University of Northern Iowa
Creighton
Bluejays Edge Panthers, 62-58
1/24/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2010
OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton's Chevelle Herring knocked down a three with 30 seconds remaining to give Creighton its first lead since 5-4 and help the Bluejays edge the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team 62-58 in Missouri Valley Conference action Sunday afternoon in D.J. Sokol Arena.
Herring's three erased an 18-point second-half lead by the Panthers, who were held to just 25 second-half points.
Jacqui Kalin led UNI (7-11, 3-4 MVC) with 17 points, and Katelin Oney added 15. Lizzie Boeck finished with 10 points and six rebounds for the Panthers.
Megan Neuvirth finished with 20 points for Creighton (11-6, 6-2 MVC), 15 of those scored in the second half, and she also collected 10 rebounds to record the double-double. Sam Schuett also finished with a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Herring finished with 12 points for the Jays.
The Panthers used a 13-0 run to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 17-5 lead. Kellie Nelson ended the Panther run with a free throw, but Oney answered with her second three to put the Panther lead at 14, 20-6.
Creighton chipped away, and a basket from Kelsey Crites cut the Panther advantage to 22-15 with 4:00 left in the first half. Oney and Kalin each connected from long range to stretch the Panther lead to 13, 28-15 with 2:56 to play. Megan Neuvirth and Amber Kirschbaum traded baskets to keep the difference at 13, and Kalin connected for her third three of the game with 70 seconds left to put the Panthers in front 33-17, which would go on to be the halftime score.
The Jays scored on their first two possessions of the second half to cut the Panther lead to a dozen, but Danielle Wubbens scored on the block and then knocked down a three on back-to-back trips to give UNI a 38-21 lead with 16:59 remaining.
The UNI lead stayed between 14 and 18 points until Sam Schuett converted a three-point play to cut the UNI advantage to 44-32 with 10:18 to play.
UNI put its lead back to 14, 48-34 with 8:13 to play. Creighton rattled off nine straight points over the next three minutes to cut the Panther lead to five, 48-43 with 5:24 remaining.
Kalin made the first of two free throws to put UNI's lead back at six, but Neuvirth scored on a layup to pull the Jays within four, 49-45, with 5:05 to play. Boeck and Chevelle Herring traded baskets to keep it a four-point game.
The Panther edge stayed between four and six points until Neuvirth hit a three with 1:10 on the clock to pull the Bluejays within one, 55-54. Herring drained another three on the Jays' next possession to give Creighton a 57-55 lead with 30 seconds left.
UNI came up empty-handed on its ensuing possession, and the Panthers elected to send Herring to the line. The senior connected on both free throws to extend CU's lead to four, 59-55, with 18 seconds left.
Kalin knocked down a three from the top of the key to pull the Panthers within one, 59-58, with 14 ticks remaining on the clock.
UNI sent Sam Schuett to the line, and she connected on both. The Jays stole the inbounds pass, and Neuvirth made a free throw to seal the win for the Bluejays.
The Panthers shot 20-of-45 (44.4 percent) from the floor, including 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from three-point range. The Panthers were 7-of-11 (63.6 percent) from long range in the first half, but cooled to 2-of-8 (25 percent) in the second period. UNI finished 9-of-12 (75 percent) from the free-throw line, all of them in the second half.
Creighton shot 23-of-59 (39 percent) from the floor in the contest, including 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from three-point range. Creighton shot 12-of-19 (63.2 percent) from the free-throw line.
The Panthers committed 20 turnovers in the game, 14 of them in the second half, which Creighton turned into 18 points, 17 of those in the second half. UNI turned Creighton's 20 turnovers into 21 points.
Creighton outrebounded UNI, 41-25, in the game, and the Bluejays used 19 offensive rebounds to score 13 second-chance points, nine of those in the second half. The Panthers were held without an offensive rebound in the final 20 minutes.
The Panthers return to action on Thursday when they host Illinois State.
