Women's Basketball Ready for MVC Tournament
3/6/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Creighton at the State Farm MVC Tournament
March 8-11, 2007
Knapp Center • Des Moines, Iowa
• All CU games at the tournament can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com.
• Live stats for the tournament can be found on the Creighton athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.
• Creighton is 12-13 all-time at the MVC Tournament, including 4-3 in tournament games played in Des Moines.
• The Bluejays are 7-15 all-time at the Knapp Center, but have won their opening game at the MVC Tournament in each of the previous three times the building has hosted The Valley postseason.
• Ally Thrall became the 11th player in school history to make 100 three-pointers in her career, when she made two trifectas in CU's regular-season finale.
• Megan Neuvirth is the reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week, an honor she received four times this season. The freshman posted consecutive double-doubles last week and leads the team with four double-dimes on the year.
• Neuvirth led the MVC with 2.4 steals per game in conference play, including a career-best seven swipes against Indiana State last Thursday.
• With a win in the quarterfinals, Creighton would play on Saturday at 3:35 p.m. on Fox Sports Net. The championship game on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. is also scheduled for broadcast on Fox Sports.
Scouting the Bluejays (11-18, 8-10 MVC)
An up and down season for the Bluejays has the team entering the tournament on a down note. The Bluejays opened 0-7 on the season for the first time since the 1996-97 season and began the MVC season 0-3 for the first time ever. After the seven-game losing streak to open the year, the Bluejays rebounded to go 9-5 over their next 14 games, but then lost six of their final eight games of the regular-season. The Bluejays once again played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MVC, facing four Big 12 schools and a pair of Big 10 teams.
Since the slow start, the Bluejays have been guided by steady point guard play from junior Ally Thrall and outstanding all-around play from redshirt freshman Megan Neuvirth. Thrall leads the team with 10.9 points and 3.1 assists per game, while her 86.8 free-throw percentage tops the team and ranks second in the MVC. The Des Moines native also leads the MVC with 38 minutes played per game. Neuvirth leads the team in scoring (11.3), rebounding (8.6) assists (3.5) and steals (2.7) over the Jays' last 10 games. On the year she leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game, four double-doubles and 2.1 steals per game. She became the first CU freshman to lead the team in rebounding in MVC play, pulling down 7.3 boards per Valley game.
The Bluejays rank third in the MVC with 8.4 steals per game, while they rank last in field goal percent defense (44.7) and three-point field goal percent defense (36.6). CU's 30.7 three-point field goal percentage is last in the league and the worst in school history from beyond the arc.
The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) guided his team to three straight WNIT appearances to start his career, while capturing the 2004 WNIT Championship. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history. Now in his fifth season at CU, his overall mark is 86-67. Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Jim Wiedie (Kent State, 1988), two-time MVC Coach of the Year, is 127-76 in his seventh season at Indiana State. Wiedie has guided ISU to three 20-win seasons and three WNITs.
Creighton-Indiana State Series
Creighton is 23-11 all-time against Indiana State, but just 5-7 over the last 12 meetings. The Sycamores have won six straight, including ending the Jays season last year at the MVC tournament. Prior to the six-game skid to ISU, the Jays had won nine of the previous 10 meetings. The Bluejays are 3-1 against ISU in the MVC tourney. The 27-point defeat in Terre Haute earlier this season was CU's worst MVC loss under Jim Flanery. The Jays committed 13 second-half turnovers and finished with 23 give-aways in the loss. Sara Cain led the Jays with 14 points, while Laura Rudolphi (22) and Rachel Maenpaa (19) led ISU. Last week in Omaha the teams exchanged leads 10 times in a 69-64 ISU win. Megan Neuvirth led all players with 14 points, 11 rebounds and career-best seven steals last week.
CU at the Tournament
The Bluejays are 12-13 all-time in the MVC Tournament, appearing in every tournament since joining the league in 1992-93. The Bluejays snapped a three-game losing streak in the MVC postseason with a 54-51 win over Southern Illinois last year. CU's win as the No. 9 seed made the Jays the lowest seeded team to win a game at this event.
• Creighton is 4-3 all-time in MVC postseason games at the Knapp Center, including a 1-1 mark in 2003 the last time the event was held in Des Moines.
• The Jays have won their first game at the MVC tournament every time the event has been in Des Moines, advancing to the 1999 championship contest as the No. 7 seed.
