Late Chance Slips Away as Creighton Women’s Basketball Falls at Providence

Creighton Women’s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker on the Road

Creighton Women’s Basketball / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Heartbreak was the theme in Rhode Island this past weekend as the Creighton women’s basketball team watched a potential comeback disappear in the final seconds. With 36 seconds remaining and the Bluejays trailing by three, Creighton forced a crucial turnover. It was on a held ball and earned possession with a chance to tie the game. However, a desperate three-point attempt from Kennedy Townsend was blocked, sealing an 80–77 victory for Providence.

Fourth-Quarter and Missed Opportunity of Creighton Women’s Basketball

The loss proved costly in the BIG EAST standings. Creighton slipped to 7–11 overall and 3–6 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Friars used the home win to even their record at 10–10 overall and 3–6 in the league.

Final. #GoJays pic.twitter.com/0QyZWRWOLR

— Creighton Women’s Basketball (@CreightonWBB) January 17, 2026

Providence built a six-point lead at 62–56, but Creighton responded with poise and energy. The Bluejays chipped away possession by possession. And eventually, that pulled within a single point at 68–67 with 3:27 remaining.

Providence answered with a critical five-point surge to extend its lead to 73–67 with under a minute left. Creighton refused to fade, trimming the margin to 78–75 and forcing one last defensive stand.

Creighton’s offensive balance stood out throughout the night. Four Bluejays reached double figures, led by Kennedy Townsend, who finished with a team-high 18 points. Ava Zediker followed closely with 17 points, continuing her strong stretch of play.

Veteran leader Grace Boffeli added 14 points, providing steady production in key moments. Meanwhile, freshman Neleigh Gessert also scored 14 points. After falling behind 5–0 in the opening moments, freshmen Neleigh Gessert and Ava Zediker helped settle things down.

Providence briefly pulled ahead 16–9 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. However, Norah Gessert sparked a turning point with a three-pointer that ignited a 10–0 Bluejay run. Townsend and Boffeli scored inside during the stretch, and Townsend capped the surge to give Creighton its first lead at 19–16. The Bluejays carried a 21–18 advantage into the second quarter.

Momentum Swings Before Halftime

The second quarter belonged to Providence’s Orlagh Gormley. She scored 12 points in the period while hitting all five of her field goal attempts. She accounted for 10 of the Friars’ first 12 points of the quarter, helping Providence reclaim a 30–27 lead.

Creighton answered with eight of the next 10 points, using contributions from four different players to surge ahead 35–32. The third quarter unfolded as a true back-and-forth battle. Creighton pushed its lead to five early, highlighted by another Zediker three to make it 46–41. Providence responded with a decisive 13–2 run to take a 54–48 advantage with just over two minutes remaining.

Creighton closed the quarter strong, scoring seven of the final nine points to cut the deficit to one. The Bluejays entered the fourth quarter trailing 56–55, with everything still within reach.

Sabou Gueye led Providence with a game-high 22 points, while Gormley added a career-high 21 as the Friars shot a season-best 52 percent from the field. Creighton will look to regroup quickly as it returns home to D.J. Sokol Arena to face Xavier on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CT.

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