March Madness 2022: Upstart Creighton women top Iowa State, reach Elite Eight

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Creighton’s players gathered for a group hug near midcourt as the final seconds ticked down to the horn, then Tatum Rembao flung the ball skyward in jubilation.

Moments later, the Bluejays migrated to share the celebration with fans and family near courtside.

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"The past two weeks hasn't felt real," Morgan Maly said.

Believe it, Morgan. The 10th-seeded Bluejays are within a game of the Final Four.

She scored a career-high 21 points in Creighton's 76-68 win over Iowa State on Friday night as the Bluejays became only the fourth double-digit seed to reach a women’s NCAA Tournament regional final.

Rembao added 19 for the Bluejays, who entered the Greensboro Region semifinals savoring the program’s first run to the Sweet 16. Now, Creighton has joined Lamar in 1991 and Oregon in 2017 as 10-seeds that pushed to the Elite Eight. Gonzaga in 2011 was the lowest-seeded ever at No. 11 to reach the Elite Eight.

Creighton guard Tatum Rembao (2) and guard Payton Brotzki (33) react during the second half of the team's college basketball game against Iowa State in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA women's tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, March 25, 2022.  (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

"This team just continues to amaze me," longtime Creighton coach Jim Flanery said.

The challenge ahead is even bigger for the upstart team: a matchup with No. 1 overall tournament seed South Carolina for a trip to the Final Four.

Creighton (23-9), which upset second-seeded Iowa in the second round, shot 55% after halftime with six 3-pointers. As third-seeded Iowa State (28-7) made a desperate comeback to cut a 13-point deficit to