OMAHA, Neb. — In a thrilling contest for the top spot in the Big East Conference, the No. 6 UConn Huskies triumphed over Creighton with a final score of 72-61 on Saturday. Sarah Strong shone brightly, recording her fifth double-double of the season with a stellar performance of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers made a significant impact, scoring 19 of her total 22 points during the second half. This victory marked UConn’s ninth consecutive win and their 30th straight triumph in regular-season play within the Big East conference.
The Huskies improved their season record to 19-2 overall and maintained a perfect 10-0 in conference play. Conversely, the Bluejays, now at 16-4 and 8-1 in the Big East, experienced their first loss in eight games. Strong was particularly impactful in the first half, scoring 16 points and sinking all eight of her free throw attempts, alongside contributing five steals and four blocks to her team’s success.
On the other side, Creighton’s effort was led by Morgan Maly and Molly Mogensen, who each notched 14 points, while Brooke Littrell added another 12. Originally scheduled to take place in the Bluejays’ smaller on-campus gym, the game was relocated to the larger CHI Health Center, which boasts an 18,000-seat capacity. The event attracted a record attendance of 11,141 fans for the school.
In terms of performance insights, UConn struggled with shooting, finishing the game with a season-low of 40% from the field. They found it challenging to get Bueckers into the rhythm early on, but Strong kept them competitive until Bueckers found her footing in the second half. Creighton, on the other hand, initially succeeded in disrupting UConn’s offensive flow but became sloppy as the first half progressed, leading to costly turnovers. Interestingly, the Bluejays have yet to secure a win against UConn in their ten encounters.
A critical moment that shifted the game occurred midway through the second quarter when UConn capitalized on back-to-back turnovers forced by Kaitlyn Chen and Strong. Their steals resulted in uncontested layups during a decisive 15-2 run, allowing the Huskies to lead 33-19 by halftime.
An important statistic to note is that although the Bluejays were ranked sixth nationally for their average of just 11 turnovers per game, they committed 12 turnovers in the first half alone and concluded the game with 18. UConn took full advantage of these mistakes, turning them into 17 points.
Looking ahead, UConn is set to face DePaul on Wednesday, while Creighton will visit Georgetown on the same night.
