Jensen leads balanced attack with 17 points, No. 21 Creighton women top DePaul 75-68

Jan 6, 2024, 06:39 pm

CHICAGO -- — Lauren Jensen led all five starters in double figures with 17 points and No. 21 Creighton turned back DePaul 75-68 on Saturday.

The Bluejays, who shoot free throws at an 83.9% clip, were 8 of 12 in the last 1:21.

Morgan Maly and Emma Ronsiek both had 15 points for Creighton (11-3, 2-2 Big East Conference). Mallory Brake had 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block. She was 5-of-7 shooting for a team that shot 41%. Molly Mogensen had 10 points and nine rebounds. The Bluejays had 22 assists on 26 baskets.

Jorie Allen had a season-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Demons (9-8, 1-3). Michelle Sidor scored 13 points and Anaya Peoples had 10 points with eight rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Neither team could find the range in the fourth quarter with Creighton going 3 of 15, missing its last six shots, and DePaul 4 of 18, but hitting its last two.

Sidor hit a 3-pointer and Allen had two free throws to pull DePaul within 67-61 with 2:44 to go. But Creighton was strong enough at the foul line to close it out.

Maley was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made her free throws to start a 10-2 burst in the second quarter that gave the Bluejays a 23-12 lead.

Kate Clarke opened the second-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer to bring the Blue Demons within 26-22, but Maley and Jensen hit 3s and Mogensen had a pair to put the Creighton lead at 44-29 late in the second quarter. DePaul got the last seven points, capped by Katlyn Gilbert's late 3, to trail 44-36.

Allen had 11 of DePaul's 18 points in the third quarter but the Blue Demons only sliced one point off Creighton's lead and went into the fourth quarter down 61-54.

Creighton is home against Butler on Wednesday. DePaul plays at No. 19 Marquette on Saturday.

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