• This is only the second time CU is in the event as a No. 6 seed, losing at Missouri State, 72-53, in the 2000 tournament as the sixth-seed.
• Creighton's only MVC tournament title came in 2002, starting with a 79-65 win over Indiana State in the quarterfinals.
• Creighton is 4-7 in the MVC tournament in odd numbered years, 8-5 in even numbered years.
Flan in the Postseason
Head Coach Jim Flanery won his first MVC tournament game (70-54 over Illinois State in 2003), then lost his next three before a win over Southern Illinois last year. While the Jays are just 2-4 in the MVC tournament under Flanery, they have excelled in the national postseason. The Jays are 8-2 in the WNIT under Flanery, including the WNIT Championship in 2004. Overall, Flanery is 10-6 in postseason games (WNIT and MVC tournament).
So We Meet Again
Four times previously, Creighton has faced a team in the MVC tournament which it also played in the final week of the regular-season, as it will do with Indiana State to open the tournament this year. In each of those four "re-matches", the Bluejays have won. The last time this occurred is when CU topped Evansville in back-to-back weeks in 2002. The Bluejays lost the final game of the regular-season to Drake in 1996 and 1999, but bounced back to top the Bulldogs in the MVC tournament. In 1994, CU topped Illinois State in consecutive games.
Victims of the Broom
Since the Bluejays joined the MVC in 1992-93, the Jays have only been beaten by the same team three times in one season on four occasions, as they will look to avoid that fate with Indiana State in the quarterfinals this year. The Jays are 2-4 overall in the third meeting of the year with teams that swept the regular-season from CU. Last year the Sycamores took all three meetings with the Jays. Missouri State topped CU three times in both 1996 and 2000, while Drake did the task in 1997. Creighton has twice won its third game of the year with a team after the opponent swept the regular-season, including last year's win over SIU in the tournament. The Jays also topped Drake in their first MVC tournament game after the Bulldogs had swept the regular-season in 1999.
Turning Thirty
Creighton will play its 30th game of the season on Friday, marking the eighth time in school history the Jays have played at least 30 games. The Bluejays are 6-1 in their previous 30th game of the season. See below:
30th Game of the Year
03-21-04 at Washington* W, 74-69
03-20-03 at Maine* W, 74-67
03-09-02 vs. Drake^ W, 77-74
03-11-99 at Kansas State* L, 60-71
03-16-94 at Bowling Green! W, 84-73
03-14-92 at Utah^ W, 74-63
03-21-87 vs. Providence* W, 91-89
* WNIT; ^ Conference tournament; ! NCAA
Putting it in Neutral
Creighton played just one neutral site game this season, losing to Eastern Illinois 81-71 at the State Farm Tiger Classic in Columbia, Mo., in December. CU was 1-3 in neutral games last year and are 3-8 in neutral site games under Jim Flanery.
Stopping the Sycamore Skid
Creighton has lost six straight meetings with Indiana State, with its last win over the Sycamores coming on Jan. 6, 2005. The streak is the longest by one opponent against the Jays in Jim Flanery's tenure and the longest by an MVC foe since both Missouri State and Wichita State topped the Jays six straight times between 1999 and 2001. Drake defeated the Jays seven straight times from Jan. 25, 1997 through Feb. 27, 1999. The margin of defeat in CU's six losses is 16 points, with ISU averaging 77.8 points and CU 61.8 in the last six meetings.
Neuvirth's Numbers are Nice
Megan Neuvirth, the MVC steals leader, tops the Bluejays in scoring (11.3), rebounding (8.6), assists (3.5) and steals (2.7) over the last 10 games. She has pulled down a team-best four double-doubles, all within the last eight games, including back-to-back double-dimes to conclude the regular-season.
The Bluejay Blues
Creighton appears headed for its lowest three-point shooting percentage in school history, making just 30.7 percent of its shots from beyond the arc this season. Since the three-point line was introduced in 1987-88 , the previous worst three-point percentage for the Jays was 32.1, established by the 1999-2000 team. Creighton shot a season-low 14.3 percent from three-point range (3-for-21) against Illinois State last Saturday.
