Women's Basketball players were recognized when the BIG EAST Postseason Awards were announced on Thursday, March 5.
Freshman Ava Zediker highlighted Creighton's honors, earning a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team as well as a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Fellow freshman Neleigh Gessert also earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, while Grace Boffeli collected All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Zediker leads Creighton with 13.5 ppg, scoring 350 points over 26 games. The Bluejay point guard is a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, scoring in double figures in 13 of the 18 BIG EAST games she appeared in. Zediker led the team in scoring in 10 games and led Creighton in assists 11 times. She also leads the Bluejays with 89 assists and is third on the squad with 126 rebounds.
Gessert also was a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this year, she is the Bluejays' second leading scorer with 321 points (12.3 ppg). Gessert is Creighton's three-point leader with 79 made treys. Prior to suffering a foot injury that has sidelined her for the last three games, Neleigh ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA in made three-pointers. She has led Creighton in scoring five times and also led the Bluejays in blocked shots in 11 contests.
A graduate transfer to Creighton this season, Boffeli has become the heart and soul of Creighton. She leads the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with 8.8 rpg and 256 overall boards. Her numbers on the glass place Grace at fifth on Creighton's single-season rebounding list. She has posted nine double-doubles for the Bluejays this season, giving her 46 in her career. Boffeli has led Creighton in rebounding in 18 games, in blocked shots 12 times and in scoring five times.
BIG EAST Tournament Tidbits
Bluejays Pull Out Thrilling Win at Xavier
Despite trailing for all except the final 14 seconds of the second half, Creighton rallied to defeat Xavier 73-71 on the final day of the regular season. The trio of Grace Boffeli, Norah Gessert and Allison Heathcock led the way. Boffeli delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds, including 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, while Gessert had a career-high 17 points. Heathcock posted 13 points, hitting three from long range. Down 71-69 with 14 seconds remaining, senior Kennedy Townsend splahed her only trey of the game to give the Bluejays the win.
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3/7: - 1:30 p.m. (CT)Â
Creighton vs. Marquette
Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBBÂ
Online Stream: Peacock (John Fanta & Kim Adams):Â
https://www.nbcsports.com/watch
Radio: 1180 AM (Glen Sisk): https://player.listenlive.co/52381
Stat Broadcast: https://bigeast.statbroadcast.com
Creighton vs. Marquette
Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBBÂ
Online Stream: Peacock (John Fanta & Kim Adams):Â
https://www.nbcsports.com/watch
Radio: 1180 AM (Glen Sisk): https://player.listenlive.co/52381
Stat Broadcast: https://bigeast.statbroadcast.com
Series with Marquette (Creighton leads 20-15)
Home: 14-2 - Away: 6-11 - Neutral: 0-2
The Bluejays and Golden Eagles have met 35 times, including 28 times since becoming BIG EAST foes. Marquette has won all three meetings in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Series Game-by-Game
Date  Opponent  Score
1/11/86  at Marquette  W, 75-56
1/25/86  Marquette  W, 84-53
12/20/86  Marquette  W, 72-49
1/7/87  at Marquette  W, 77-60
3/24/08  & at Marquette  L, 69-75 (ot)
11/19/09  at Marquette  L, 59-66
11/28/10  Marquette  W, 63-61
1/25/14  Marquette  W, 83-64
3/1/14  at Marquette  L, 71-73
1/25/15  at Marquette  W, 93-75
2/22/15  Marquette  W, 82-60
1/24/16  at Marquette  L, 72-79
2/19/16  Marquette  W, 83-81
1/2/17  at Marquette  W, 83-63
1/29/17  Marquette  W, 80-77
3/6/17  ª at Marquette  L, 65-72
1/7/18  Marquette  L, 77-92
2/4/18  at Marquette  W, 74-73
3/5/18  $ ª vs. Marquette  L, 70-76
12/31/18  at #20 Marquette  L, 67-85
3/1/19  #13 Marquette  W, 71-65
1/3/20  Marquette  W, 72-62
2/2/20  at Marquette  L, 50-52
2/1/21  Marquette  L, 53-66
2/22/21  at Marquette  L, 41-65
3/7/21  ª vs Marquette  L, 59-64
1/7/22  Marquette  W, 62-45
2/6/22  at Marquette  L, 47-50
1/8/23  Marquette  W, 68-42
2/22/23  at Marquette  W, 55-44
12/13/23  at Marquette  L, 70-76
1/1/24  Marquette  W, 76-71
1/8/25  Marquette  W, 71-68
12/8/26  at Marquette  L, 49-67
2/8/26  Marquette  W, 80-74 (OT)
ª = BIG EAST Tournament game
$ = played in Chicago, Ill.
& = WNIT game
About Marquette
- Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Â
- The Golden Eagles closed 2024-25 with a 21-11 record, splitting a pair of games in the WBIT.Â
- Head Coach Cara Consuegra is in her second season at the helm for Marquette. Â
Scouting Creighton (15-14)
The Bluejays ended the regular season riding the high of a three-game win streak, most recently defeating Xavier in a nailbiter 73-71 victory that came down to the last play.Â
To open the fourth quarter, the Bluejays found themselves trailing by 52-46 before the Musketeers stretched their lead to nine, 55-46, quickly after the final frame began.Â
In what would become the beginning of the game-winning comeback stretch, the Bluejays scored eight consecutive points, collected with a triple from Allison Heathcock and supplemented by two baskets from Boffeli. Creighton's eight-point run was countered by five-straight from the Musketeers before Norah Gessert stopped the bleeding with a triple.
