No. 16 Creighton women top Xavier 57-51 in Big East opener

CINCINNATI (AP) — Lauren Jensen hit a clutch 3-pointer and scored 18 points and she teamed with Morgan Maly to make six free throws in the final 30 seconds as No. 16 Creighton beat Xavier 57-51 in a slugfest Big East Conference opener. Fernanda Ovalle scored four points in a 6-0 run that gave Xavier a 46-44 lead with 3:27 to play. Jayme Horan turned a turnover into a tying basket for Creighton with 2:08 to go and Emma Ronsiek’s layup produced a lead with 1:29 left after a Xavier miss. Then Jensen cashed in on a turnover with a 3-pointer and the Bluejays led 51-46 with 1:05 remaining.  Taylor Smith hit a 3 for the Musketeers with 35 seconds to go but Creighton was clutch at the line. Smith and Ovalle both scored 15 points.