Three on All-Centennial
As part of its 100th anniversary, the Missouri Valley Conference is naming an All-Centennial team for each of its sponsored sports. The 35-member women's basketball team was released this week, with three former Bluejays making the cut. Two-time MVC Player of the Year and 2002 tournament MVP Christy Neneman, two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year Laura Spanheimer and 1997 MVC Player of the Year Carrie Welle were all named to the team. The entire team can be found online at www.mvc100.org.
Thrall's Hit 100th Three
Ally Thrall became the 11th player in school history to make 100 career three-pointers when she sank two in the regular-season finale last week. Thrall is now just two treys shy of 10th place (Christy Neneman, 102) in school history.
Hometown (and state) Heroes
Junior point guard Ally Thrall will be playing in her hometown this weekend at the MVC tournament. Thrall is a Des Moines Dowling Catholic graduate. The Bluejays were also scheduled to eat dinner at nearby Ankeny native Kristina Voss' house on Wednesday. Junior Sara Cain (Walford) and injured sophomore Kelsey Crites (Clinton) also hail from the Hawkeye state.
She's a Thief!
Megan Neuvirth led the MVC with 43 steals (2.4 per game) in Valley contests. She also tops the league with 62 steals (2.1 per game) in all games. Her seven steals against Indiana State (March 1) tied the most by an MVC player this year and were only two shy of the school record and the most by a Bluejay since current graduate manager Kristi Woodard had seven against Wichita State on Jan. 7, 2006.
Lets Be Frank
Katie Frank knocked down a jump shot against Illinois State (March 3) to score her first MVC points of the season. The bucket provided her first points scored on the year since Dec. 15 against Oregon State.
Neuvirth Fills the Sheet - Twice
Redshirt freshman Megan Neuvirth has led the Bluejays in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots in each of Creighton's last two games. She became the first Bluejay to lead the team in all five categories in a game since Laura Spanheimer did so against Northwestern on Nov. 19, 2004. In fact, Christy Neneman is the only other Bluejay to record the feat in this decade, doing so against Drake on Feb. 23, 2002.
Freshmen and Double Doubles
Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett became the first pair of CU freshmen to record a double-double in the same SEASON (let alone the same game) since 1990-91 when they did so at UNI (Feb. 3). The last pair of Bluejay freshmen with double-doubles in the same season were Kris Kugel (1) and CU Hall of Famer Shannon Struby (9) in the 1990-91 season. Neuvirth's team-leading four double-dimes this season are the most by a CU rookie since CU Hall of Famer Shannon Struby had nine in 1990-91. Below is a list of Bluejay freshmen with double-doubles since 1990-91.
Freshman Double-Doubles since 1990
Year Name Total
2006-07 Megan Neuvirth 4
2006-07 Sam Schuett 3
2002-03 Angie Janis 2
2001-02 Laura Spanheimer 2
2000-01 Christy Neneman 2
1999-00 Teresa Wessling 1
1997-98 Krissie Spanheimer 1
1992-93 Becky Flynn 3
1990-91 Shannon Struby 9
1990-91 Kris Kugel 1
And Down the Stretch They Struggle
After the Bluejays went 6-1 over a seven-game stretch to improve to 6-4 in MVC play, the Bluejays closed the season 2-6 in their final eight games. The statistics point to several reason for the differences. Three Jays averaged double-figures during the 6-1 stretch; Sam Schuett (12.4), Ally Thrall (10.6) and Megan Neuvirth (10.3), with only Sara Cain (11.6) in double figures over the last eight games. Further differences below:
Comparing Recent Stretches
Statistic 6-1 Stretch 2-6 Stretch
PPG 65.9 63.2
Opp. PPG 62.7 69.1
Scoring Margin +3.1 -5.9
FG% 43.7 37.7
Opp. FG% 39.7 45.4
3FG% 38.4 27.0
Opp 3FG% 32.0 35.4
Asst. per game 14.6 11.4
Steals per game 9.0 8.0
Cain, Thrall are No Bird Brains
Juniors Sara Cain and Ally Thrall were named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second-Team as voted on by league SIDs and announced Tuesday. Cain carries a 3.65 grade point average in exercise science / pre-med, while Thrall owns a 3.72 GPA in public relations / advertising.
Cain for Three
Junior forward Sara Cain attempted the first three-point field goal of her career against Illinois State (March 3). She had gone her first 85 career games without an attempt from beyond the arc.
