Women's Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Tuesday

Exhibition Game 1 vs. Nebraska-Omaha ? Tuesday, Nov. 4 ? 7:05 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks at Creighton Bluejays
Omaha Civic Auditorium ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com
Regular-Season Series History: UNO leads 14-9
Last Exh. Meeting: Creighton 98, UNO 61 on Nov. 10, 2002

? The game can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com. Brad Burwell and former Bluejay Sara Cizek Going will call the action.

? Live video for all home games will be available for a season-pass fee of $39.95 or a per game fee of $4.95. More information is available at www.gocreighton.com.

? Live stats for this game and all home games can be found on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.

? Creighton is 10-0 in exhibition games under head coach Jim Flanery and the Jays have not lost a preseason game since 2000 - a streak of 13 straight wins.

? Tuesday marks the first of two exhibition games for Creighton, the first time since 2005 the Jays have had more than one exhibition game. CU's next exhibition is this Saturday against Central Missouri.

? The injury bug has already bitten the Bluejays this fall, as freshman DaNae Moore has missed practice time due to a broken hand and junior Sam Schuett is currently sidelined with an injury.

? Junior Chevelle Herring returns to the court on Tuesday after redshirting last year due to preseason knee surgery. Senior Michelle Kaus is fully recovered from her ACL injury which she suffered in the MVC Tournament semifinals in March.

? CU opens the regular-season Friday, Nov. 14 at Arkansas State. It marks the third straight season CU has opened against a Sun Belt team from Arkansas (UALR the past two seasons).

Scouting the Bluejays
The Bluejays are picked to finish second in the MVC this year, after finishing just one win shy of a shared MVC title a year ago ... CU returns eight letterwinners and four players who started at least 15 games last year from its 21-12 team which advanced to the second round of the postseason WNIT ... The Jays return 75.9 percent of their rebounding, 66.1 percent of their scoring and 61.1 percent of their assists from last year's squad ... CU led the MVC with 40.7 rebounds per game last year and established school records with 1,342 rebounds and 892 defensive rebounds ... CU also led the MVC with 222 three-pointers last year ... Sophomore Kelsey Woodard is CU's leading returning scorer, averaging 10.4 points per game last year, including a team-best 11.6 ppg in MVC play ... Woodard, an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree, established a league record by earning MVC Newcomer of the Week honors six times last year ... Sam Schuett led the Jays and ranked fourth in the MVC with 6.8 rebounds per game last year ... CU welcomes two newcomers, sophomore Stephani Rhoten and freshman DaNae Moore ... Rhoten is the first junior college transfer at CU since 1998-99 and Moore represents the smallest freshman class in school history.

Scouting the Mavericks
Nebraska-Omaha went 17-12 last year and is picked to finish seventh in its first year in the MIAA ... UNO started last year 14-1, but went just 3-11 in its final 14 games ... The Mavericks return seven seniors on this year's squad ... Leading scorer Alyssa Green returns after averaging 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game ... Latoya Wright led the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and chipped in 10.5 points, while Cayla Hargrove added 10.6 points per game ... UNO had a plus-6.1 rebounding margin, but averaged 19.9 turnovers per game last year.

The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) has led his team to four WNIT postseason appearances and three 20-win seasons in his first six seasons at Creighton. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history and led the Jays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. Now in his seventh season at CU, his overall mark is 109-80 (.577). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Patty Patton Shearer (Rocky Mountain College, 1990) enters her fifth season at UNO with a 67-49 (.578) mark and is in her 13th season as a head coach with a mark of 232-118 (.663).

Recent Exhibition History
The Bluejays are 17-1 in their last 18 exhibition contests, dating back to 1998.

Exhibition Results
11-04-98 Creighton 76, Lithuania 57
11-10-98 Creighton 86, Neb. All Stars 67
11-03-99 Creighton 89, Neb. All Stars 73
11-09-99 Creighton 89, Latvia 67
11-07-00 Latvia 70, Creighton 55
11-12-00 Creighton 75, UN-Omaha 63
11-04-01 Creighton 85, UN-Omaha 57
11-07-01 Creighton 100, Lithuania 48
11-04-02 Creighton 86, Team Concept 64
11-10-02 Creighton 98, UN-Omaha 61
11-01-03 Creighton 64, South Dakota 54
11-09-03 Creighton 82, UN-Kearney 75
11-01-04 Creighton 80, South Dakota 54
11-06-04 Creighton 87, UN-Kearney 57
11-06-05 Creighton 82, Central Missouri 74
11-12-05 Creighton 81, South Dakota 48
11-05-06 Creighton 83, South Dakota 74
11-01-07 Creighton 88, Central Missouri 48

