Women's Basketball Hosts League-Leading Illinois State Friday

Game 26 vs. Illinois State ? Friday, Feb. 29 ? 7:35 p.m.
Illinois State Redbirds at Creighton Bluejays
Omaha Civic Auditorium ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com
TV: FSN Midwest
Series History: Creighton leads 23-12
Last Meeting: CU won 75-71 in Normal, Feb. 2, 2008

? The game will be broadcast on FSN Midwest with Mitch Holthus and Jill Hutchison calling the game.

? 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 stats for all Bluejay home games can be found on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.

? Creighton is 9-1 at home this year, averaging 72.6 points per game at the Civic.

? Creighton leads the MVC and ranks 11th in the NCAA, shooting 77.2 percent at the free-throw line, including 87.5 percent in its last four games.

? CU leads the MVC with 40.6 rebounds per game, 43.4 boards per MVC game and is tops in Valley play with a plus-9.0 rebounding margin.

? Ally Thrall became the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points when she reached the mark last week.

? Thrall leads the MVC, shooting a career-high 43.8 percent from three-point range.

? Creighton has won the last two meetings with Illinois State and is 23-12 all-time against the Redbirds, including 14-2 in Omaha.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton is 7-2 in its last nine games and has won four straight home games ... The Bluejays' 9-1 home mark is the best by the Jays since the 2003-04 WNIT Champions went 12-1 ... They average 72.6 points per home game, compared to 62.2 in road games ... The Jays are 15-1 this year when shooting at least 40 percent from the field ... CU has been out-rebounded just once in its last 12 games and has out-rebounded its last four opponents by an average of 14.8 ... While CU leads the league in MVC play with a plus-9.0 rebounding margin, it ranks last with a minus-5.5 turnover margin ... Ally Thrall scored 14 points in both of CU's games last week and is averaging 11.2 ppg in CU's last nine ... Sara Cain leads the team with 15 double-figure scoring games this year ... Five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, freshman Kelsey Woodard leads the team with 11.7 points per game in MVC play and 10.3 points per game at home ... Sam Schuett is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game in MVC play and 9.5 rebounds per game in her last four contests.

Scouting the Redbirds
The Redbirds are 4-1 since the Bluejays handed them their first MVC loss and snapped ISU's 14-game winning streak ... ISU followed the CU loss with a loss at UNI, but has since won four straight ... ISU leads the MVC in scoring (78.5), scoring margin (+15.7), field goal percentage (.483), field goal percent defense (.391), 3FG percentage (.381), rebounding margin (+6.9), assists (19.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.35) and ranks in the NCAA top 20 in nine categories, including assist-TO ratio (3rd), assists per game (3rd), field goal percentage (4th) and scoring (6th) ... 2007 MVC Player of the Year Kristi Cirone leads the NCAA with a 3.33 assist-TO ratio ... Cirone also leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with 16.2 ppg and leads the MVC and ranks 15th in the NCAA with 6.0 assists per game ...Ashleen Bracey averages 10.3 points and team-leading 7.6 rebounds per game and leads the MVC shooting 57.1 percent from the field ... Nicolle Lewis leads the team and is second in the MVC with 39 blocked shots ... Maggie Krick adds 12.6 ppg and 44 three-pointers on the year.

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 sixth season at CU, his record is 104-77 (.575), including 9-4 against Illinois State. Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Illinois State is coach by Robin Pingeton (St. Ambrose, 1990), in her fifth year at ISU. The 2003-04 MVC Coach of the Year owns an 84-61 record with the Redbirds and is 279-137 in her 13th year as a collegiate coach.

Creighton-Illinois State Series
Creighton leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 23-12, including 14-2 in Omaha. After CU won the first 14 meetings in Omaha, ISU has won in its last two trips to the Civic. The Jays have won both of the last two meetings with Illinois State, including a 75-71 victory over the Redbirds on Feb. 2 in Normal. CU also topped the Redbirds 59-56 in the MVC Tournament semifinals last year. Earlier this month in Normal, CU snapped ISU's 14-game winning streak as freshman Kelsey Woodard led four Bluejays in double figures with 20 points as CU topped then No. 24 ISU for its first win over a ranked team since 1999.