Coming down to the final minute, and having gotten within one point a couple of times, the game came down to the final 15 seconds. Out of a timeout and trailing 71-69, the Bluejays found senior Kennedy Townsend, who drained a clutch long-range triple to take the lead 72-71 before Gessert iced it with a free throw. Â
The two-point victory saw three Bluejays in double-figures. Boffeli led the team with a double-double, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds. Norah Gessert trailed close behind with 17 points and Heathcock racked up 13.
Scouting Marquette (18-11)
With the BIG EAST Tournament on the horizon, the Golden Eagles ended the regular season with a 69-65 victory over Providence.Â
The four-point victory margin was bolstered by 24 points from Skylar Forbes and a 15-point, 12-rebound performance from Lee Volker. The sharpshooting helped the visiting Golden Eagles fend off a strong fourth-quarter showing from Providence.
After a closely matched first half and a 38-37 score to show for it, the Golden Eagles made headway in the third, securing a comfortable 59-45 lead going into the final frame thanks to a 21-8 scoring stretch.Â
The fourth quarter saw the Friars crawl back within striking distance with help from eight turnovers by the Golden Eagles, challenging Marquette to make a stand. Providence got as close as within four, but clutch defensive stops, including a block from Forbes, allowed the Golden Eagles to steal the road victory.
Forbes, the Golden Eagles' leading scorer in the regular season finale, spearheads the team this season, averaging 15.5 points per game.Â
Keys to the game:
- Keep Marquette's Top Scorers Out of the Paint: In the last contest, Skylar Forbes (21 points), Halle Vice (15), Lee Volker (13) and Kaidynn Mason (11) all finished in double figures, combining for just four made threes — meaning most of their production came inside the arc. By the end of the game, Marquette had 36 paint points. If Creighton wants a comfortable 40-minute victory, it starts with keeping Marquette out of the paint.
- Control the offensive boards: Creighton held a critical 12-6 edge in offensive rebounds in the most recent contest. Those 12 boards resulted in 15 second chance points, so maintaining that edge in the coming matchup will be a critical part of the Bluejays' success.
- Continue to force turnovers: In the last matchup, Marquette turned over the ball 15 times, accounting for 23 points for the Bluejays. A critical part of defeating the Golden Eagles a second time this season will include Creighton forcing Marquette into mistakes and getting easy baskets on the other end.
Recap of Last Meeting: 2-8-26
Creighton 80, Marquette 74 (OT)
The regular season saw the Bluejays and Golden Eagles split the series, with Marquette winning the first meeting and the Bluejays executing a six-point overtime victory in the most recent contest.Â
Led by 25 points from Ava Zediker and a 23-point, 14-rebound double-double for Grace Boffeli, Creighton pulled off the victory in large part thanks to timely threes down the stretch.
The two teams traded dominance in the first two quarters, as the Golden Eagles won the first quarter 21-14 before the Bluejays responded with an 18-13 advantage in the second. The score stood close, at 34-32 in favor of Marquette at halftime.
After the third quarter saw the Golden Eagles reached a 10-point margin, the Bluejays responded in the fourth, doubling Marquette's point production 21-11 and coming up with a triple from Neleigh Gessert in the final 20 seconds to force overtime.
Locking down the overtime victory were Zediker and Boffeli, who combined for 11 of Creighton's 13 points in the extra time.Â
Milestone Watch
- Grace Boffeli enters the game with Marquette fifth on Creighton's single season list with 256 rebounds.
Boffeli, Gessert and Zediker Earn All-BIG EAST Honors
A trio of Creighton Women's Basketball players were recognized when the BIG EAST Postseason Awards were announced on Thursday, March 5.
Freshman Ava Zediker highlighted Creighton's honors, earning a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team as well as a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Fellow freshman Neleigh Gessert also earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, while Grace Boffeli collected All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Zediker leads Creighton with 13.5 ppg, scoring 350 points over 26 games. The Bluejay point guard is a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, scoring in double figures in 13 of the 18 BIG EAST games she appeared in. Zediker led the team in scoring in 10 games and led Creighton in assists 11 times. She also leads the Bluejays with 89 assists and is third on the squad with 126 rebounds.
Gessert also was a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this year, she is the Bluejays' second leading scorer with 321 points (12.3 ppg). Gessert is Creighton's three-point leader with 79 made treys. Prior to suffering a foot injury that has sidelined her for the last three games, Neleigh ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA in made three-pointers. She has led Creighton in scoring five times and also led the Bluejays in blocked shots in 11 contests.
A graduate transfer to Creighton this season, Boffeli has become the heart and soul of Creighton. She leads the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with 8.8 rpg and 256 overall boards. Her numbers on the glass place Grace at fifth on Creighton's single-season rebounding list. She has posted nine double-doubles for the Bluejays this season, giving her 46 in her career. Boffeli has led Creighton in rebounding in 18 games, in blocked shots 12 times and in scoring five times.
BIG EAST Tournament Tidbits
- Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton has gone 13-12 in BIG EAST Tournament games.
- The Bluejays are 0-1 all-time as the five seed, falling in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals to St. John's.
- Creighton is 0-3 against Marquette in the BIG EAST Tournament.
- The Bluejays are a combined 1-7 against St. John's and Marquette, while 12-5 against all other teams combined.
Bluejays Pull Out Thrilling Win at Xavier
Despite trailing for all except the final 14 seconds of the second half, Creighton rallied to defeat Xavier 73-71 on the final day of the regular season. The trio of Grace Boffeli, Norah Gessert and Allison Heathcock led the way. Boffeli delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds, including 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, while Gessert had a career-high 17 points. Heathcock posted 13 points, hitting three from long range. Down 71-69 with 14 seconds remaining, senior Kennedy Townsend splahed her only trey of the game to give the Bluejays the win.
Players Mentioned
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