For Starters
Megan Neuvirth has started 16 games this season, including each of CU's last 12 games. She's proven to enjoy starting, much more than coming off the bench. She averages 10.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game as a starter compared to just 4.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game off the bench.
Neuvirth Newcomer for Fourth Time
Megan Neuvirth tied a league record by earning MVC Newcomer of the Week honors for the fourth time this season on Monday. The redshirt freshman recorded consecutive double-doubles and led the Jays with 13 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game for the Jays last weekend.
Historically Speaking
Neuvirth became the 11th player in MVC history to win Newcomer of the Week at least three times in a season. She tied the record of four set by the 2005-06 Freshman of the Year, Kristi Cirone and the 2004-05 Newcomer of the Year, Ashley Clark. Last year's Newcomer of the Year Carlai Moore was also named Newcomer of the Week three times. Only two other players have been named the MVC Newcomer of the Week in consecutive weeks (as Neuvirth was earlier this season) since the award's inception in 2003-04. Jill Martin and Whitney Pegram of Drake both won back-to-back honors as freshmen in the 2003-04 season.
Kaus Knocks Em Down
Prior to Creighton's game against Indiana State last Thursday, sophomore Michelle Kaus had made just 5-of-37 (.135) three-point attempts over a nine-game span. She snapped out of her funk by making 3-of-6 shots from long range against the Sycamores. Kaus leads the Bluejays with 50 three-pointers on the year.
Tyrai Time
Sophomore Tyrai Bronson scored a career-high 12 points at Wichita State (feb. 25), connecting on a career-best 4-of-6 three-point attempts. A streaky shooter throughout the season, she is currently on a hot streak. Before going 0-for-4 from long range against Illinois State (March 3), she had made 9-of-17 (.529) three-point attempts over Creighton's previous four games. Bronson is 14-of-37 (.378) to lead the Jays in three-point make and accuracy in CU's last 10 games.
Shoot 40 Percent ... or Lose
Creighton shot just 36.8 percent from the field in its loss to Illinois State last Saturday to remain winless on the season when failing to shoot 40 percent from the field. The Bluejays are 0-14 this season when they shoot below 40 percent. When Creighton shoots better than 40 percent in a game, the Jays are 11-4.
Flan's 150th
Head Coach Jim Flanery coached in his 150th game at the helm of the Bluejays at Missouri State (Feb. 23). Flanery, the third women's coach in CU history to eclipse 150 games, went 85-65 (.567) in that span. Bruce Rasmussen, the all-time winningest coach at Creighton, went 77-73 (.513) in his first 150 and Flanery's predecessor Connie Yori went 90-60 (.600) in her first 150. Current Bluejay men's coach Dana Altman was 82-68 (.547) after 150 games at Creighton.
Cain Can
Junior forward Sara Cain was Creighton's leading scorer in MVC play at 10.7 points per game. She is also tops on the team with 11.0 points per game in the Jays' last six games. Cain tied her career-high with 19 points at Wichita State (Feb. 25) and scored 14 points in just 14 minutes at Missouri State (Feb. 23). She leads the team with 16 double figure scoring games and 124 field goals this season.
Schuett's Rebounding Numbers
Freshman Sam Schuett is second on the team with 6.8 rebounds in MVC play and 5.6 per game on the season. The rookie has seven games with at least 10 rebounds this season, including a recent span of three straight 10-plus rebounding games. Compare that to one of CU's all-time greatest rebounders and two-time first-team all-MVC forward Angie Janis' numbers. Janis had just two games with at least 10 rebounds as a freshman and only eight combined in her first two seasons. She also did not log at least 10 rebounds in three straight games until her senior season.
Thrall Ball
Ally Thrall leads the team and ranks second in the MVC, shooting 86.8 percent at the free-throw line this season. Her percentage is currently the second-best single-season percentage in school history. Bluejay graduate manage Kristi Woodard owns the single-season record, shooting 89.2 percent at the line in 2003-04.
Threes are Keys to Success
Creighton is 10-6 on the season when they make at least six three-point field goals in a game this season and just 1-12 when making less than six trifectas.