Individuals Against the Redbirds
Ally Thrall averaged 14 points per game against ISU as a sophomore and averages 9.9 points per game against the Redbirds in her career. Thrall had five assists, no turnovers and held Kristi Cirone to just eight points in the Jays' first meeting with ISU this year. Megan Neuvirth had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against ISU in Omaha last year and averages 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game against the Redbirds in her career. Sara Cain averaged 11.7 points per game against ISU last year and averages 8.1 ppg against the Redbirds in eight career meetings. Kelsey Woodard led all players with 20 points against ISU in the first meeting this year, making 8-of-12 shots from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range.

Ally Thrall is Grand
When senior Ally Thrall scored her seventh point at UNI on Feb. 21 it was the 1,000 point of her career. She became the 19th player in school history to achieve the milestone and first since Kristi Woodard joined the club two years ago. She now ranks 18th in school history with 1,021 points.

Camera Shy
Creighton has not won a regular-season game on a regional or nationally-televised MVC game since Jan. 25, 2004 when it topped Northern Iowa. The Jays lost earlier this season at Drake on ESPNU and CU has been featured on the MVC TV package once during the regular-season in each of the last two years, losing both appearances after an 0-2 record on TV in 2004-05. The Jays did knock off Illinois State on MVC TV in the MVC Tournament semifinals last year, but are still looking for that regular-season televised victory.

Home Games after Road Losses
Creighton returns home after a 52-51 loss at Bradley last Saturday. It marks the fifth time CU will play a home game this year following a road loss. The Jays are 4-0 in their previous four return trips home and have won six straight home games in which they have lost a road game prior.

The Alma Mater
Second-year Bluejay assistant coach Steve Huber will again be facing off against his alma mater on Friday. Huber is a 1982 graduate of Illinois State. With Huber on the Bluejay bench, the Jays are 2-2 against the Redbirds.

Fabulous Free-Throw Shooting
Creighton leads the MVC and ranks 11th in the NCAA, shooting 77.2 percent at the free-throw line this season. The Jays did not miss a first-half free-throw last week, going a combined 17-for-17 at the stripe in the first half of their last two games. CU is shooting 87.5 percent (63-of-72) at the line in its last four games.

Leap Day Games
Creighton has twice before played on Feb. 29, splitting the games. CU played the last time Feb. 29 rolled around, losing 55-51 at Drake in 2004. The Jays won their only other game on Feb. 29, crushing New Mexico 104-50 in 1992. This marks CU's first Feb. 29 home game.

Thrall Ball
Ally Thrall led the Bluejays with 14 points in both of CU's games last weekend. In the last nine games, the Jays are 7-2 and Thrall has scored in double figures in six of the nine games. She is averaging 11.2 points and 4.1 assists per game in CU's last nine games.

Sam I Am
Sophomore Sam Schuett leads the team and ranks among MVC leaders with 6.9 rebounds per game and 7.5 boards per game in conference play. Schuett pulled down 10.5 rebounds per game in her last two and is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game in her last four outings. In fact, look for Schuett to grab 12 rebounds against Illinois State as she has pulled down 8, 9, 10 and 11 rebounds in her last four games, respectively.

February Success
Creighton is 4-2 this month, posting its first winning February since the 2003-04 season. In the previous three Febs, the Jays are a combined 6-15, including 0-7 in 2005-06. Under Jim Flanery, the Jays went 5-2 in February in both the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, finishing tied for first and second in the MVC, respectively, and advancing to the WNIT both times. CU is now 19-21 in February under Flanery.

