The UConn Huskies showed up at CHI Health Center in Omaha for a critical game against Creighton. Both teams were vying for the top position in the Big East and were both undefeated. The game was moved from the Creighton campus to accommodate a much larger crowd.
For two teams, both highly ranked in shooting and three-point shots, neither team did well. Neither Paige Bueckers for UConn nor Morgan Maly and Molly Mogensen got off to good starts. It wasn’t for lack of trying either. Shots were just not falling for the teams. Creighton’s defense kept Bueckers from scoring in the first quarter coupled with too many missed shots.
UConn was able to turn Creighton over and scored 17 points off of 18 turnovers. Creighton scored four points off of 6 UConn turnovers. Creighton’s shooting percentage was slightly higher but UConn took 23 more shots. UConn’s 40% shooting was their lowest of the season.
There were bright spots, however. Sarah Strong led the Huskies with 26 points and 12 boards, playing 36 minutes. Bueckers, who only scored 2 points in the first half, found her stride in the second and scored a total of 22 points including three from deep. Maly and Mogensen ended with 14 points each, with Lauren Jensen adding 11 and Brooke Littrell scoring 12.
UConn Found Momentum Late Versus Creighton
It was late in the second quarter when UConn started to gain some composure, which then carried over into the second half. UConn was up by 20 points early in the fourth quarter, but Creighton managed to claw their way back but never got closer than 10 points, and ended the game with a score of 72 – 61 in UConn’s favor.
HUSKIES WIN@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/svcDAIAkc5
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 26, 2025
There is no doubt that Creighton is an excellent team with excellent shooters and a tight defense. So is UConn, and their ability to frustrate the Bluejays in the second half proved that. Each team had their problems, and in this matchup, UConn came out on top. Every team goes through rough patches. Consider the LSU/South Carolina matchup the night before. While both teams are talented, South Carolina had a little more in them to get the win.
The same was true for UConn. Both defenses did their job, even if sometimes sporadically. But every time Creighton got close, UConn stepped up. The major difference between this game and the other game mentioned was that neither Creighton nor UConn played with any visible distractions. They simply had sub-par shooting nights. But the focus was there from the start, even if the points were not. Perhaps this game was a lesson in tenacity. Unfortunately, tenacity doesn’t often win games.
Up next for Creighton, they head to Washington, D.C. for a match with Georgetown on Wednesday. UConn heads to Chicago for a game against DePaul, also on Wednesday.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
