WICHITA -- Kiki Stephens' game-high 23 points weren't enough as Wichita State (9-20, 3-14) dropped its fourth in a row, 56-53, to Creighton (19-9, 12-5) Thursday night inside Charles Koch Arena.

With the loss, the Shockers secured the No. 10-seed in next week's State Farm MVC Tournament, and will take on the No. 7-seed at 8:35 p.m., next Thursday night inside St. Charles Family Arena.

Stephens recorded her fourth 20-point performance of the season after being held below 10 points in each of the last five games. Alex Bunton led all players with a career-high 11 rebounds. Sam Schuett led Creighton with 10 points.

Neither team got off to a good start offensively, as the Shockers missed nine of their first 10 shots while Creighton went just 1-for-4 from the floor early on. The teams traded points over the opening minutes with three ties and eight lead changes in the first 13-plus minutes until a Kelsey Crites jumper with 6:08 left gave the Bluejays their largest lead of the game to that point, 21-15.

Creighton extended its lead to as many as seven down the stretch before a Jacie Hoyt jumper with a minute left cut the advantage to 27-22 at the break. After its cold start WSU managed to shoot 33-percent for the half, while the Bluejays shot 39-percent from the field in the opening frame.

WSU opened the second on a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to just one after a Stephens jumper, but Creighton answered with a 9-2 run on the strength of back-to-back 3-pointers by Michelle Kaus to break out to a 38-30 lead with just under 13 minutes left to play.

The Shockers cut the deficit to as few as five after a Kyrie Kinder layin in transition, but Creighton answered yet again, this time with four-straight points to extend the lead back to nine following a Kristina Voss bucket with 6:45 left to play.

A Kyrie Kinder 3-pointer with just under three minutes to play brought the Shockers to within three, 50-47, and Stephens' 23rd point of the night cut the deficit to two, 51-49, with 1:39 left in the game.

Sam Schuett then made a pair of free throws and Kinder's floater with a minute left landed long, allowing the Bluejays to shoot free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

WSU wraps up the 2007-08 regular season at 1 p.m., Saturday against Drake. Senior Day activities will begin approximately 10 minutes before tip off.

--Wichita State--