That's a Winner
After notching back-to-back losing seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, this year's Bluejays have helped avoid making dubious school history. With their 69-51 win at Northern Iowa (Feb. 21), the Bluejays now have 16 wins to guarantee a winning season and avoid three straight losing seasons for the first time in the 35-year history of Creighton women's basketball.

Giant Killers
Creighton has ended a 14-game winning streak and a 10-game winning streak this month. For the second time in February, Creighton knocked off the first-place team in the MVC, when the Jays snapped Evansville's 10-game winning streak (Feb. 17) and knocked the Aces into second place in the Valley. On Feb. 2, CU snapped Illinois State's 14-game winning streak and handed the Redbirds their first loss in conference play. In both games the Bluejays made at least half of their shots from the field. CU also made better than 50 percent of its shots in a win over Kansas State (Dec. 18). K-State then won 10 straight after the loss and won 13 of 14 games to move into the national top 25.

Rare Happenings
Creighton lost at Bradley 52-51 on Feb. 23, its first loss in Peoria since Bluejay freshman Kellie Nelson was six months old. The Bluejays had won 17 straight games against Bradley in Peoria, dating back to Dec. 2, 1989.

Sibling Rivalry
Freshman Kelsey Woodard moved to the top of the single-season free-throw percentage list before last week's games, but dropped to second following a 1-for-2 game at the line against Bradley (Feb. 23). She is now shooting 89.1 percent at the line this year, trailing her older sister, Kristi, for the top spot by one tenth of a percent. Kristi set the school record of 89.2 percent at the line in 2003-04 and she also ranks third, making 86.2 percent of her free-throws in 2004-05.

More Free-Throw Info
Ally Thrall has moved into elite company on the career free-throw percentage list. Thrall is now 175-for-213 at the stripe in her career, to put her 82.2 percent as the second-best percentage in school history. She trails only current graduate manager Kristi Woodard's school record of 86.2 percent.
Kristina Voss ranks ninth in CU single-season history, shooting 80.3 percent (57-71) at the free-throw line. With two more attempts at the free-throw line this year, Sam Schuett's percentage will rank in the CU top-10.

Home Sweet Home
Creighton is 6-8 in true road games this year, including 3-4 in MVC play, compared to 9-1 at home overall and 6-1 in Valley action. The Jays score more, shoot better and take better care of the ball at home. Statistical comparisons below:

Statistic Home Road
Record 9-1 6-8
PPG 72.6 62.2
Opp. PPG 62.8 66.1
FG% 43.9 37.8
Opp. FG% 37.9 42.9
3FG% 37.0 32.7
Opp. 3FG% 29.9 32.3
Reb. Margin +6.4 +4.7
Asst. / game 16.8 12.9
TO / game 17.1 19.0
TO margin -1.9 -4.4

Neuvirth for Three?
Megan Neuvirth entered CU's game at No. 24 Illinois State just 2-for-14 from three-point range on the season and with just three three-point field goals made in her first 51 career games. The sophomore forward stepped up and went 2-for-2 from three-point range to help the Jays get past the Redbirds (Feb. 2).

Get Woodard 10 Points for the ?W'
Kelsey Woodard scored seven points in the first half at Drake, but was then shutout in the second half of CU's loss on Feb. 9. She bounced back with 14 points against SIU (Feb. 14) and 15 against Evansville (Feb. 17). When Woodard has scored 10 points or more this year, the Jays are now 10-2. Woodard did not score in double figures in either of CU's games last week and the Jays are now 6-7 when she fails to score 10 in a game.

More Keys to Success
When Creighton shoots 40 percent or better from the field this year it is 15-1, while the Jays are just 1-8 this season when shooting below 40 percent. The Jays are 10-3 when making at least six three-pointers in a game and a perfect 6-0 when making at least 10 three-pointers in a contest. CU is also 8-3 when Kelsey Woodard starts.

