OMAHA, Neb. — In a thrilling showdown, Lauren Jensen shone brightly for Creighton, scoring 31 points, 11 of which came in a high-pressure fourth quarter. Morgan Maly contributed significantly as well, tallying 18 points, with both players sinking four of the Bluejays’ 13 three-pointers, leading the team to an 80-74 victory against the 21st-ranked Nebraska on Friday.

With this win, Creighton improved to a 2-2 record and has now claimed victory in eight of their last nine encounters with Nebraska.

Nebraska, entering the game with a record of 5-1, faced a significant setback as they were without Natalie Potts, last season’s Big Ten freshman of the year, due to a season-ending ACL injury sustained earlier in the week during a match against North Alabama.

In a pivotal moment of the game, Mallory Brake hit her first three-pointer of the season with just under three minutes remaining, putting the Bluejays ahead 69-66. Molly Mogensen quickly followed by nailing her fourth three-pointer of the half, which extended Creighton’s lead to six points. Jensen then contributed to Creighton’s momentum with a three of her own, amplifying the lead to 74-66.

Despite the pressure, Nebraska had an opportunity to narrow the gap to three points in the final minute when Britt Prince was fouled while scoring. However, the freshman missed the ensuing free throw, leaving the score at 74-70. Jensen further secured the victory with two successful free throws shortly after.

Mogensen was a key player as well, scoring all 12 of her points in the decisive fourth quarter, while Brake contributed 11 points to the Bluejays’ win.

On the Nebraska side, Alexis Markowski was formidable, scoring 26 points, with Prince adding 20 points of her own.

During the first half, Jensen and Maly were instrumental for Creighton, with Jensen scoring 12 points and Maly adding 11, although the Bluejays found themselves trailing slightly at 37-35 at the break. Together, they combined for three of the five three-pointers Creighton made in the first half.

Next up for Creighton is a matchup against Wichita State in Niceville, Florida, as part of the Emerald Coast Classic on Monday. Meanwhile, Nebraska is set to face Kansas City on Tuesday.