Creighton University’s women’s basketball team is set to begin its campaign in the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday, March 7, facing Marquette at 1:30 p.m. Central Time at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Bluejays enter the tournament as the fifth seed and will play fourth-seeded Marquette. Fans can follow the action via a live stream on Peacock and NBC Sports Network, or tune in to radio coverage on 1180 AM.
The history between Creighton and Marquette spans 35 games, with Creighton leading the all-time series 20-15. However, Marquette has won all three previous matchups against Creighton in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Creighton concluded its regular season with a record of 15-14 after winning their last three games. In their most recent outing, they secured a close 73-71 victory over Xavier. Grace Boffeli led with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, Norah Gessert added 17 points, and Allison Heathcock contributed 13 points. Kennedy Townsend made a decisive three-pointer in the final seconds to seal the win.
Marquette ended its regular season at 18-11 following a narrow victory over Providence. Skylar Forbes scored 24 points for Marquette, while Lee Volker recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
In their two meetings during the regular season, each team claimed one win. Most recently, Creighton defeated Marquette in overtime by a score of 80-74 on February 8. Ava Zediker scored 25 points for Creighton and Grace Boffeli added another double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
Key factors for Creighton heading into this matchup include limiting Marquette’s scoring inside the paint—Marquette tallied just four three-pointers but scored heavily from inside during their last meeting—and maintaining an advantage on offensive rebounds. Forcing turnovers will also be important; previously, Marquette committed 15 turnovers resulting in 23 Creighton points.
Grace Boffeli is approaching individual milestones as she enters this game ranked fifth on Creighton’s single-season rebounding list with 256 boards.
Several Bluejay players received recognition in this year’s BIG EAST Postseason Awards announced March 5. Freshman Ava Zediker was unanimously named to both the All-BIG EAST First Team and All-Freshman Team; fellow freshman Neleigh Gessert joined her on the All-Freshman Team; and graduate transfer Grace Boffeli earned Honorable Mention honors.
Since joining the BIG EAST Conference, Creighton has posted a record of 13-12 in tournament play but has yet to secure a tournament win against Marquette (0-3).
The winner of Saturday’s game will advance further into tournament competition as both teams seek to improve upon their postseason records.
