Northern Iowa Nips Creighton Women, 51-50
Omaha, Neb. -- Creighton Women's Basketball suffered a 51-50 loss to Northern Iowa on Thursday, November 20.
The loss dropped Creighton to 1-3 on the season, while UNI climbed to 1-3.
Expected to be a defensive battle, the offenses for both squads shined in the opening quarter. Each team connected on 5-of-9 from the field to start the game. At the close of the opening frame, Creighton held a 17-14 lead.
Northern Iowa delivered the first punch in the second quarter, seizing a 20-17 lead with 6:52 remaining. Creighton responded with 15-2 run to close the half with a 32-22 lead. The turning point of the quarter was a defensive play by Kiani Lockett. After a turnover set the stage for a breakaway layup by the Panthers, Lockett raced back on the defensive end to challenge the play. The result was a Northern Iowa miss. The next Creighton play was a traditional three-point play by Neleigh Gessert, igniting a 13-0 Bluejay surge.
The momentum flipped Northern Iowa's way in the third quarter. Both teams struggled in the opening three minutes, but the Panthers scored the first eight points of the stanza to bring the score to 32-30 with 4:17 remaining. Creighton responded with five straight to go back up 37-30, but the Panthers scored the final three points to send the game to the fourth with the Bluejays clinging to a 37-34 advantage.
Northern Iowa scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and led 50-45 with under a minute remaining. A running layup by Kendall McGee pulled Creighton closer, then after a Panther free throw. With 10 seconds left, Allison Heathcock drained a try to make it a one point game at 51-50.
The Bluejays forced a tie up and then a turnover with eight seconds left, but the game-winning shot glanced off the front of the rim.
Gentry led Creighton with 10 points, while Northern Iowa got 19 points from Ryley Geobel as well as 10 points from Bri Robinson.
Creighton returns to action on Wednesday, November 26 against UNLV in the Thanksgiving Tip-Off Tournament.