Nelson Ratings
Freshman Kellie Nelson had a breakout game against Evansville on Feb. 17 ? in fact it was more of a breakout half. The rookie center scored all of her career-high 16 points in 11 first-half minutes, while she had seven of her career-high eight rebounds in the opening half. She finished 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line in just 15 minutes of play in the game.

Balanced Bluejays
When Kellie Nelson led the Bluejays in scoring against Evansville last Sunday, she became the eighth different Bluejay to lead the team in scoring in a game this season. Kelsey Woodard has topped the team eight times, Ally Thrall seven times, Sara Cain five times, Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett twice each and Michelle Kaus and Kristina Voss topped the team in scoring once each this year. Eight players are averaging at least five points per game in MVC play for the Jays.

Large Rebounding Margins
Creighton leads the MVC in rebounding margin with a plus-9.0 rebounding margin in Valley action. Eleven times this year the Bluejays have out-rebounded their opponent by at least 10 in a game - compared to just twice all of last season. CU out-rebounded Evansville 48-25 on Feb. 17, for the largest rebounding margin in a game by the Bluejays since out-rebounding McNeese State by 23 on Dec. 2, 2001.

Four Score 10+
Four Bluejays scored at least 10 points in Creighton's win over Evansville (Feb. 17). The Bluejays are now 7-0 on the season when they have four players score in double figures, including their win over Illinois State earlier this month.

The Energizer Bluejay
Senior Ally Thrall played all 40 minutes of Creighton's win over Evansville (Feb. 17), for her 30th career “complete game” ? including playing all 45 minutes of an overtime game four times in her career. She has also played better than 40 minutes in two other OT games in her career, but did not play the entire game in those contests. She has played the entire game five times this season.

Neuvirth's Numbers
Sophomore Megan Neuvirth scored a season-high 13 points against SIU (Feb. 14). The forward scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half. Against Drake on Feb. 9, she tied her career-high and came within two steals of the school record with seven steals. Neuvirth leads the team and ranks fourth in the MVC with 43 steals on the season (1.9 per game).

Cain Crashes Glass
Senior Sara Cain did not have a double-figure rebounding game through her first 109 career games, reaching nine rebounds five times, before pulling down a career-best 11 caroms against Southern Illinois (Feb. 14).

3FG Streak Snapped at 228
Creighton had made at least one three-point field goal in every game in the Jim Flanery era and for 228 straight games before an 0-for-6 night from beyond the arc against Southern Illinois (Feb. 14). The Bluejays had made a three-pointer in every game dating back to an 0-for-11 performance from long range against Alabama on Dec. 20, 2000.

Down the Stretch
Kelsey Woodard had two points through the first 32 minutes of Creighton's win over Southern Illinois (Feb. 14) before scoring 12 of her team-high 14 points in the final 7:30 to lead the Jays to victory. She accounted for 12 of CU's final 18 points in the win. In CU's first meeting with SIU (Jan. 20), she scored the final nine points of the game for CU, nine of CU's 11 overtime points and 13 of the last 15 points for the Jays.

Woodard Earns MVC Honors
Kelsey Woodard was named both the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 4 after scoring a game-high 20 points in each of CU's road wins the previous week. Woodard is just the second player in league history ? Illinois State's Kristi Cirone, Dec. 19, 2005 ? to earn both of the honors in the same week. She's the first CU freshman to be named MVC Player of the Week since Becky Flynn on Feb. 1, 1993.

20-20 Vision for Woodard
Kelsey Woodard scored 20 points in each of CU's wins at Indiana State (Jan. 31) and Illinois State (Feb. 2), becoming the first Bluejay to post consecutive 20-point games since Angie Janis did so in four straight games from Feb. 19-March 4, 2006. Woodard is the first freshman to post back-to-back 20-point games since Becky Flynn did so on March 1 & 4, 1993. The rookie now has three 20-point games this year, the most by a CU freshman since Flynn had five 20-point outings during the 1992-93 season in which she was named both the MVC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year.