Double Your Pleasure
Freshmen Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett each recorded double-doubles in Creighton's overtime loss at UNI (Feb. 3). For Neuvirth, it was her first career double-dime with 17 points and 10 rebounds and for Schuett it was her second straight and third overall double-double of the season, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The pair became the first CU duo to record a double-double in the same game since Kristi Woodard (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Ally Thrall (20 points, 10 assists) did so against Wichita State on Jan. 7, 2006.
Thrall Doesn't Tire
Ally Thrall has played at least 40 minutes in seven of CU's last 12 games, including a season-best 44 minutes at UNI (Feb. 3). On the year she has played 10 "complete games" (not including the 44 minute contest), while she has played an entire game 23 times in her career. She leads the league, playing 38 minutes per game on the season.
Tyrai's Rollercoaster Ride
Sophomore Tyrai Bronson's three-point shooting statistics this season are the epitome of a streaky shooter.
• Opened the year 1-for-20 from three-point range, including 17 straight misses.
• Snapped her 0-for-17 skid and went 9-for-20 (.450) from long range in a four-game span (Dec. 6-21).
• Opened MVC play with 19 straight three-point field goal misses.
• She has gone 14-for-37 (.378) from three-point range over her last 10 games, including a 2-for-2 game against SIU (Feb. 18) and a career-best 4-for-6 shooting performance at Wichita State (Feb. 25).
Freshman Refreshes History
Freshman Megan Neuvirth became the first CU freshman to lead the Bluejays in rebounding in MVC only games, pulling down 7.3 boards per contest in Valley play. The last rookie to lead the team in overall rebounding was Christy Neneman with 4.5 boards per game in 2000-01. Neuvirth currently tops the team with 6.7 boards per game overall.
Thefts are Up - Individually
With 31 steals in her first 18 games, freshman Megan Neuvirth had already logged more steals this season than the Bluejay steals leader did through all of last year. Last year Kristi Woodard led the team with 27 steals (she played only 19 games due to injury), while Angie Janis finished second with 23 steals in 29 games. She currently leads the Jays and MVC with 62 steals this season.
Thefts are Up - As a Team
Last year CU recorded an all-time season low average of just 5.7 steals per game, while this season the Bluejays are second in the MVC, averaging 8.5 steals per contest. In 29 games last year, the Jays logged 164 steals. Through 19 games this year, CU already had 165 steals and now has 225 swipes through 27 games.
Schuett's 20-Point Half
Not only did freshman Sam Schuett score a career-best 20 points at Evansville (Jan. 21), she did all of her scoring in the second half. The last Bluejay to score at least 20 points in a half was Angie Janis. Janis did so, also against Evansville, last Feb. 19 when she scored 21 second-half points in Omaha.
More on the Rookie Duo
Bluejay freshmen Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett combined for 36 points in CU's win at Evansville (Jan. 21). Neuvirth scored 16 points and tied her then career-high with four steals. Schuett scored a career-high 20 points all in the second half while making 7-of-9 shots after halftime. She finished the game 4-for-7 from three-point range. The rookie also became the first Bluejay freshman to score 20 points in a game since Laura Spanheimer scored 21 against UNI on Jan. 17, 2002.
Kaus For Three - Mainly
Michelle Kaus has become CU's long ball threat this year, leading the team with 50 three-pointers. She has made 66 field goals this year, so 76 percent of her field goal makes have been from long range. Also, 78 percent of her field goal attempts (157-of-202) have come from beyond the arc.
UNI + CU = OT x 3
When Creighton and UNI played overtime in a 78-72 decision in favor of UNI (Feb. 3), it marked the third straight season these two teams have played an overtime contest against one another. Last year, CU topped the Panthers 67-64 at the West Gym and the Jays were 78-73 OT winners in Omaha in 2004-05. The OT loss for the Jays snapped a five-game overtime winning streak for CU and was its first OT loss in MVC play since the 2003-04 season.
Low Scoring Information vs. SIU
Creighton scored a season-low 43 points at Southern Illinois (Jan. 18), while its 17 second-half points were its lowest second-half total of the year and tied for the lowest half of the season. It was also the lowest point total by the Bluejays since scoring 41 in the 2003-04 season opener, a 59-41 loss at Northwestern (Nov. 21, 2003). The Jays also scored a season-low 44 points against SIU in Omaha last year.
