March Madness 2022: Upstart Creighton women top Iowa State, reach Elite Eight

Creighton’s gamers gathered for a bunch hug close to midcourt as the ultimate seconds ticked right down to the horn, then Tatum Rembao flung the ball skyward in jubilation.

Moments later, the Bluejays migrated to share the celebration with followers and household close to courtside.

“The previous two weeks hasn’t felt actual,” Morgan Maly mentioned.

Imagine it, Morgan. The Tenth-seeded Bluejays are inside a recreation of the Ultimate 4.

She scored a career-high 21 factors in Creighton’s 76-68 win over Iowa State on Friday evening because the Bluejays turned solely the fourth double-digit seed to succeed in a girls’s NCAA Event regional last.

Rembao added 19 for the Bluejays, who entered the Greensboro Area semifinals savoring this system’s first run to the Candy 16. Now, Creighton has joined Lamar in 1991 and Oregon in 2017 as 10-seeds that pushed to the Elite Eight. Gonzaga in 2011 was the lowest-seeded ever at No. 11 to succeed in the Elite Eight.

“This staff simply continues to amaze me,” longtime Creighton coach Jim Flanery mentioned.

The problem forward is even larger for the upstart staff: a matchup with No. 1 total event seed South Carolina for a visit to the Ultimate 4.

Creighton (23-9), which upset second-seeded Iowa within the second spherical, shot 55% after halftime with six 3-pointers. As third-seeded Iowa State (28-7) made a determined comeback to chop a 13-point deficit to a few, the Bluejays maintained management by pulling down sufficient free throws to maintain the Cyclones and Related Press second-team All-American Ashley Joens at arm’s distance.

Rembao was key in that, making 6 of 8 within the last 45 seconds.

“I instructed them, you need to preserve advancing as a result of that is the purpose,” Flanery mentioned. “However I additionally need to simply preserve teaching this staff. In order that’s type of what I used to be pondering, was I simply love teaching this staff as a result of it is completely different folks, completely different nights.”

Emily Ryan had 22 factors, eight rebounds and 6 assists to guide Iowa State, which shot simply 38%. Joens had 14 factors however made simply 3 of 11 photographs and obtained a lot of her manufacturing on the line (7 of seven).

Iowa State was within the Candy 16 for the primary time since 2010.

“We knew going into this recreation basketball is a make shot-miss-shot recreation,” longtime Cyclones coach Invoice Fennelly mentioned. “Particularly with these two groups. They made numerous powerful photographs tonight, and, sadly, we couldn’t get the ball within the basket once we wanted it.”

BIG PICTURE

Creighton: The Bluejays had confirmed loads of composure by beating the Hawkeyes final weekend on the highway, led by Lauren Jensen’s late 3-pointer. This time, they performed with confidence within the third quarter and did not panic because the Cyclones inched nearer and nearer.

Iowa State: Iowa State’s win towards Georgia final weekend offered a measure of redemption for a staff that missed on an opportunity to go to final yr’s Candy 16 by dropping on a last-second extra time shot to Texas A&M. Fennelly mentioned he had thanked his gamers “50 instances” for getting him again thus far and inspired them to benefit from the second. However they could not fairly observe that with one other step to this system’s first Elite Eight since 2009.

TAKING OVER

Creighton’s largest lead, 66-53, got here on back-to-back drives from close to the 3-point arc from Payton Brotzki — with no helpside rotation to cease her — adopted by a giant 3-pointer from Rembao on the 7:16 mark.

Creighton made 12 of 19 photographs (63.2%) with 5 3s within the third quarter.

DEFNDING JOENS

Joens got here in averaging 20.5 factors, however she headed to the bench with two fouls halfway by way of the second quarter and by no means obtained in a lot of a groove.

She had simply 5 factors on 1-for-5 capturing by the break and went scoreless within the fourth quarter regardless of enjoying all 10 minutes.

“They did a fantastic job defensively simply staying on us, type of figuring out our personnel and learn how to guard,” Joens mentioned.

SAVORING THE MOMENT

Flanery ultimately made his option to the postgame celebration however was extra subdued than his gamers, providing a giant smile and two thumbs-up to the gang.

The gamers could not look ahead to the locker room to convey out the water bottles, as an alternative dousing Maly as she did a TV interview at midcourt, after which once more when she rejoined the staff.

“I simply love enjoying with this staff, and it makes the celebrations so significantly better,” mentioned Maly, who made 7 of 10 photographs with three 3-pointers.