Crites, Frank Tie Career-Highs
Sophomores Kelsey Crites and Katie Frank came off the bench to tie their career-highs in points in CU's 72-69 win over Bradley (Jan. 26). Crites poured in 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field and added five rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Crites also established a career-high with six assists against UNI (Jan. 24). Frank ? who had scored four points in 11 career MVC games prior to the game ? finished with eight points in just eight minutes. Frank was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and she drained her first career three-pointer and free-throw in the victory.

Sister Act
With older sister Kristi watching from the Bluejay bench as the graduate manager, Kelsey Woodard has shot her way past big sister. With 20 points at Indiana State (Jan. 31), Kelsey pushed her season point total to 181 through her first 19 games. In Kristi's rookie season of 2002-03, the elder Woodard played in 29 games and scored 179 points on the season. Through 20 games in her rookie season, Kelsey had already made more three-pointers (32-18), more free-throws (43-23) and dished more assists (46-20) than her older sister did during her all-MVC freshman team campaign.

Flan's 100th ?W'
Jim Flanery captured his 100th career victory as a head coach when the Bluejays defeated Indiana State 68-60 on Jan. 31. He joins Bruce Rasmussen (198) and Connie Yori (170) as the only other women's basketball coaches at Creighton to reach the 100-win plateau. Flan got his milestone win in his 175th game, while Rasmussen captured his 100th win in his 178th game and Yori needed 167 games to get to her 100th victory at Creighton.

X-X First-Half Leads to X-X Finish
With the first half of MVC play behind them, the Bluejays can look kindly at history. The last time CU went 6-3 through nine games of MVC play, it went on to share the regular-season title in 2002-03. The Jays have finished the first half of MVC play with a winning record for the 13th time in their 16 seasons of Valley play. This marks the fourth time CU is 6-3 after nine Valley games, CU finished in fourth place after its first two 6-3 starts in MVC play.

Season 1st Half Overall Finish
2007-08 6-3 9-5 ??
2006-07 5-4 8-10 6th
2005-06 4-5 5-13 T-9th
2004-05 8-1 13-5 T-2nd
2003-04 8-1 15-3 2nd
2002-03 6-3 13-5 T-1st
2001-02 8-1 16-2 1st
2000-01 5-4 11-7 4th
1999-00 4-5 7-11 6th
1998-99 5-4 9-9 7th
1997-98 7-2 11-7 3rd
1996-97 4-5 7-11 8th
1995-96 6-3 10-8 T-4th
1994-95 6-3 12-6 4th
1993-94 8-0 14-2 2nd
1992-93 7-1 12-4 T-2nd

Double the Double-Doubles
Junior Kristina Voss pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds at Indiana State (Jan. 31) to go along with 13 points for her second double-double of the season and career. The 15 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Angie Janis pulled down 16 against Missouri State on Jan. 9, 2006. Voss went 7-for-7 at the free-throw line in the game as well.

Bluejays Top Top-25 Opponent
With a 75-71 win over No. 24 Illinois State (Feb. 2), the Bluejays snapped a 13-game losing streak to nationally-ranked opponents. The win marked CU's first over a top 25 team since Dec. 7, 1999. CU had not won a road game over a top 25 team since Jan. 2, 1999. CU is 1-1 against the top-25 this year and now 3-17 against the top-25 since 1998-99.

Voss Named Scholar of the Week
Kristina Voss averaged a double-double in road wins at Indiana State (Jan. 31) and No. 24 Illinois State (Feb. 2), pulling down a career-best 15 rebounds against the Sycamores. Voss, who carries a 3.09 GPA in elementary education, was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for her efforts.

Bluejays are No Bird Brains
Seniors Sara Cain and Ally Thrall have been named to the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District VII Team. Cain, a second-team honoree, owns a 3.71 GPA in exercise science / pre-med, while Thrall, a third-team selection, carries a 3.78 GPA in public relations / advertising.

