Creighton entered its matchup against St. John’s riding a five-game winning streak, knowing a victory would secure a top two seed in the BIG EAST tournament and continue its best start in conference play (14-1) since joining the league. But the Red Storm didn’t allow the Bluejays any smooth flying.
St. John’s set the tone early, applying defensive pressure that disrupted Creighton’s offensive rhythm. The Red Storm took a narrow first-quarter lead, shooting 57% from the field, while Creighton’s own defensive efforts kept the game within reach at 15-14. Morgan Maly, who was honored pregame for becoming the program’s all-time three-point leader, led the way for the Bluejays with 20 points, keeping Creighton within striking distance despite the offensive struggles early on.
A sluggish offensive stretch in the second quarter saw Creighton go over three minutes without a field goal, allowing St. John’s to build a six-point lead. Kiani Lockett’s steal and fast-break layup broke the drought, and a three-pointer from Lauren Jensen out of the media timeout brought the Jays within one. The teams then traded baskets at an incredible pace—hitting a combined 13 straight shots—before a turnover by Jensen allowed Lashae Dwyer to score before the buzzer, sending Creighton into halftime trailing 33-32.
“I didn’t realize it was 13 straight shots, but, you know, good offense—that’s going to happen,” Jensen said. “I think youkind of just keep playing within the flow of the game. They definitely responded whenever we responded. So we knew there were some things that we had to change defensively going into the half, and we were able to learn from that, and I think we adjusted.”
The adjustments, however, didn’t come easily. A quick three from Molly Mogensen to start the third was immediately answered by Dwyer, and Creighton struggled to close the quarter strong, suffering a scoring drought in the final 2.5 minutes. The Red Storm capitalized, building a five-point lead heading into the final quarter.
Needing a spark, the Bluejays found one through Jensen. Fouled on a layup, she converted a three-point play to bring Creighton within one. Moments later, Lockett’s layup gave the Jays their first lead since early in the second quarter.
“I think it was really just our defense,” Jensen said. “We made good plays on offense down the stretch, which we’re obviously going to need to. We got down five or six, but when it counted, we came up big, and we really locked in on defense and got some stops.”
Morgan Maly, who was honored pregame for becoming the program’s all-time three-point leader, led the way for the Bluejays with 20 points, keeping Creighton within striking distance despite the offensive struggles early on.Maly drilled a three-pointer to give Creighton its largest lead of the night, but St. John’s quickly responded with a three of its own. The teams continued trading buckets, but Jensen’s pressure on defense forced a crucial turnover that shifted momentum in Creighton’s favor.
“They made some tough shots, and their offense was good tonight, but I think we just got a little bit tougher and more gritty,” Jensen said. “I think we did progressively as the game went on. You know, the first quarter wasn’t the best, but we really locked in for the fourth quarter and did what we needed to do to get the win.”
Jensen made history in the final quarter, tying Marissa Janning for fifth place on Creighton’s all-time scoring list. But it was her late-game execution that sealed the win. With the Jays clinging to a one-point lead and just under three minutes remaining, Jensen drove to the basket for a layup, extending Creighton’s lead to three. She then came up with a key steal, forcing St. John’s to foul in a desperate attempt to extend the game.
“St. John’s really came out to play,” head coach Jim Flannery said. “They made us compete, and we needed it, I think. I would have liked to have a little bit more level of comfort down the stretch, but I think it was good that we had to make plays and execute and play really tight the last couple minutes because you’re going to have those situations, and we haven’t had that many of them this year.”
Despite a few tense moments—missed free throws by Lockett and a quick layup by St. John’s—Creighton held firm. Horan hit two free throws to push the lead to five, and with fouls to give, the Jays strategically disrupted St. John’s final possessions. When the final buzzer sounded, Creighton had secured its 15th conference win, proving its ability to close out a tightly contested game.
“I think emotionally we stayed steady and stayed throughout, especially that fourth quarter,” Maly said. “I mean, I feel like our defense picked up that fourth quarter, but they still made tough shots. But we didn’t let that affect the next two or three possessions.”
With this win, the Bluejays showed they could weather adversity, something that will be crucial as they look ahead to finishing the season strong and further to the conference tournament.