Bluejay Women Run Away With WNIT Title, 73-52
3/30/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. – Senior guard Christy Neneman had 17 points and nine rebounds in her final game to lead Creighton (24-9) to the title of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament with a 73-52 victory over UNLV (26-8) Tuesday night in front of 4,180 fans at the Civic Auditorium. The Bluejays never trailed while winning the school’s first-ever postseason national title of any kind.
Creighton jumped on the Lady Rebels early, using an early 15-2 run to take a 17-4 lead in the opening seven minutes. The Bluejays would lead by at least nine points the rest of the way.
CU would use a 14-3 run midway through the first half to take their biggest lead of the half at 33-16. UNLV scored the final four points of the first half and would trail 41-29 at intermission. Laura Spanheimer had 12 points in the first half, matching UNLV’s Sheena Moore for first-half scoring honors.
UNLV opened the second half with a three-pointer by InFini Robinson, drawing the Lady Rebels within single-digits (41-32) for the first time since 12-4. However, the Bluejays responded with a 10-2 run to return their lead to 17 with 15 minutes to go. Creighton later had a 13-0 burst to go ahead 66-37 with eight minutes left, prompting CU coach Jim Flanery to clear the bench.
Spanheimer led the Bluejays with 20 points, while swiping her 100th steal of the season and being named to the all-tournament team. Dayna Finch scored 16 points and finished her career with an Missouri Valley Conference record 294 career three-pointers. Finch joined Spanheimer on the all-tournament team, averaging a team-high 17 points during the tournament run.
Neneman averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per WNIT game and earned Most Valuable Player honors of the WNIT.
UNLV’s Sheena Moore led the Lady Rebels with 21 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Richmond’s Saona Chapman and Iowa State’s Erica Junod also were honored on the all-tournament team.
The Jays end their season on a five-game winning streak and with a 24-9 record for the second consecutive season. CU loses seniors Neneman, Finch and Sara Hildebrand off of the WNIT Championship team. Two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year Spanheimer heads up what should be another talented team in 2004-05.
NOTES:
2004 Women’s National Invitation Tournament Championship
March 30, 2004 -- UNLV (52) at Creighton (73) -- Omaha, Neb.
ATTENDANCE: Tonight's crowd of 4,180 ranks as Creighton's second-largest home crowd ever (4,439 vs. Auburn on March 31, 2003) ...The Bluejays finish the season with 21,973 total home fans, an average of 1,690 that ranks second to last year's average of 1,861.
FIRST HALF SUMMARY (Creighton 41, UNLV 29): Tied 2-2 early, Creighton used a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to go ahead 17-4 on a three-point basket by Dayna Finch with 13:19 to play ...UNLV answered with seven straight points to close within 19-13 ...CU then unleashed an 14-3 run to take a 17-point lead (33-16), its largest of the first half ...Creighton led the by double-figures the last 14:06 of the first half ...UNLV, which ranks fourth nationally in rebound margin, was outrebounded by the Bluejays by a 17-14 margin.
SECOND HALF SUMMARY: UNLV's InFini Robinson opened the second half with a three-pointer, drawing UNLV within single-digits (41-32) for the first time since 12-4 while capping an 8-0 spurt ...CU would respond with a 10-2 run to push the lead back up to 17 at 51-34 with 15:04 to play ...Creighton's lead reached 20 for the first time when Laura Spanheimer's trey made it 59-37 with 9:43 to play ...Spanheimer drained her fourth trifecta with 8:11 left as part an 13-0 run that put CU up 66-37 with 8:00 left ... UNLV went a span of 7:40 between field goals before RanDee Henry's bucket with 6:03 to play.
WNIT RECORDS: This is the largest margin of victory in WNIT championship game history. In the previous six WNIT finals, the TOTAL margin had been 12 points ...Creighton has set a new WNIT record for three-point baskets in a tournament with 44.
CREIGHTON NOTES: With a win, Creighton finishes the season with a 24-9 record for the second straight year …Creighton wins its first WNIT title, which is also the school’s first postseason national title in any sport …Creighton becomes the first MVC women’s basketball team to win at least 24 games in three consecutive seasons …Creighton improves to 10-3 all-time in the WNIT and 3-1 in WNIT home games …Creighton is now 1-3 all-time vs. UNLV …Creighton coach Jim Flanery improves to 48-18 in two seasons, matching Drake’s Lisa Stone (2001 & 2002) for most wins by a league coach in their first two seasons …Creighton becomes the first school from the Missouri Valley Conference to ever win the WNIT …The MVC already owns six NIT titles from its men’s basketball members, most recently Bradley in 1982 …Creighton wins its fifth straight game, their longest win streak ever to end a season …Creighton improves to 36-3 at home in the last three seasons and 12-1 this year ...After making just seven three-pointers during the regular-season, Creighton sophomore Christy Erickson has made at least one three-pointer in all five WNIT games ...Christy Neneman reached double-figures in the first half with 10 points, her seventh straight game in double-figures and 85th such career game ...Laura Spanheimer also reached double-figures in the opening half with a dozen points, her eighth double-digit scoring effort in nine career WNIT contests ...Dayna Finch closed her career by making a three-pointer in her final 22 games ...Creighton went 8-for-8 at the free throw line and shot 71-for-79 (89.9 percent) in the WNIT at the line ...Dayna Finch upped her career record by playing in her 121st career game ...With 16 points, Dayna Finch passed current assistant coach Holly (Sivesind) Borchers for 11th on CU's all-time scoring list with 1,260 career points ...Laura Spanheimer had one steal and finished with 100 on the season ...Creighton has won the turnover battle in 18 of the last 19 games ...Kristi Woodard finishes the year 66-of-74 at the free throw line (89.2 %), a new single-season record ... Finch ends career with MVC record 294 career three-point field goals and 766 career three-point field goal attempts.
UNLV NOTES: UNLV ends 26-8 and see their four-game win streak end ...The Lady Rebels are now 8-8 all-time in WNIT games and 5-3 under Regina Miller ...Sheena Moore carried the Lady Rebels in the first half with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting while playing all 20 minutes ...Sherry McCracklin, who averages 13.2 points per game, did not score until a basket with 1:24 left in the first half.
WNIT All-Tournament Team
Saona Chapman, Richmond
Erica Junod, Iowa State
Sheena Moore, UNLV
Dayna Finch, Creighton
Laura Spanheimer, Creighton
Christy Neneman, Creighton (MVP)
