Feb. 19, 2011
Box Score
Post-Game Interview
OMAHA, Neb. -
Illinois State (17-8, 9-5 MVC) suffered through its worst offensive performance of the season, falling at Creighton (18-8, 12-3 MVC), 71-44, Saturday afternoon. ISU kept its sole possession of third place in the Valley, but fell two games behind second-place Creighton in the loss column.
Illinois State had season-lows in points (44), field goals (13) and field goal percentage (.260) in its worst loss of the season. Katie Broadway was the only Redbirds to score in double-figures, netting 13 in her first start in five games. Emily Hanley had eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
The loss dropped Illinois State to 5-8 on the road this season and 2-18 all-time at Creighton.
"I've never quite seen a team play as well as we did for seven games and then drop off like we have in the last two games. We came into this weekend leading the conference in field goal percentage and really struggled shooting the ball. We need to take these two games, put them behind us and focus on the last four games of the regular season. We know how well we can play, we were just at that level last week, and we need to figure out a way to get back there."
Illinois State had steals on three of the first four Creighton possessions to take a 6-3 lead early, but the Bluejays answered with nine-straight points to double up the Redbirds, 12-6, with 15:46 remaining. Creighton started the game 6-for-6 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. When the Jays eventually did miss a shot, Sarah Nelson grabbed the offensive rebound and Kelsey Woodard knocked down a deep three. Sam Schuett followed with another three to double up the score again, 22-11, at the 12:43 mark.
Creighton's hot shooting continued as their lead swelled to 30-14 four minutes later, capping a 16-3 run. At that point, the Jays were 11-for-15 from the field and had made five three-pointers.
Creighton led 40-23 at halftime, shooting 62.5 percent from the field. Woodard had 11 points, knocking down all three of her three-pointers, along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Illinois State scored only nine points in the final 12 minutes of the half, shooting 3-for-14 during that span. Broadway and Hanley combined for 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting; while the other seven Redbirds had just five points on 2-of-13 shooting.
Creighton used an 11-2 run over a five-minute span in the second half to build a 25-point lead. Jordan Garrison made two three-pointers from the left wing as the shot clock was expiring to push the lead past 30, 68-36. The 32-point deficit was the largest the Redbirds had faced all season.
Illinois State's offensive woes became worse in the second half. In the first 17 minutes, the Redbirds made just two shots in 22 attempts. ISU finished the second half with a field goal percentage of 16 percent (4-25). The Redbirds did make 13 free throws in the second half.
Illinois State returns home Thursday to host Evansville at 7:35 p.m.
