Omaha, Neb. — Senior Jaylyn Agnew wrote her own storybook ending and it was a best seller as the Kansas native set the Creighton single-game record with 43 points in the Bluejays 95-78 win over Georgetown on Sunday, March 1st as the Bluejays celebrated their departing senior class of Agnew, Olivia Elger and Morgan Turner.
The win pushed the Bluejays to 19-10 on the season and 11-7 in BIG EAST play, while Georgetown closed the regular season 5-24 overall and 2-16 in conference action.
Ever the good teammate, Agnew wrote her senior counterparts their own happy ending.
Sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season by back injuries, Turner checked in with 2:42 on the clock, then connected on her only shot of the season with a three-pointer with 2:28 left in the game. Moments later the Kentucky native left the game to a rousing ovation from the crowd.
Elger, meanwhile, played along side her roommate of three years (Agnew) for 30 minutes. The Illinois native finished with six points, highlighted by an isolation three in the closing moments that saw her elevate and beat the shot clock by less than one second for her second trey of the night.
Creighton opened the game on a 10-2 run as Agnew got going early and often. Agnew scored the Bluejays first five points of the game on a short range jumper in the paint and a three-pointer, before freshman Gracey Griglione knocked down a jumper and Tatum Rembao dialed it up from distance. Georgetown answered with five straight of their own, before Agnew got back to work with a trey and a pair of free throws, extending her program record to 47 consecutive made free throws. Creighton closed the opening frame with a 10-3 run, as Elger hit a trey, then freshman Carly Bachelor delivered a traditional three-point play. Sophomore Payton Brotzki capped off the quarter by laying one in, giving the Bluejays a 25-14 advantage.
Georgetown opened the second with a pair of baskets, but Agnew started to heat up scoring 13 of her 23 first half points in the second quarter. Agnew knocked down a trio of three-pointers and a pair of jumpers, while Bachelor contributed six points and junior Temi Carda connected on from the deep corner giving Creighton a 49-35 lead at the break.
Creighton started the second half on a 9-3 run, extending the Bluejay advantage to 20 points at 58-38 (7:46). Agnew started the run from behind the arc, while Carda added a three of her own before Agnew drove the lane drawing the and-one. The Hoyas traded baskets with the Bluejays over the next few minute, but once again Agnew answered the call with a layup before connecting from behind the arc, giving Creighton its largest lead at 73-50 (0:51). Georgetown would make a layup in the final seconds to cut the score to 73-52 heading into the final period.
Realizing the Agnew had 36 points as the final frame began, her teammates and the Creighton coaching staff began to look for her even more. Agnew didnt make her teammates, coaches or the crowd wait long, scoring her 38th points on a jumper with 7:33 remaining, then hitting a pair of free throws to reach 40 wth 5:46 on the clock. The crescendo of the contest came with 4:18 remaining as Agnew connected on her eighth trey of the game to break Connie Yoris single-game record of 42 points. Yoris mark stood since Dec. 12, 1982 when she scored 42 points at Iowa State.
Agnews 43 points led all scorers, while Temi Carda finished with 16 points. Georgetown got 24 points from Taylor Barnes in the loss. Two other Hoyas players posted double-figures as Marvelious Osagie-Erese had 17 and Anita Kelava finished with 16.
Folllowing all the games on Sunday, five teams (Butler, Creighton, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Villanova) finished in a tie for third place. The Bluejays will enter the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play St. Johns in the final game of the night on Saturday, March 7th. That contest is set to tip at 8:30 pm (CT).
