IOWA CITY, Iowa – In the moments after the NCAA women’s basketball tournament field was announced Sunday, the Colorado Buffaloes began searching for information about their opponent.
What they quickly learned is that the Creighton Bluejays are unlike anyone else the Buffs have played.
“Creighton is a very unique team,” CU head coach JR Payne said Thursday during a news conference at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “I think across the country they’re a unique team.”
On Friday, the seventh-seeded Buffs (22-8) will face 10th-seeded Creighton (20-9) at 11:30 a.m. MDT (TV: ESPNews) and it will be a different test for CU.
For starters, Creighton is one of the best shooting teams in the country and the Bluejays aren’t shy about taking 3-pointers.
Coming into this week, the Bluejays ranked third nationally in 3-pointers made per game (10.3) and they are 11th in the country in 3-point percentage (36.8) and total field goal percentage (45.8). Only four teams in the country attempt more 3s than Creighton’s 27.9 per game.
“Every single player on the floor shoots the ball and shoots ball with confidence, whether their numbers dictate it or not,” Payne said. “They let it fly.”
In that regard, the Bluejays are a bit like Utah, which the Buffs faced twice in the Pac-12 this year. The Utes are also top-10 nationally in 3-pointers attempted and made
What makes Creighton unique to anyone else on the Buffs’ schedule is an offense that is in constant motion and the Bluejays are sharp in how they operate.
“It’s all cutting, cutting, cutting, slipping, cutting, slipping, cutting,” Payne said. “Tons of screening action. … Communication will be extremely important. Playing personnel will be really important.
“They’re just really good and really different. That has the potential to pose problems. If they had the makeup of the teams that we’ve been seeing in the past two months you might feel a different level of comfort. … We’re a veteran team, though. We have to be able to adjust and learn the scout and know who’s who and be able to guard different things.”
While Creighton is prolific on the perimeter, it’s also a team that takes care of the ball.
The Bluejays are No. 1 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.63), led by senior point guard Tatum Rembao. A Loveland High School graduate, she is third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.16).
CU will counter with a pressure defense that has lived off of its ability to force turnovers. The Buffs rank 19th nationally in steals per game (10.8).
“That’s a lot of steals,” Creighton head coach Jim Flanery said. “We’re going to have to take care of the ball. We’re a pretty good take care of the ball team. We play a lot of times five kids that we’re comfortable handling the ball at any of the five positions, so … we can initiate offense with people other than our point guard, and we’re perfectly willing to do that, so that will be one way to kind of alleviate pressure.”
Flanery has been impressed with CU’s defense, however.
“I think they’re both sound and they’re disruptive,” he said. “I think their ball pressure and their ability to get up into you and get out in passing lanes is going to be something that we’re going to have to deal with.”
CU has leaned on its defense all year and will continue to do so against the Bluejays.
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“For us being a defensive minded group, leading the Pac-12 in defense, it’s just good that we go back to our basics,” senior Mya Hollingshed said. “I think that’s what we’ve been working on: our basics, our fundamentals, just doing what we naturally do best and just simplifying the game a lot more and just pressuring all around.”
While Creighton does present some unique challenges to the Buffs, CU is up to the task. The Buffs had two good practices in Boulder this week and they were loose and confident during a workout at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday.
“We’ve done a really good job making sure that the team is focused on what’s at hand and taking it one game at a time,” senior Peanut Tuitele said. “So I think us veterans, it’s our job also to do that, because we know what it takes to be prepared as we can for Friday.”
CU has been preparing for this moment for a long time and is eager to play its first NCAA Tournament game since 2013.
“We’re just very excited to be in Iowa City, to be playing in the NCAA Tournament, to have an opportunity to play a great team like Creighton,” Payne said. “We just are really, really excited and honored to be part of it. Our team is ready and we kind of feel like, ‘All right, it’s time to get going. It’s time to play.’”
CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. Creighton Bluejays
TIPOFF: Friday, 11:30 a.m., MDT, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
BROADCAST: TV – ESPNews. Radio – 630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 22-8; Creighton 20-9
COACHES: Colorado – JR Payne, 6th season (94-83; 195-196 career). Creighton – Jim Flanery, 20th season (376-252)
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado – G Sila Finau, 5-9, Sr. (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg); G Frida Formann, 5-11, So. (7.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg); F Mya Hollingshed, 6-3, Sr. (14.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg; 1.1 spg, 1.0 bpg); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Jr. (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Jr. (7.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.8 spg); F Peanut Tuitele, 6-1, Sr. (7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Fr. (4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.1 spg). Creighton – G/F Carly Bachelor,6-0, Jr. (8.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg); G Lauren Jensen, 5-10, So. (12.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.1 apg); G/F Morgan Maly, 6-1, So. (12.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg); G Molly Mogensen, 5-7, So. (6.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.8 apg); G Tatum Rembao, 5-9, Sr. (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.3 apg); F Emma Ronsiek, 6-1, So. (14.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.5 apg).
NOTES: Colorado is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2013, but Creighton is making its first appearance since 2018. … The Buffs are 17-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, but have lost their last three. Their last win came on March 24, 2003, against North Carolina. … The Buffs are 8-3 in NCAA Tournament first round games. … Creighton is 5-7 in the NCAA Tournament and has won at least once in its last three appearances (2013, 2017, 2018). … The all-time series is tied 2-2. The last meeting was a 52-49 Colorado win on Dec. 21, 2011, in the UTSA Holiday Classic in San Antonio. … For Creighton, Ronsiek was first-team All-Big East, while Jensen was second team. Jensen was also named the Big East’s co-most improved player of the year. Maly was the Big East sixth player of the year. … Jensen and Rembao are the only players in this game with NCAA Tournament experience. Rembao played four minutes in Creighton’s last tournament game in 2018. Jensen played one minute for Iowa in a tournament game against Kentucky last year.
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