Last Year's Exhibition Recap
Creighton cruised past Division II Central Missouri 88-48 on Nov. 1, 2007 in its only exhibition game last year. Six Bluejays scored in double figures, led by Sara Cain's 13. Kristina Voss logged a double-double with 12 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Ally Thrall was joined by Kellie Nelson and Kelsey Woodard with 12 points each. In fact, both rookies were the first players to reach double figures for the Bluejays. Sam Schuett added 11 points for the Jays off the bench. CU shot 55 percent from the field, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line while out-rebounding UCM 41-22. The Jays forced 25 turnovers and had a 38-18 advantage in points off turnovers and dominated the paint, out-scoring UCM 44-10 inside.

Preseason Picks
The Bluejays have been picked to finish second in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by league coaches, media and sports information directors. The Jays were picked to finish sixth in last year's preseason poll, and ended the year in fourth. The last time the Bluejays were tabbed for a second-place finish was 2004-05, and then went on to finish second. In fact, each of the previous three times the Bluejays were tabbed for a second-place finish (1993-94, 2003-04 and 2004-05), the Jays did finish in second place. Illinois State is the unanimous MVC preseason favorite, earning all 40 first-place votes.

We're Back
The Bluejays return eight letterwinners and four players who started at least 15 games last year, while they lose three letterwinners and two starters. Gone are Tyrai Bronson and starters Sara Cain and Ally Thrall. Returning starters Kristina Voss (32), Megan Neuvirth (21), Kelsey Woodard (19) and Sam Schuett (15) were all regulars in the starting lineup, while Michelle Kaus also started 11 contests last year.

All-Conference Losses
Creighton lost two all-conference players to graduation following last year. Point guard Ally Thrall was named first-team all-MVC after leading the team in scoring (10.8) and assists (3.8). Thrall led the MVC by playing 36.5 minutes per game and averaged 37.4 minutes played per game over her final three seasons at Creighton. Sara Cain earned second-team all-MVC honors after ranking second on the team with 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Welcome to Creighton
The Bluejays welcome just two newcomers to this year's roster, sophomore Stephani Rhoten of Canyon, Texas, and freshman DaNae Moore of Apple Valley, Minn. Rhoten, who attended Seward County (Kan.) Community College last year, is Creighton's first junior college transfer since Taya Allen in 1998-99. Allen was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year that season. Moore, a high-school teammate of Bluejay senior Michelle Kaus at Eastview High School, alone makes up the smallest freshman class in CU women's basketball history.

Rhoten's Road to Omaha
Stephani Rhoten has three years of eligibility remaining at Creighton after playing her freshman season at Seward County CC in Liberal, Kan., last year. Rhoten averaged 14.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in her only junior college season. The guard was named second-team all-conference and honorable-mention all-region after leading both the conference and region in assists.

Chevy Returns
Junior Chevelle Herring returns to the court this year after missing all of last season due to preseason knee surgery. The fourth-year junior took a medical redshirt last year. Herring, who is expected to see a majority of CU's point guard minutes, finished third on the team with 8.6 points per game as a sophomore in 2006-07.

Kaus is Healthy Too
Despite suffering a serious knee injury in Creighton's MVC Tournament semifinal loss to Illinois State in March, senior Michelle Kaus is fully recovered and ready to go this year. Kaus was playing her best ball of the season last year when she suffered her injury. She had made 16-of-30 (.533) shots from three-point range in her final eight games played last year and twice tied her season-high with 15 points in her final three games played.

Voss Has Seniority
Senior Kristina Voss has played in more games (91), started more games (48), scored more points (575) and made more field goals (199) than any current Bluejay on the roster. Her career field-goal percentage of 50.4 leads all Bluejays as well. Last year she led the team by shooting 53.3 percent from the field, which would have ranked third in the MVC had she not fallen just two field goal makes shy of the statistical minimum (three made per game). She also led the team in double-doubles (3), FT made (77) and FT attempts (102) last year.

Record Rebounding
Creighton not only led the MVC with 40.7 rebounds per game and finished second with a plus-5.4 rebounding margin last season, but the Jays also established a school record for rebounds in a season. CU pulled down 1,342 total boards, 892 of which were on the defensive glass, setting school records in both categories. Sam Schuett topped the team and ranked fourth in the MVC with 6.8 rebounds per game. Schuett averaged 7.2 boards per MVC game, as CU averaged 43.1 rebounds in conference play.

