Bluejay Women’s Basketball Looks for Record Crowd Against #6 Connecticut at CHI Health Center

Omaha, Neb. — Expecting a record crowd on hand for a doubleheader Pink Game, Creighton Women’s Basketball takes on #6 Connecticut in a nationally televised game on FOX. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m.
 

Series with Connecticut: Creighton Trails 9-0

Home: 0-4 Away: 0-4 Neutral: 0-0
The Bluejays have faced the Huskies eight times, coming within one bucket of their first win last season.

Series Game-by-Game

Date    Opponent    Score

11/23/14    at #1 Connecticut    L, 60-96

12/17/20    at #3 Connecticut    L, 47-80

2/25/21    vs. #1 Connecticut    L, 49-81

1/9/22    at #3 Connecticut    L, 55-63

2/2/22    vs. #10 Connecticut    L, 56-76

12/28/22    vs. #8 Connecticut    L, 56-76

2/15/23    at #6 Connecticut    L, 60-62

1/3/24    vs. #12 Connecticut    L, 50-94

2/19/24    at #15 Connecticut    L, 53-73

About Connecticut

• Located in Storrs, Connecticut.
• Connecticut went 33-6 last season, reaching the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies defeated Jackson State, #22 Syracuse, #17 Duke and #3 USC, then fell to #2 Iowa.
• The Huskies have claimed 11 National Championships, the last coming at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.
• Head coach Geno Auriemma began his 40th season as the helm for the Huskies. Auriemma entered the season with a 1,213-162 record.

Scouting #6 Connecticut (18-2, 9-0 BIG EAST)
Connecticut comes to Omaha on an eight-game win streak, with the last loss coming against #7 USC (72-70) on Dec. 21. The Huskies only other loss of the season came at #8 Notre Dame (79-68) on Dec. 12.

Over their last two games the Huskies have been tremendous with a 96-36 win over Seton Hall (Jan. 19) and a 100-57 victory over Villanova (Jan. 22).

Connecticut is led on offense by the trio of Paige Bueckers (19.4 ppg), Sarah Strong (17.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg) as well as Azzi Fudd (11.3 ppg). As a team the Huskies are shooting 51.8% from the field and average better than 80 points per game.

Defensively UConn is holding opponents to 50.9 ppg, forcing teams to shoot just 34.9% from the field.



Scouting Creighton (16-3, 8-0 BIG EAST)

Winning 15 of their last 16 games, the Bluejays’ have dominated, the only exception to a perfect 16-game record came in the Bluejays’ loss to #1 UCLA on the road.

Bringing the firepower to the Creighton offense are Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen. The two veterans consistently deliver double digit point performances to bolster the Bluejay offense, with Maly averaging 17.9 points per game and Jensen following just behind with 17.7 points per game.

Preparing to face the Connecticut Huskies for the 10th time since 2014, the Bluejays enter the matchup with a seven-game win streak and perfect record in conference play. Though the Bluejays have yet to take down the Huskies at D.J Sokol arena in the last 10 years, this season Creighton holds a perfect 6-0 record on their home floor.

Creighton Continues to Raise Funds for the Hope Lodge

The annual Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out, presented by Methodist and CHI Health, will take place on January 25th, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. For the first time, Creighton will host both Pink Outs on the same day as part of a doubleheader that will see the men’s basketball team face Seton Hall at 12:30 p.m., followed by the women’s basketball team hosting Connecticut at 4:30 p.m. Both games will take place at CHI Health Center Omaha.

Bluejay players will wear pink shooting shirts and pink-accented jerseys for each game. Those shirts were auctioned off earlier this month with all funds raised go to benefit Hope Lodge Omaha.

The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it’s a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need.

The annual Creighton University Pink Out athletic events have combined to nearly $1,000,000 to benefit the Hope Lodge facility here in Omaha and the guests it serves, with over $468,000 of that coming from the jersey auctions.



Maly Approaching Bluejays’ Three-Point Record

The anticipated matchup with the Connecticut Huskies could hold more implications for Morgan Maly and the Bluejays than just another crucial win in competitive BIG EAST Play. Veteran sharpshooter Maly sits just three triples away from tying the record for most three-point field goals made.

As it stands, Kathy Halligan holds the title, with 309 three-point field goals made in her time as a Bluejay from 1988-92. Ahead of the contest with the Huskies, Maly currently boasts 306 made triples, needing three more to tie and four to pass Halligan.

Also of note, veteran guard Lauren Jensen sits in as fifth, with 266 made three-pointers since coming to Creighton in 2021.

Treys Are Automatic For Maly Senior Morgan Maly has a streak of games with at least one three pointer is 39 straight games, dating back to Dec. 30, 2023 when she went 0-for-5 against St. John’s. In her 136 games Morgan has hit at least one three-ball in 127 games.



Record Crowd Expected Against Huskies

Playing in the CHI Health Center for just the fourth time in program history, the Creighton Ticket Office is projecting Creighton’s attendance record will be broken. All-time the Bluejays are 1-2 in the CHI, falling to Drake and Kansas while posting a win over Georgetown.

WBB Games at CHI Health Center

Date    Result    Attendance

2/27/09    L, 51-44 vs. Drake    3,483

12/22/10     L, 64-58 vs. Kansas    1,789

12/3/21    W, 64-38 vs. Georgetown    416

Top-10 Home Attendance

    1.     4,439     vs. Auburn (3/31/03 – WNIT Semifinal)

    2.    4,180     vs. UNLV (3/30/04 – WNIT Championship)

    3.    4,058     vs. Omaha (1/17/83)

    4.    3,618     vs. Nebraska (12/1/02)

    5.     3,502     vs. Long Beach State (3/18/92 – NCAA Tournament)

    6.    3,483     vs. Drake (2/27/09 – CHI Health Center Omaha)

    7.    3,386     vs. Drake (1/31/04)

    8.    3,123     vs. Wichita State (2/9/03)

    9.    3,118     vs. No. 5 Iowa State (11/27/01)

    10. 3,011     vs. No. 23 Missouri State (2/15/04)

Bluejays Have Protected Their Nest

Creighton Women’s Basketball is 8-0 in the BIG EAST & hosts a UConn team that is 9-0 in the BIG EAST.

In the last 25 years, it’s just the 3rd time two teams that were 8-0 or better in BIG EAST play faced each other.

On Feb. 5, 2011, a 9-0 UConn team beat an 8-0 DePaul team, 89-66.

On Feb. 7, 2006, a 9-0 Rutgers team beat a 10-0 UConn team, 60-56.

There’s NEVER been 2 BIG EAST MBB teams that were 8-0 or better in league play to face off, and only one 7-0 vs 7-0 meeting (1/23/95; UConn-SYR).