OMAHA, Neb. -- The Wichita State women's basketball team (9-6, 1-3 MVC) had a late rally that fell just short as WSU dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season with a 53-45 loss at Creighton (7-8, 2-2 MVC) Saturday afternoon in WSU's final appearance in Civic Auditorium.

WSU was led by Haleigh Lankster's career-high 12 points, while Daria Frazier also chipped in 12 on the afternoon. Marcy Sudbeck just missed on a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Marisah Henderson posted three steals along with Sudbeck's three blocks.

Kelsey Woodard led all players with 16 points for the Bluejays.

The teams traded baskets early on before WSU held Creighton scoreless from the field for four minutes, but the Jays did their damage at the free-throw line, making five-straight to keep the score even over the first six minutes.

Three-straight three-pointers by Kelsey Woodard sparked a 9-2 Creighton run that gave the Bluejays a seven-point cushion by the nine-minute mark of the first frame. A Marisah Henderson basket cut the deficit to as few as five before a blitz of Bluejay baskets and a five-plus minute Shocker scoring drought allowed Creighton to build a 32-17 halftime lead.

WSU shot just 25.8-percent in the first frame, including an 0-for-8 effort during the dry spell which ended with a Lankster basket with just less than four minutes remaining. Marcy Sudbeck provided Wichita State's only points over the final 3:54 with a layin at the 1:45 mark, while back-to-back three-pointers from Chevelle Herring allowed CU to extend its lead down the stretch.

The Shockers opened the second half on an 8-2 run and trimmed the deficit to eight after a Henderson basket with 17:22 left to play, but Creighton continued to answer, using a 10-0 run of its own to extend the lead back out to 19 following Woodard's fourth three-pointer of the day and another one from Megan Neuvirth with just under 12 minutes to play.

Val Siemens' three-pointer with 9:11 left snapped a seven-plus minute Shocker scoring drought that allowed Creighton to build a 20-point lead midway through the second. WSU closed the deficit to 14 with a Frazier putback with 5:37 left but Kelsey Crites jumper with 3:55 left snapped a five-minute Bluejay scoring drought and allowed Creighton to keep WSU down double-digits.

Back-to-back three-pointers by the Shockers cut the deficit to 52-42 with a minute left, but WSU's rally ran out of time as Marisah Henderson's steal and layin with :23 seconds left fashioned the final score of 53-45.

The game marked WSU's final appearance in Civic Auditorium as the Bluejays will play in a new on-campus arena next season. Wichita State returns home next Thursday to face Indiana State and league-favorite Illinois State.