Creighton Defeats Villanova, Maly and Jensen Hit 2,000 Points

OMAHA, Neb. — In an impressive display, seniors Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen combined for 40 points, each surpassing 2,000 career points, as No. 22 Creighton claimed a 70-55 victory over Villanova on Sunday night, concluding the Big East Conference regular season.
Creighton, securing the No. 2 seed, now advances directly to Saturday’s quarterfinals. They await the outcome of Friday’s match between No. 7 seed Providence and 10th-seeded Georgetown. Meanwhile, Villanova, holding the No. 5 seed, is set to confront No. 4 seed Marquette on Saturday’s quarterfinals. The event is to be hosted by regular-season champion Connecticut.
Maly, who required 15 points to reach her personal milestone, achieved it by scoring 23 points for the Bluejays (24-5, 16-2), equaling the team record for conference victories. Her notable performance also included 10 rebounds, marking her fourth double-double of the season, alongside two successful 3-pointers, extending her school record to 324. Jensen, needing merely six points, concluded the game with 17, supplemented by six assists. Molly Mogensen impressively contributed with a career-high 11 rebounds and added seven points.
On Villanova’s end, freshman Jasmine Bascoe stood out, recording a season-high 27 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including four 3-pointers, although she narrowly missed a double-double by one rebound. Teammate Maddie Webber added 14 points to the tally.
The Wildcats initially struggled, missing eight consecutive shots and enduring a scoring drought exceeding five minutes, yet inevitably leading 12-11 after the first quarter.
A 3-pointer by Mogensen ignited a crucial 7-0 run closing the first half, allowing Creighton the edge with a 31-25 lead. Dominating the third quarter, the Bluejays remained ahead, fending off Villanova’s attempt to close the gap to 47-41 at the onset of the fourth quarter following Bascoe’s three-point play.
In response, Jensen and Maly swiftly executed successive baskets, followed by consecutive 3-pointers from Jayme Horan and Maly, pushing the Bluejays to a commanding 57-41 lead in just over two minutes into the fourth, securing their triumph.