Creighton women snap ISU's 15 game win streak

Megan Neuvirth led the Creighton women’s basketball team with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 60-57 win over Illinois State Thursday night at D.J. Sokol Arena. The win snapped ISU’s 15-game winning streak and gave the Jays the season sweep over the Redbirds. 
Creighton is the only MVC team to defeat the regular-season champions his season, as the Redbirds fell to 15-2 in Valley play, 22-6 overall in defeat. The Jays moved to 17-9 overall and remain tied for second in The Valley at 12-5.
The Bluejays won despite missing their first eight field goal attempts and making 1-of-14 from the field to start the game. Still, Creighton led by as many as six during the first half and took a 23-19 lead into halftime, despite shooting only 17.1 percent from the field (6-35). ISU was just 7-of-29 (.241) and 0-for-6 from three-point range in the first half. CU out-rebounded ISU 28-26 in the first half and converted nine Redbird turnovers into 12 points.
ISU came out of halftime aggressive, grabbing the first six rebounds of the half, while regaining a four-point lead just over four minutes into the stanza, up 29-25 after a pair of Nicolle Lewis free-throws.
Creighton answered with a 14-0 run and would never trail again. Kelsey Woodard started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play and the Jays hit 5-of-7 shots during the run, including three-pointers from Neuvirth, Woodard and Sam Schuett. Woodard’s trey with 13:42 to play put the Jays up 39-29.
ISU pulled within four, before the Jays pushed to their largest lead of the game, up 54-43 with 4:54 left. The Redbirds responded with a 10-0 run to bring the score to 54-53 with 37 seconds left. Neuvirth would secure the win by going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 35 seconds. The Jays avoided disaster when they turned the ball over with six seconds to play, allowing ISU a chance to tie the game, but Katie Broadway’s desperation three-point attempt was no good at the buzzer.
Story courtesy of Creighton Athletics.