Woodard Can Shoot
Kelsey Woodard led the Bluejays in free-throw shooting and three-point field goals made as a freshman last year. The guard set school records by starting the year and her career with 23 consecutive free-throw makes and led the Jays by shooting 84.1 percent at the line. Her 52 three-pointers made tied for the team lead and her 39.7 career three-point field goal percentage ranks sixth in school history.

League Leaders
In addition to leading the MVC in rebounding last year, the Bluejays also led the way with 222 three-pointers made. Kelsey Woodard and Ally Thrall tied for the team-lead with 52 three-pointers made, which ranked in the MVC top-10. CU finished second in the league in free-throw percentage (.748), three-point field-goal percentage (.353) and total assists (471).

So Long Civic
Creighton is playing in its final season at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, as it is slated to move into the new, on-campus Ryan Center and D.J. Sokol Arena prior to next season. The Bluejays went 11-1 at the Civic last year and is 60-20 at home in their six seasons under head coach Jim Flanery.

About Our New Home
Creighton is currently building an on-campus facility for basketball and volleyball. The Ryan Center and D.J. Sokol Arena, a 75,600 square-foot facility, will house a gym seating 2,500 to 3,000, athletics staff offices, locker rooms, ticket offices, athletic training and meeting rooms, media workrooms and much more. Construction on the facility located at Webster and Florence Blvd. (19th Street) is expected to be completed in August, 2009.

Finch Flies Home
The MVC's most prolific three-pointer shooter has returned to the Creighton bench this year. Dayna Finch, a 2004 Creighton graduate, is back on the Bluejay bench as an assistant coach, following a two-year stint at Northern Colorado and two seasons as a graduate assistant at Nebraska. Finch's 294 career three-pointers made remains the MVC record, while her 1,260 career points rank 13th in school history. She replaces Rekha Hollomon, who took a position on Baylor's basketball staff.

Woodard Leads Jays in MVC Scoring
Freshman Kelsey Woodard became just the second Bluejay freshman to lead the team in scoring in MVC play, as she topped the team with 11.6 points per game in Valley games last year. She joined CU Hall of Famer Becky Flynn as the only Bluejay freshmen to lead the team in conference scoring. Flynn averaged a team-best 14.3 points per game in MVC play as a rookie in 1992-93.

Three in Free-Throw Top 10
Creighton shot 74.8 percent as a team at the free-throw line last year - just shy of the record 75.3 percent set by the 2004-05 team. Both Kelsey Woodard and Sam Schuett ended the year ranked in the single-season top-10 in free-throw percentage in school history last year. Woodard led the team and ranks fifth all-time in free-throw percentage at 84.1 (74-88), while Schuett was right behind Woodard for sixth in a season at 83.3 percent (65-78). Sara Cain (.803) finished last year ranked 10th in single-season free-throw percentage.

Nebraska Flavor
Six of Creighton's 11 players on this year's roster are from Nebraska ? Bellevue natives Chevelle Herring (East) and Kelsey Woodard (West), Omaha products Kellie Nelson (Westside) and Sam Schuett (Millard West), along with Katie Frank (South Sioux City) and Megan Neuvirth (West Point Central Catholic).

Schedule Notes
Creighton again plays one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MVC, facing five Big 12 teams, five 20-win teams and four opponents which advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament teams last year. In addition to the four NCAA teams (Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma), the Jays also take on two WNIT teams in non-conference play (Kansas, UC Davis).

Women's Turn at Qwest Center
Creighton will play the first regular-season women's basketball game in Qwest Center Omaha history when the Bluejays host Drake on Friday, Feb. 27. The Jays have previously played two exhibition games, both wins over Central Missouri, at the Qwest Center.

WNIT is a Good Place to Be
Creighton, the 2004 postseason WNIT Champion, appeared in the WNIT for the sixth time in school history and the fourth time in six years last year. The Jays have now won their first game in the WNIT four times and been one-and-done twice. See results below.

Creighton in the WNIT (11-5)
3-24-08 at Marquette (OT) L, 69-75
3-20-08 at South Dakota State W, 76-69
3-18-05 at Iowa L, 52-67
3-30-04 UNLV W, 73-52
3-27-04 Richmond W, 81-72
3-24-04 Oregon State W, 74-64
3-21-04 at Washington W, 74-69
3-19-04 at Colorado State W, 79-68
3-31-03 Auburn L, 62-73
3-25-03 at Iowa W, 70-64
3-22-03 at Siena W, 96-86
3-20-03 at Maine W, 74-67
3-11-99 at Kansas State L, 60-71
3-21-87 Providence* W, 91-89
3-20-87 California* L, 82-86
3-19-87 Stephen F. Austin* W, 76-68
* at Amarillo, Texas

Women's Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Tuesday

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