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 Junior
guard Kristi Cirone led the Redbirds with 17 points, five steals and
four assists. Sophomore guard Maggie Krick added 16 points, four
assists, and three steals. Sophomore forward Ashleen Bracey, center
Nicolle Lewis and freshman guard Shala Jackson each had a team-high
seven rebounds. Jackson and Bracey scored 13 and 12 points
respectively.
Creighton guard Ally Thrall scored a career-high 26 points to
lead all scorers and forward Sara Cain recorded a double-double with
15 points and 14 rebounds. Creighton outrebounded ISU, 43-35, and
had 17 rebounds on the offensive end.
“Against a quality team like Creighton, we just had too many
breakdowns,” said head coach Robin Pingeton. “We gave up way too
many offensive rebounds and in a road game against a quality team
like this, you don’t have that much room for error. We let this one
slip away and it is disappointing, but we can’t hang our heads for
too long because we have another tough game against Drake on
Sunday.”
Krick fueled the Redbird offense from the start, assisting on
ISU’s first two baskets and scoring the third herself. Down by two,
ISU went on a 17-3 run to take a double-digit lead for the first
time, 23-11, with eight minutes left in the half. Cirone started the
Redbird run with 10-straight points on two layups and two
three-pointers. Creighton had just one field goal in a span of more
than nine minutes, including an eight--minute scoreless streak.
The Bluejays snapped their dry spell from the field with
three-pointers on consecutive possessions and a layup by center
Kristina Voss pulled them within six points, 25-19. The Redbrids
maintained at least a six-point cushion until Creighton scored four
points in the final minute to cut the deficit down to 35-30 at
halftime. Sophomore forward Kenyatta Shelton scored five of ISU’s
final 12 points in the first half.
Creighton continued to pound the offensive glass to start the
second half, picking up three offensive boards in one possession
that ended with a jumper by Thrall that cut the ISU lead to 37-34.
The Redbirds used two jumpers by Krick and four-straight free throws
to build a nine-point lead, 47-38, at the 13:49 mark.
Creighton came right back with a 10-0 run to take the lead,
48-47, with 9:20 remaining. Thrall scored six points during the
Bluejay run, including a free throw after Pingeton was called for
her first technical foul of the season.
The Creighton lead did not last long as Cirone converted a
three-point play as she was fouled on a driving layup that not only
snapped a Redbird scoring drought of 4:48, but also started a string
of eight-straight points in just over a minute to put ISU back on
top, 55-48.
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ISU held Creighton without a field goal for nearly four minutes,
but the Bluejays kept pace with four free throws during that
stretch. Creighton turned consecutive Redbird turnovers into field
goals and was down by only three points, 59-56, with just under five
minutes left in the game.
Bracey connected on two layups to extend the Redbird lead to
seven points, 65-58, but Creighton guard Kelsey Woodward answered
with two-consecutive buckets of her own to keep the Bluejays within
three points. After a Creighton timeout, Thrall missed a
three-pointer from the corner, but came down with the offensive
rebound to keep the possession alive. She found the ball a few
seconds later and made the triple this time to tie the game, 65-65,
with one minute on the clock.
Lewis missed a jumper on the ensuing ISU possession and Woodward
corralled the rebound and started the fastbreak for Creighton. As
she crossed half court, Cirone took the ball from her and coasted
for a layup that put the Redbirds on top by two. After timeouts by
Illinois State and Creighton, Thrall missed a driving layup, but
forward Megan Neuvirth tipped the ball in to tie the score again
with seven seconds left. Krick attempted a last-second
three-pointer, but it was partially blocked.
The lead changed hands three times in the first two minutes of
overtime and a free throw by Jackson tied the score, 72-72, with
2:57 remaining. After a jumper by forward Sara Cain kept the
Bluejays ahead, Jackson drove the lane and made a layup as she was
fouled. She netted the free throw to give ISU a 75-74 edge just
under the two minute mark.
The two teams each made a pair of free throws and the ISU lead
stayed at one point into the final minute. After a Redbird turnover,
Cain grabbed the 17th offensive rebound for the Bluejays and made
the game-winning layup to give them a one-point lead, 78-77. On the
ensuing Redbird possession, Thrall intercepted a pass by Bracey and
was fouled immediately. She made both free throws to put Creighton
on top by three. Cirone put a last-second three-pointer from just
inside half court, but it sailed wide.
Illinois State continues its Wildcard Weekend road trip at Drake
on Sunday, March 2, at 2:30 p.m. The game can be seen live on FSN
Midwest.
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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