Bulldogs Deal Bluejays Bad Home Loss
Creighton opened its home schedule 5-0 this year, while out-scoring opponents by 19 points per game. That all came crashing to an end in a 22-point loss to Drake (Jan. 12). The 73-51 loss was CU's worst home loss under Jim Flanery and the Bluejays' worst home defeat since losing by 25, 84-59, to Missouri State on Dec. 30, 2000.

If the Schuett Fits
Sam Schuett snapped out of a scoring slump by leading the Bluejays with 18 points to go along with a career-high 13 rebounds against UNI (Jan. 24). Since scoring in double figures in five straight games (Nov. 23-Dec. 5), Schuett had not scored more than seven points and averaged just 5.4 points per game in her eight contests prior to the UNI outburst. The double-double was her second of the year and the fifth of her career.

Woodard Wows
Freshman Kelsey Woodard poured in a career-high 25 points at Southern Illinois (Jan. 20), including nine of CU's 11 overtime points. She scored the final nine points of the game for CU and 13 of the last 15. Her point total was the highest by a Bluejay freshman since 1993 MVC Freshman of the Year Becky Flynn scored 28 against Bradley on March 1, 1993.

Career Game for Voss
Junior center Kristina Voss scored a career-high 21 points and added a then career-best 13 points for her first collegiate double-double at Southern Illinois (Jan. 20). Voss also played a career-high 36 minutes in the overtime defeat.

Dynamic Duo
Kristina Voss and Kelsey Woodard combined to have career games against Southern Illinois. Voss scored a career-best 21 points and Woodard had a career-high 25 points. The duo became the first pair of Bluejays to score 20 in the same game since Ally Thrall and Woodard's older sister, Kristi, both topped 20 against Wichita State on Jan. 7, 2006.

Working Overtime
Two of Creighton's first five MVC games went into overtime. The Bluejays topped Missouri State 79-73 (Jan. 6) at home in their first OT game, while they fell at SIU (Jan. 20) 75-74 in their second. The win over MSU was CU's first overtime win since 2006. The Jays went 0-2 in overtime last year. The Jays are now 8-5 in overtime games under Jim Flanery (since 2002-03).

It's Crowded in Here
A hot start, a rivalry game and a pregame promotion at the Omaha Civic Auditorium had the fans turning out for the Creighton-Drake game on Jan. 12. The crowd of 2,437 was the 10th largest crowd in school history and the first crowd of more than 2,000 in three years at a CU home game. It was CU's largest crowd turnout since the 2004 WNIT Championship game, when 4,180 fans showed up to watch the Jays crush UNLV 73-52.

Woodard's Double-Double
Freshman Kelsey Woodard recorded her first career double-double against Missouri State (Jan. 6). She drained four three-pointers for 12 points and added a career-high 10 rebounds for the double-dime. Three of her 10 boards were offensive and came in OT.

That's the Best Since ...
In CU's dominating 83-47 home win over Wichita State on Jan. 4, the Bluejays put up impressive numbers. The 36-point margin of victory was CU's largest ever in an MVC opener, while it was the Jays' largest margin of victory since beating Missouri State by 37, 84-47, on Jan. 6, 2002. CU's 52 rebounds were the most in a game since grabbing 53 against Louisiana Monroe on Dec. 10, 2005. CU's 27 assists were the most by a Bluejay team since dishing 27 against Northern Iowa on Feb. 24, 1994.

Freshmen Lead the Way in MVC Debut
The freshman duo of Kellie Nelson and Kelsey Woodard impressed in their MVC debut against Wichita State (Jan. 4). Woodard led the Bluejays with 13 points off the bench, draining her first three three-pointers and finishing 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while adding five rebounds and four assists. Nelson also came off the bench and scored a career-high 11 points, making 5-of-6 free-throws.

