Creighton women’s basketball won its fourth straight game on Sunday, decisively beating Northern Iowa 115-62.
The Bluejays’ 115 points tied for the second-most ever in program history, and it was the first ever triple-digit Creighton showing in D.J. Sokol Arena.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Creighton’s Offense Couldn’t be Stopped
Creighton’s worst quarter from an offensive standpoint was the second, when the Bluejays scored a mere 25 points on 55.6% shooting.
Every other period surpassed those marks. It was an outstanding display of scoring from Creighton on Sunday, as it hit 20 of its 33 attempts from beyond the arc and shot 63.2% for the game. Northern Iowa didn’t have much of an answer at any point in the contest.
It was a balanced showing, too. Emma Ronsiek led the team with 25 points, but four other players finished with double-digit points and all 10 Bluejays to see the floor scored at least seven. That included 51 total bench points, with second-year players Kiani Lockett and Brittany Harshaw each putting up a career-high 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
Along with the shots simply falling at a higher rate than usual, Creighton created opportunities through defense and ball movement. The Bluejays scored 20 points off 15 Northern Iowa turnovers, and 29 of their 43 made shots were assisted. Eight players had multiple assists with senior guard Molly Mogensen’s seven leading the way.
Just two players shot under 50% from the field for Creighton. That’s going to be difficult to overcome for any opponent.
Ronsiek’s First Quarter Highlights Strong Performance
The bulk of Ronsiek’s 25 points came in the opening quarter. She set the tone early, hitting a 3 just 13 seconds into the game and knocking down another a few possessions later.
The senior forward nearly outscored the Panthers in the first quarter, putting up 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting while Northern Iowa mustered just 15 points. Even as her scoring slowed down, she worked her way to season-best marks in points and shooting percentage.
Ronsiek (16.4 points per game), Lauren Jensen (18.1) and Morgan Maly (16.3) have each had stellar moments so far this year, as may be expected from this team’s big three.
Road Trip Upcoming
Creighton’s next three games will be on the road against respectable opponents.
The Bluejays don’t play for another week, but will then go to play Wyoming. The Cowgirls are 4-3 and enter as the worse team, but fell to quality foes and have a win over a good BYU team.
After that, they’ll open Big East play against undefeated Marquette. The Golden Eagles are ranked in the top 25, building up a strong résumé with wins over teams like Illinois and Arkansas. Finishing out the road stretch is a game against Drake, which challenged Creighton in Omaha last season.
Including Sunday’s game, the Bluejays have put together a strong season so far against a nonconference schedule with few letups. The rest of December will bring further challenges, and Creighton will look to keep clicking as conference play nears.
