Top-seeded Connecticut defeated Creighton 100-51 in the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The matchup was a repeat of last year’s tournament final.
Connecticut, now 33-0 for the season, will play for its sixth consecutive BIG EAST Tournament title on Monday night against either Seton Hall or Villanova.
The Huskies started strong, scoring the first seven points and building a 27-4 lead after making 11 of their first 13 shots. By the end of the first quarter, UConn led 29-9. KK Arnold and Sarah Strong each scored nine points in that period. Creighton struggled early, shooting just 3-for-10 and committing nine turnovers that resulted in 15 points for UConn.
Creighton managed a brief run to cut the deficit to 31-17, but UConn responded with a 15-0 stretch over four minutes to regain control. At halftime, Connecticut led 57-22 after shooting nearly 65 percent from the field and making eight out of ten three-point attempts. Strong had 17 points by halftime along with six steals, four rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Arnold was perfect from the field in the first half with seven made shots and totaled 15 points at intermission.
UConn extended its lead further in the third quarter as eight different players scored. The Huskies maintained their advantage throughout the fourth quarter.
Morgan Maly Townsend led Creighton with 13 points despite an ankle injury during the game. Grace Boffeli had seven rebounds while Allison Heathcock contributed four assists for Creighton. The Bluejays shot just over 33 percent from the field and made nine out of thirty-three three-point attempts.
Sarah Strong finished with game highs: 23 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and three blocks in only twenty-five minutes played. KK Arnold added eighteen points on eight-of-nine shooting in fifteen minutes on court. Overall, UConn shot over fifty-seven percent for the game and outrebounded Creighton by eighteen boards (43-25). The Huskies also held a significant edge in fast break points (23-2).
UConn’s one hundred points set a program record for most scored in a BIG EAST Tournament game and marked their thirty-eighth straight league tournament win.
Creighton finishes its season at sixteen wins and fifteen losses while awaiting possible selection for postseason play next Sunday.