That's Helpful
Creighton dished a season-high 27 assists on its 30 field goals against Wichita State (Jan. 4), the most assists in a game by the Bluejays in 14 years. Four Bluejays had at least four assists in the game, led by Ally Thrall's six. Sam Schuett, Kelsey Woodard and Kelsey Crites each had four helpers in the win, while 10 of 11 Jays recorded an assist in the victory.

By the Boards
Creighton's 52 rebounds against Wichita State (Jan. 4) were its most in over two years. Sam Schuett led the team with 10 caroms, while Sara Cain tied her career-high with nine boards. Kelsey Crites grabbed a career-best eight rebounds.

Thrall For Three (x 5)
Ally Thrall established a career-high by making five three-pointers against Kansas State (Dec. 18). She was perfect from long range, making all five of her attempts in the first half. It marked the best three-point shooting day by a Bluejay since CU's all-time leading scorer and three-point specialist Kathy Halligan went 5-for-5 from long range on Feb. 20, 1992 against BYU. Below are the best three-point shooting games since that Halligan game.

Perfect 3-Point Games Since 1991-92
(at least four attempts)
Name 3FG-A Opponent, Date
Ally Thrall 5-5 Kansas St., 12/18/07
L. Spanheimer 4-4 Bradley, 1/30/05
L. Spanheimer 4-4 Oregon St., 12/2/04
Jenny Burns 4-4 Drake, 2/23/03
L. Spanheimer 4-4 Iowa, 12/8/02
Dayna Finch 4-4 Northwestern, 12/10/00
Missy Miller 4-4 Wyoming, 12/7/92
Kathy Halligan 4-4 Wyoming, 3/3/92
Kathy Halligan 5-5 BYU, 2/20/92

More Rebounds Than Points Allowed
Creighton pulled off a rare feat in its dismantling of Wichita State on Jan. 4 as the Bluejays pulled down more rebounds than points allowed. CU had 52 rebounds, while allowing just 47 points scored. The Jays also accomplished this in a 47-46 win at Indiana State on Feb. 8, 2004, when they grabbed 48 rebounds in that victory.

Strong Schedule, High RPI
For the second straight year, Creighton has compiled the strongest non-conference schedule in the MVC. CU's strength of schedule (SOS) ranked 53rd on www.collegerpi.com (through games played on Jan. 1). The average non-conference SOS of the other nine teams in the MVC was 158. In the first NCAA RPI report, the Bluejays ranked atop the MVC with an RPI of 49, with Illinois State close behind at 53.

Winning Non-Conference Record
At 7-4, the Bluejays had a winning non-conference record for the first time since going 6-3 in 2004-05 season. The Jays were 2-7 against non-conference foes in 2005-06 and went 3-8 out of conference last year. The Jays went 7-2 in the non-conference schedule before MVC play in the 2002-03 season.

Not Half Bad
Creighton shot better than 50 percent from the field and from three-point range in its win over Kansas State (Dec. 18), the first time the Jays have topped both numbers in the same game since topping Memphis 89-79 on Dec. 6, 2006.

50-50
CU shot 51.1 percent from the field against Kansas State (Dec. 18), marking the 13th time since 2002-03 the Jays have made at least half of their shots. The Jays are now 14-1 when making 50 percent of their shots or better under Jim Flanery, after shooting 50.9 percent against Illinois State (Feb. 2). CU shot 57.1 percent from three-point range, the 12th game under Flanery the Jays have made at least half of their long range shots, improving to 9-3 in such games.

Ten Straight Makes
Creighton shot a season-high 51.1 percent from the field in its win over Kansas State (Dec. 18). Helping the cause was a span in the second half when the Bluejays made 10 straight field goals without a miss. Sara Cain and Kristina Voss had three straight baskets each during the run that put CU up by 20 with 7:27 left in the game.

Streak Stops With Broken Record
Sam Schuett set a school record earlier this year by making her first 22 free-throw attempts of the season. Just one game after Schuett's streak ended, Kelsey Woodard surpassed Schuett and made her 23rd straight freebie to start the season, before missing her final two free-throw attempts at Iowa State (Dec. 16). Woodard also established the school record for consecutive free-throw makes to start a career.

