• Box Score: Evansville 48, Creighton 45

* * *

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A late run by Evansville and cold shooting by the Creighton women sunk the Bluejays 48-45 on Thursday.

Creighton didn't make a field goal in the final 3:40 as the Purple Aces finished on a 9-2 run to win the contest, which started at 11 a.m. and drew nearly 3,000 as part of a promotion for local schoolchildren.

Sophomore Sarah Nelson led the Jays with a career-high 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. She went 9 of 16 from the field while the rest of the team was a combined 9 of 43.

Nelson's double-double was her second straight and her team-leading eighth of the season.

Creighton (12-11, 6-6 Missouri Valley) shot 30.5 percent. Meanwhile, last-place Evansville (5-18, 2-10) shot 44 percent in the second half, getting the go-ahead shot from Meagan Collins with 1:32 left.

The Bluejays led 43-38 after Nelson drained a pair of free throws with 5:57 to play, but could only muster one field goal in the final seven minutes. The Jays still had the lead with less than two minutes to play when Collins drained a 3-pointer from the far corner to give the Aces a 47-45 lead.

A traveling violation was whistled against Nelson on CU's next possession. After an Evansville turnover gave the ball back to the Jays, Carli Tritz's shot with 23 seconds left was blocked by Briyana Blair.

Ally Jensen then beat her defender off the dribble and had an open look at the basket, but missed a layup with 9 seconds left. Evansville made 1 of 2 free throws with 6.5 seconds left, and then Tritz's 3-pointers at the buzzer was no good.

Creighton will look to bounce back from its first loss in Evansville since 2008 when it travels to Southern Illinois on Saturday.

« Sports - Bluejays Today

Share