Nebraska Women Roll Past Creighton in In-State Showdown
LINCOLN, Neb. (Interstat) — The Nebraska women’s basketball team remained undefeated Wednesday night, delivering a commanding 84-50 victory over in-state rival Creighton at a raucous Pinnacle Bank Arena.
From the opening tip, the Cornhuskers established control, leveraging a stifling defense and a potent, balanced offensive attack that the Bluejays struggled to contain throughout the contest. Nebraska improved to 3-0 on the young season, while Creighton fell to 1-2.
The game was effectively decided in the first half, as Creighton’s offense faltered dramatically. The Bluejays managed just nine points in the opening quarter and a mere five in the second, entering halftime with a season-low 14 points. Nebraska, by contrast, built a comfortable 35-14 lead by the break, capitalizing on a relentless defensive effort that forced Creighton into 25 total turnovers for the game.
Nebraska converted those miscues into 23 points, a stark contrast to the five points Creighton scored off Nebraska’s 15 turnovers. The Cornhuskers’ offensive efficiency was a key differentiator; they scored 84 points on 82 possessions for an offensive rating of 103.1, while Creighton managed only 50 points on 77 possessions, an offensive rating of just 64.9.
The second half offered little respite for the visitors. Nebraska continued to pour it on, outscoring Creighton 24-17 in the third quarter and 25-19 in the fourth to seal the decisive 34-point margin.
Freshman guard Britt Prince, an Omaha native, led all scorers for Nebraska, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action. She was one of five Cornhuskers to reach double figures, highlighting the team’s distributed scoring threat. Callin Hake added 13 points and four assists, while Jessica Petrie, Claire Johnson and Petra Bozan chipped in 11, 11 and nine points, respectively.
For Creighton, Ava Zediker led the way with 14 points and five rebounds. Elizabeth Gentry posted a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, but the team’s overall shooting woes were insurmountable. The Bluejays shot a frigid 29.4 percent from the field, connecting on just 15 of 51 attempts, and were only slightly better from beyond the arc at 6 for 23.
Nebraska’s shooting was far more effective, hitting 29 of 62 from the floor for 46.8 percent and 10 of 28 from three-point range. The Cornhuskers also won the battle in the paint, outscoring Creighton 30 to 18.
The victory extends Nebraska’s strong start under third-year coach Amy Williams, following dominant wins over Northwestern State and Samford. The Cornhuskers will look to continue their momentum on the road against North Dakota State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Sunday.
Creighton, which split its first two games with a loss to South Dakota State and a win at Drake, will aim to regroup before hosting Northern Iowa next Thursday. The lopsided loss underscored the offensive challenges the Bluejays must solve as they navigate a non-conference schedule that includes upcoming games against UNLV, Saint John’s and Kansas State.
A crowd of 5,110 witnessed the rivalry game, which saw Nebraska outperform its pregame expectations as a 9.5-point favorite, while the combined score of 134 fell well under the over/under line of 143.5.