Rocky Road
Earlier this season Creighton ended a school-record 11-game road losing streak by capturing a win at Memphis. On Jan. 21, the Jays snapped a 10-game road losing streak in Missouri Valley Conference play with a come-from-behind 76-74 win at Evansville. CU's first MVC road win of the year ended the longest road conference losing streak in school history and marked the first time CU had won a game when trailing at halftime this season. The win also improved Creighton to 11-2 all-time on Evansville's home court.
Season-High Information
CU rebounded from a poor offensive game at SIU to a high-powered attack and solid defense in a road win at Evansville (Jan. 21). The Bluejays drained a season-high 10 three pointers, while shooting 45.5 percent from long range (nearly 15 points above their season average). CU had not made at least 10 treys in a game since making 12 at Missouri State last Feb. 2. The Jays then logged season-highs with 15 steals and six blocked shots against Missouri State (Jan. 25).
Flan's Fine Tuning
Junior Sara Cain had started every game this season prior to coming off the bench against Bradley (Jan. 6) in CU's first MVC win. Cain responded by scoring a game and career-high 19 points in just 19 minutes of play, making 8-of-12 shots from the field and going 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. Her replacement in the starting lineup, Sam Schuett, grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds and added 13 points for her first career double-double and the first double-dime by a Bluejay this season. Cain followed with 16 points in 17 minutes off the bench against Drake (Jan. 14), while Schuett went 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points and had a career-best five assists.
Never Seen 0-3
Creighton's 0-3 start to MVC play was its worst since joining the conference in 1992-93. CU had started at least 2-0 in MVC play for the previous five seasons following an 0-2 start in 2000-01. CU's worst conference start ever was an 0-4 beginning to the 1988-89 High Country Athletic Conference campaign. The last time CU opened 0-2 in MVC play, it finished 11-7 for a fourth-place finish.
Strong Schedule = Slow Start
Creighton's non-conference strength of schedule (SOS) was the highest of any school in the MVC (through Dec. 26, before MVC play started), perhaps a reason CU had the worst non-conference record among MVC schools. Creighton's SOS was 45 according to
www.collegerpi.com, compared to a league average of 159 at the time. UNI was closest to CU at 48, while Evansville's 315 and Bradley's 326 were the lowest among league schools (of 335 ranked in the nation).
Turning Up the Pressure
Creighton ranks third in the MVC with 8.4 steals per game this year, just one year removed from the lowest steals per game average in school history (5.7). The Jays have swiped at least 10 steals nine times this year, including a season-high 15 against Missouri State (Jan. 25). CU had at least 10 steals in a game just twice in 29 games last year. Last year, CU opponents averaged only 13.6 turnovers per contest, while this year Bluejay foes are averaging 18.1 turnovers per game.
The Herring Straight
Sophomore Chevelle Herring scored in double figures in five straight games from Dec. 2-19. She started with a career-high 18 points at Missouri (Dec. 2) and followed that effort with 10 points against Eastern Illinois (Dec. 3) to put up her first back-to-back double figure scoring games. The guard extended her strong offensive play with 16 points at Memphis (Dec. 6) and 12 points each against Oregon State (Dec. 15) and Nebraska (Dec. 19). She averaged 13.6 points in those five games, while making 45.5 percent (25-55) of her shots in that span.
That's a Winner
Creighton snapped its season-opening seven-game losing streak with an 89-79 win at Memphis (Dec. 6), avoiding the worst start at CU in 25 years. The win was CU's first non-conference road win since Dec. 4, 2004 and snapped a a school record 11-game road losing streak for the Jays.
Freshmen Information
Bluejay rookies Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett are making an impact already early in their career. Neuvirth leads the team with 62 steals and 6.7 rebounds per game. No CU freshman has led the team in rebounding since Christy Neneman's 4.5 in 2000-01. Schuett's 16 points against Eastern Illinois (Dec. 3) were the most by a CU rookie since Angie Janis scored 17 on March 25, 2003 against Iowa in the WNIT. The Omaha native also became the first CU freshman to lead the team in scoring since Janis did so with 16 points on March 1, 2003 against Illinois State. Schuett's double-double against Bradley (Jan. 6) was the first double-dime by a CU freshman since Janis in 2003 and her 20-point game at Evansville was the first by a Bluejay rookie since Laura Spanheimer in 2002.
