Women's Hoops Opens Season at Home Against South Dakota State

Omaha, Neb. -- The test flights have been completed and it is time for our new Bluejay Women's Basketball flock to take the court in a meaningful game on Monday, November 3rd as Creighton will open the 2025-26 season at home against South Dakota State at 6:00 pm in D.J. Sokol Arena.

11/3: - 6:00 pm
South Dakota State (0-0) at Creighton (0-0)

Stats
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Online Stream: ESPN+
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Takeoff History
The Bluejays are 22-29 in season openers entering the game with South Dakota State. The Bluejays are 35-16 in home openers and 14-37 in road openers.

Under head coach Jim Flanery Creighton is 10-13 in the first game of the season and 17-6 in home openers.

This will be the fourth time the Bluejays open a season against South Dakota State, going 1-2 thus far. Creighton defeated the Jackrabbits 78-69 in 2022, but fell 63-56 in 2016 and 76-71 last season.

Exhibition Recap
Creighton played a pair of exhibition games, besting Missouri Western 117-66 and defeating North Dakota State in a neutral site contest played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by the score of 64-61.

Series with South Dakota State: Creighton Leads 11-6
Creighton leads the overall series with South Dakota State, 11-6. The Bluejays are 7-1 against the Jackrabbits at home.

Series with South Dakota State:
Date Opponent Score
2/1/80 South Dakota State W, 74-68 (ot)
2/11/84 South Dakota State W, 78-43
3/20/08 & at South Dakota State W, 76-69
11/14/12 at South Dakota State W, 63-54
11/12/13 South Dakota State W, 68-63
3/23/14 & at South Dakota State L, 51-62
11/18/14 at South Dakota State W, 88-81
12/12/15 South Dakota State L, 51-53
11/11/16 at South Dakota State L, 56-63
12/15/17 South Dakota State W, 72-65
11/15/18 at South Dakota State L, 48-74
11/12/19 South Dakota State W, 61-48
11/30/20 at South Dakota State L, 47-66
11/21/21 South Dakota State W, 67-55
11/7/22 at #23 South Dakota State W, 78-69
12/21/23 South Dakota State W, 58-46
118/24 at #23 South Dakota State L, 71-76
& = WNIT game

About South Dakota State

Located in Brookings, South Dakota.
The Jackrabbits went 30-4 last season, reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Aaron Johnston has led SDSU to 18 postseason berths, including 13 NCAA Tournament berths under his helm.
The Jackrabbits return two of five starters from last season, including 2024-25 leading scorer Brooklyn Meyer (17.0 ppg) and Madison Mathiowetz (8.9 ppg).
Brooklyn Meyer was honored as the 2024-25 All-Summit League First Team and All-Tournament Team and also returning, Katie Vasecka was deemed
All-Summit League Third Team.

About SDSU Head Coach Aaron Johnston

Aaron Johnston will begin his 26th season at SDSU against Creighton.
He has a 628-195 overall record and his 628 wins declare him SDSU's winningest women's basketball coach in
program history.
Last season he guided the Jackrabbits to its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting South Dakota State (1-0)
With their season opener at Creighton just a week away and an exhibition against Augustana on Oct. 29 coming before the season debut, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits return to the floor without two of last season's five starters.

The starting five is without Haleigh Timmer, Paige Meyer and Mesa Byom. Last season, Timmer and Meyer each averaged 12.8 points per game for the Jackrabbits, with Timmer shooting 48.4% from the field and Meyer 43.6%.

Byom, a starter in 29 of South Dakota State's 34 games, averaged 6.6 points per game and recorded 46.6% shooting from the field.

Head coach Aaron Johnston and the SDSU program will see the return of senior veteran starters Brooklyn Meyer and Madison Mathiowetz.

In 2024-25, Meyer posted a team-high 17 points per game on 62.7% shooting for 579 points over 899 minutes, while Mathiowetz averaged 8.9 points on 45.5% shooting (37.6% from three) for 301 points in 855 minutes.

Scouting Creighton (0-0)
Ahead of the regular season debut against South Dakota State, Creighton went 2-0 in exhibition matchups, defeating Missouri Western and North Dakota State collectively 181-127.

Returning to the floor for the first time in 2025-26, the Bluejays overwhelmed Missouri Western in a 117-66 offensive showcase. Three years ago, Creighton opened its 2022-23 exhibition schedule with a 91-34 win over the Griffins, but this year the Bluejays outscored them by an additional 26 points.

In the matchup, returning veteran Kennedy Townsend scored 11 points in the first 10 minutes.

Creighton's second pre-season game victory with North Dakota State came by a narrower margin, as the Bluejays emerged victorious 64-61. Townsend once again recorded double digits with 12 in the matchup, while sophomore Elizabeth Gentry tallied 11 points.

Veterans Kiani Lockett and Townsend are joined by five freshmen and a graduate transfer added to the roster.

Dating back to the 2021-22 season, the Bluejays won three of the last four matchups with the Jackrabbits.

Familiarity for Jewett
After spending nine seasons with the Jackrabbits (2013-21) Bluejay assistant coach Mike Jewett has a little Jackrabbits reunion when they come in to play the Bluejays on Monday Night. Jewett served eight seasons as associate head coach for the Jackrabbits, before serving as the assistant coach/interim head coach for South Dakota during the 2023-24 season. During Jewett's time in Brookings, he compiled an impressive 223-71 record, including six NCAA Tournament bids.

Twin Magic
Creighton has thrived recruiting including in-state talent and Omaha natives, Norah and Neleigh Gessert. The twins from Millard West High School are looking to make impact once they step on the court Monday night against the Jackrabbits. They know what it takes to win including winning back-to-back state championships in Nebraska Class A and going a record of 55-2 in their junior and senior year of high school.

Neleigh leads Millard West in points with 1,542 and has the single season record with 520 points in her junior year, she also leads in blocks with 152. Norah on the other hand is the leader in at Millard West with 399 and broke the single season record with 163 in her senior year.

Location, Location, Location
The makeup of a roster follows similar rules as real estate, location matters. Of the 24 players that make up the Creighton and South Dakota State rosters, are primarily from the Midwest region..

Although the Bluejays and South Dakota State often battle on the recruiting trail, the only overlapping states among the
2025-26 rosters is Minnesota and Iowa.

The breakdown of home states for each roster provides a glimpse into the recruiting footprint for each team.

Creighton - 11 Players: Minnesota 2, Nebraska 2, Iowa 2, Illinois 1,
Missouri 1, Colorado 1, Oklahoma 1, Serbia 1).

South Dakota State - 13 Players: (South Dakota 6, Minnesota 4,
North Dakota 2, Iowa 1).

Bluejays Returners Asked to Lead the Way
Creighton returned four players from last year's team that included two seniors and two sophomores, returning starter Kiani Lockett leads the way with also fellow senior Kennedy Townsend, sophormores Allison Heathcock, and Elizabeth Gentry.

Lockett averaged 6.1 ppg and 2.3 apg through her span of 32 games played, including 30 starts. Townsend came off the bench in 33 games averaging 5.8 ppg and 2.2 rpg. Heathcock came off the bench for 30 games and Gentry came off the bench for 19 games.

Women's Hoops Opens Season at Home Against South Dakota State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Gentry

Neleigh Gessert

Allison Heathcock

Kiani Lockett

Kennedy Townsend

Women's Hoops Opens Season at Home Against South Dakota State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elizabeth Gentry

Neleigh Gessert

Allison Heathcock

Kiani Lockett

Kennedy Townsend

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