Queens, N.Y. -- Leaning on their defense the Creighton women's basketball team held the Red Storm to just 24.1% from the field as the Bluejays defeated St. John's 55-43 on Friday, Jan. 20.
The win lifted the Bluejays to 13-5 on the season and 7-1 in the BIG EAST, while St. John's fell to 12-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
Creighton frustrated St. John's from very early in the contest. Down 5-2 just 65 seconds in the game, the Bluejays held St. John's scoreless for just under seven minutes to bounce out to a 12-5 advantage. Creighton forced the Red Storm into five turnovers and held them 0-for-7 from the field in that stretch. St. John's closed the quarter with buckets on its final two possessions, but the Bluejays led 14-9 at the end of the period.
The beginning of the second period brought a Red Storm run as St. John's opened the period with six straight to take a 15-14 lead. The tandem of junior Kylie Brown and freshman Jaylyn Agnew got the Bluejay offense back on track as Agnew found Brown for a 12-foot jumper to put the Bluejays back in front. Moments later Brown grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked to Agnew for a three-pointer from the top of the key to make it 21-15 (4:39). The momentum swing sent Creighton on a 14-0 run as the Bluejays pushed their lead to 28-15 (1:56) on a trifecta from sophomore Audrey Faber. St. John's, however, closed the half with another spurt to send the teams to the locker rooms with the Bluejays up 28-19.
Creighton's lead hovered near double-digits for much of the third, but the Red Storm closed strong once more, scoring the last four of the frame to make it 38-32 heading to the fourth.
The Red Storm run continued with a bucket to open the fourth as St. John's climbed within four at 38-34 (8:39). Senior Marissa Janning responded to the challenge with a crucial driving layup. Moments later Faber hit the first of two free throws and senior Brianna Rollerson grabbed the rebound on the second attempt, then kicked to senior Lauren Works for a deep trey to make it 44-34 (7:25). The Red Storm did not get within seven the rest of the way.
"We have a veteran team and that leadership showed tonight," head coach Jim Flanery said. "Offensively we don't rely on one or two players, we have a number of weapons on the floor and I like the way we are defending. We're making teams take shots we want them to take."
Works led the Bluejays with 12 points, while Faber finished with 10. Junior Sydney Lamberty was the unsung hero for Creighton, finishing with 10 rebounds and four assists.
"I think Sydney has a really good mindset against St. John's defensively and that helps her relax and play on offense." added Flanery on Lamberty's performance.
The Bluejays wrap up the first round of BIG EAST action at Seton Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 10:00 am (CT).
Courtesy of Creighton Athletics
