The Creighton Bluejays fought until the final moments, but their season ended in Austin, Texas, with a 66-57 loss to Illinois in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. Despite multiple comeback attempts, Creighton struggled to find an offensive rhythm against a locked-in Illinois defense.
“Congrats to Illinois,” said Head Coach Jim Flanery. “They played really well.Defensively, they took us out of a lot of what we wanted to do. They got off to a good start. We played from behind pretty much the whole game. I think that was tough, and it seemed like every time we got back within three or four or five, they made a big play or two to push it back up to eight.”
The early deficit proved costly. Creighton shot just 22.2% in the first quarter, struggling to convert open looks while Illinois built an 18-10 lead. The Bluejays’ usual three-point shooting—one of their biggest weapons all season—was stifled.
“I mean, Illinois is just a solid defensive team,” said senior Lauren Jensen. “They’re not necessarily going to get up and pressure you and get in your face, even though we did have more turnovers than we probably would have liked to, but they’re just solid. I thought they did a good job of getting through screens and showing that effort and kind of bothering us, especially early.”
Jensen, who finished with 17 points, was held to 0-for-6 from three, a testament to Illinois’ defensive discipline. The Illini held Creighton to 6-of-22 (27.3%) from beyond the arc, a critical factor in the outcome.
Even when the Bluejays settled in, finishing the second quarter shooting 53.8%, Illinois continued to make timely plays. Genesis Bryant (17 points) and Adalia McKenzie (14 points) carried the offensive load for the Illini, while Kendall Bostic controlled the glass with 17 rebounds—an NCAA Tournament record for Illinois.
One of Illinois’ key defenders was McKenzie, who disrupted both Jensen and Morgan Maly throughout the game.”McKenzie does a really good job. She guarded Lauren in their big lineup and then she’d guard Morgan in their small lineup,” Flanery added. “I thought she really knocked Morgan out of the post.”
Maly, Creighton’s leading scorer this season, finished with 14 points on 7-of-18 shooting, but struggled to get comfortable with the pressure.
Despite Creighton making it a two-point game early in the third quarter following a fadeaway jumper from Maly (35-33 Illinois), Illinois had an answer. Back-to-back threes from Brynn Shoup-Hill pushed the lead back to eight, and Creighton never fully recovered.
The Bluejays entered the fourth quarter trailing 47-41.
“In the second half, like Lauren said, we had too many turnovers,” Flanery said. “We only had four in the first half. I don’t know what we finished with, but we had some costly turnovers in the second half that really, I thought, stifled our momentum. Every time we’d make three or four, they’d either make a hustle play or knock a shot down or got a turnover.”
Creighton finished the game with eight turnovers, and while that number isn’t astronomical, it was when they happened that hurt most. A late putback by Maly brought the game within four with under four minutes remaining, but Illinois once again had a response—this time, Bostic finishing a layup off a slip pass.
Down 60-54 with under two minutes left, Creighton was forced to foul. Bryant iced the game at the free-throw line, sinking six late free throws to secure the win for Illinois.
Despite the disappointment of the loss, Flanery made sure to emphasize just how much this senior class has meant to Creighton.
“I told them, when you walk in the locker room after a night like tonight, it’s the hardest speech you make to your players. I just told them I’m proud of them, I love them, I’m thankful that they came and I’m thankful that they stayed because this group didn’t have to do that,” he said.
The group of Mallory Brake, Jayme Horan, Lauren Jensen, Molly Mogensen, and Morgan Maly leaves behind a different program from where they started.
“In this day, you talk about two 2000-point scorers, and they stayed at Creighton for their fourth year, fifth year, so really grateful to them,” Flanery added. “This right now sucks, but when they have a little bit of time and they’re able to zoom out, they’ll be really proud of what they accomplished.”
From a 10-12 record during the COVID-19 season to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2022, this senior class redefined what Creighton women’s basketball could be.
“What this group is going to have is down the line going to be, I think, much greater than what a lot of people in their position are going to take with them,” Flanery said.
While the scoreboard didn’t go Creighton’s way, the legacy of this group will be felt for years to come.