Crites Out
Sophomore Kelsey Crites is out for the season after tearing the ACL in her right knee against Missouri on Dec. 2. The guard, who had started two of CU's first six games, underwent surgery to repair the knee and will apply for a medical redshirt upon conclusion of the season. The injury leaves CU with 10 healthy players on the roster.
Six in Double Figures
In Creighton's 89-79 win at Memphis (Dec. 6), the Jays had six players score in double figures for the first time in over a decade. It marked the second time this season at least five Jays scored in double figures, after CU went two full seasons without five players scoring 10 or more points in a game. The last time Creighton had six players reach at least 10 points was in a 102-77 win against Evansville on Feb. 1, 1996.
Thrall's Streak is Over
Not only did Ally Thrall not connect on a three-point attempt against Minnesota (Nov. 22), she also did not make a field goal in the loss. It marked the first time she had not made a three since March 10, 2005 against Drake and the first time she was held without a field goal since a game at UNI on Feb. 26, 2005.
Thrall Ties School Record
When Ally Thrall failed to make a three-pointer at Minnesota (Nov. 22), she failed to take sole ownership of a school record, instead tying Kathy Halligan's CU record of a three-pointer in 33 straight games. Last year, Thrall became the first player in school history to drain a three-point field goal in every game of an entire season. Adding the final game of the 2004-05 season, 29 games in 2005-06 and the first three games this year, she made a three in 33 straight games, When her streak ended, it ranked as the longest active streak in the nation.
CU 3FG in Consecutive Games, Career
Ally Thrall 33 2004-07
Kathy Halligan 33 1989-91
Dayna Finch 22 2003-04
CU 3FG in Consecutive Games, Season
Ally Thrall 29 2005-06
Dayna Finch 22 2003-04
Kathy Halligan 21 1990-91
No Senior, No Problem
For the first time since 1990-91, the Creighton women's basketball team does not list a senior on its roster. (In fact, the 1989-90 team did not have a senior either). The 1990-91 team went 22-7 without a senior, paving the way for a breakout 1991-92 season in which the team set records for wins, field goals, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage assists, steals, points and scoring average. The 1991-92 went 28-4 and was the first Bluejay NCAA tournament team, a year removed from playing with no seniors.
Ten for Tyrai
Tyrai Bronson had scored nine total points in CU's first seven games before she broke out of an offensive slump with a then career-best 10 points at Memphis. The sophomore guard had missed 17 straight three-point field goal attempts before making both of her long range shots against the Tigers. She finished the game 3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 from three-point land and 2-for-2 at the free-throw line for her career-high night.
Free-Throw Facts
The Bluejays shot 92.9 percent (26-of-28) at the free-throw line against Kansas State (Nov. 13) earlier this season. The 28 attempts were more than any game last year and most by the Bluejays since shooting 37 in a double overtime win against Evansville on March 5, 2005. The 26 makes were the most drained by the Jays since going 26-of-30 against UNI on Jan. 27, 2005 (also an overtime contest). The last time CU shot better than 90 percent from the charity stripe in a game in which it attempted at least 20 freebies, was March 24, 2004 when the Jays made 19-of-21 (90.5) free-throws against Oregon State in the WNIT.
High Five!
For the first time since the 2003-04 season, Creighton had five players score in double figures in a game this year, doing so in a loss to Iowa (Nov. 26). Michelle Kaus led the way with 14 points, followed by Ally Thrall's 12. A trio of front court players each added 11; Sara Cain, Megan Neuvirth and Kristina Voss. The last time CU had five players score at least 10 in a game was March 19, 2004 at Colorado State in the WNIT.
Cain's Perfect Night
Sara Cain started the season with a perfect offensive night at UALR (Nov. 11). The junior went 7-for-7 from the field for a then career-high 14 points against the Trojans. It was the first perfect game by a Bluejay with at least five field goal attempts since Angie Janis went 10-for-10 at Northern Iowa on Feb. 20, 2004.
Better than Half
Creighton shot 52.5 percent in its loss at UALR (Nov. 11). It marked the first time the Bluejays had shot better than 50 percent since the 2004-05 season when the Jays made 51.9 percent of their shots against Illinois State on Feb. 6, 2005. Creighton had won its last 27 games in which it shot better than 50 percent from the field, dating back to 1996. The last time CU lost when shooting over 50 percent, was Dec. 15, 1996 at Kansas.
More notes available by downloading complete notes in PDF at top of article.
