Creighton Women’s Basketball Opens Crucial Road Stretch at Butler
The margin for error has officially vanished for the Creighton Bluejays. Following a grueling stretch that included back-to-back losses to the UConn Huskies and a disciplined Villanova Wildcats squad, the Bluejays find themselves at a crossroads. As they prepare to face the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday night, the focus is no longer just on the next game. It is on the postseason horizon.
Series History Gives Creighton Women’s Basketball Team Confidence
Creighton currently sits at 12-14 overall with an 8-9 mark in the BIG EAST women’s basketball standings. With only three games left on the regular-season calendar, the Bluejays are in a statistical logjam.
WBB Preview: Bluejays Travel to Butler on Wednesday
— Creighton Women’s Basketball (@CreightonWBB) February 17, 2026
Online: https://t.co/jz25CpflkM pic.twitter.com/KzFDsoLxxl
That's where they could mathematically finish anywhere from fourth to ninth in the conference. This week’s trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is not just a road game. It is the beginning of a three-game sprint that will determine if the Bluejays' season extends into March.
If there is a place for Creighton to find its footing, it is against Butler. Historically, the Bluejays have held the upper hand, leading the all-time series 18-8. Creighton has faced Butler 26 times and enters Wednesday riding a nine-game winning streak against the Bulldogs.
The Bluejays have proven they can win in any environment against this foe. They are 8-3 at home, 7-5 away, and 3-0 on neutral floors in the series. While Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of the most storied venues in college basketball, Creighton’s recent history suggests it has the blueprint to leave Indianapolis with a victory.
To understand how to win on Wednesday, the Bluejays need only look back to their Jan. 4 meeting in Omaha. Creighton secured a 67-59 victory, but the path was far from easy.
Early on, the Bluejays looked out of sync, trailing 23-13 with 7:11 left in the first half. However, the game flipped on a dime when Creighton ignited a 16-2 run to close the half, heading into the locker room with a 29-27 lead.
The resilience shown that afternoon was powered by Grace Boffeli, Kendall McGee, and Kennedy Townsend, who combined for 47 points. Norah Gessert and Elizabeth Gentry also played key roles during the pivotal second-quarter surge.
When Butler threatened late, cutting the deficit to 47-44 early in the fourth, Creighton showed veteran poise, sealing the game by knocking down 14 of 18 free throws down the stretch.
What Must Happen in the Rematch
Winning on the road in the BIG EAST requires more than just talent. It requires discipline. In their January meeting, the Bluejays committed four turnovers on their first four possessions, allowing Butler to jump out to a 17-9 lead after the first frame.
Depth also proved critical in the first meeting. Creighton’s bench outscored Butler’s 21-16, highlighted by 15 points from Kendall McGee and six from Elizabeth Gentry. That secondary scoring punch changed the rhythm of the game.
The three-point line will again be pivotal. While Creighton held only a slight 5-3 edge in made triples last time, the timing was everything. Townsend’s 4-of-5 performance from deep sparked the comeback.
In the recent 74-64 loss to Villanova, Townsend led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and went 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. It marked just the second 20-point game of her career. The other came in with a 30-point effort at Georgetown earlier this season.
Townsend is averaging 11.5 points per game this season. She has 674 career points, including 299 this year, along with 97 rebounds on the season. Standing alongside Townsend is the ever-reliable Grace Boffeli. The sixth-year forward recently posted her eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Villanova.
Boffeli leads the team with 8.9 rebounds per game. Despite playing just 597 minutes this season, she has already set a personal best with 23 blocks. Her previous single-season high came in 2022-23 when she recorded 17 blocks in 918 minutes. She now has 73 career blocks.
With 1,497 career points, Boffeli is just one basket away from another historic milestone in a Bluejay uniform. In tight February games, veteran leadership matters. Boffeli brings it every night.
Creighton fell 74-64 to Villanova after a tightly contested first half. The game was tied 14-14 after the first quarter, and Creighton carried a 32-29 lead into halftime. However, a 25-17 third quarter in favor of the Wildcats proved decisive. Villanova shot 52.6 percent from the field in that frame to take a 54-49 lead entering the fourth. The Wildcats then outscored Creighton 20-15 in the final quarter to secure the 10-point victory.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.