Schuett is Player of the Week, Dec. 10
Sam Schuett became the first Bluejay to be named the MVC Player of the Week since current graduate manager Kristi Woodard earned the honor Jan. 9, 2006. Schuett earned the honor after putting up 16 points, eight rebounds, career-high six assists, three steals and a blocked shot at Denver (Dec. 5). Schuett is the first CU sophomore to earn the honor since Woodard did so on Jan. 12, 2004.

Holy Schuett
With a career-high 30 points at Nebraska (Nov. 30), sophomore Sam Schuett became the first Bluejay to score 30 points since Angie Janis scored 30 against Bradley on March 2, 2006. Schuett made a career-high 11 field goals in the game, including the first 10 she attempted. Her 11 field goals in the game are the most by a player in the MVC this season. She was the first Bluejay to score 30 on the road and against a non-conference opponent since Laura Spanheimer had 31 at Oregon State on Dec. 2, 2004. No CU sophomore had scored 30 points since Christy Neneman poured in 39 against Drake on March 9, 2002 in the MVC Tournament title game.

Double Your Pleasure
As if exploding for a career-best 30 points in a game wasn't enough, Sam Schuett added a game-high 10 rebounds for her first, and the team's first, double-double of the year at Nebraska (Nov. 30).

Start Me Up
Creighton opened the year 4-1 this season, its best five-game start since 2000. Last year the Bluejays started 0-7 and did not capture their fourth win of the season until Jan. 6. CU went 4-3 this November, its most wins in November since 1985.

Tournament Champions
Creighton captured the tournament title at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo. (Nov. 23-24). The Bluejays topped Kent State 71-57 and host Colorado State 78-56 to win the event. Sara Cain averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game to earn tournament MVP honors, while Sam Schuett added 11.5 points per game to earn all-tourney recognition. It was CU's first in-season tournament title since winning the InnSuites Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1998.

We'll Take That
The Bluejays forced a season-high 29 turnovers against Memphis (Nov. 19) and followed by forcing 25 turnovers against Kent State (Nov. 23). The 54 turnovers in a two-game span are the most under Jim Flanery and the most since the 1999 team swiped a combined 55 in a two-game span against USC and Wyoming.

Out of Action
The Jays have lost two players for the season due knee injuries, marking the third straight season knee problems have forced a Bluejay to miss the season. This year, junior Chevelle Herring and freshman Abby Henry are both out for the year due to injuries. Herring had surgery on an injured knee in early November, while Henry suffered a torn ACL in preseason practice. Last year Kelsey Crites went down with a torn ACL in the sixth game of the year and earned a medical redshirt. In 2005-06, Megan Neuvirth suffered a knee injury in the first official practice of the fall and missed the season. Herring and Henry will apply for medical redshirts at the end of the year.

90 for 90
Creighton scored 90 points against Memphis (Nov. 19) and helped head coach Jim Flanery capture his 90th career win. It was the sixth time under Flanery the Jays have scored at least 90, improving to 6-0 when reaching that mark since 2002-03.

More High Water Marks
In addition to being the largest margin of victory (33) and the most points scored by the Bluejay bench (50) in the Flanery era, the 48 points CU scored in the paint against Memphis on Nov. 19 were the most under Flanery. CU also forced 29 turnovers in the game, tying the high mark for a Flanery team set against Southern Illinois on Jan. 16, 2003. The Bluejays scored 36 points off the 29 turnovers, the second-most points off turnovers under Flanery, as the Jays scored 39 points off of Evansville turnovers on Feb. 13, 2003.

Shooting Woes at Rutgers
The Bluejays lost 62-43 at No. 6 Rutgers (Nov. 16). CU shot just 22 percent in the loss, its worst shooting performance since shooting 19.7 percent at Northwestern on Nov. 21, 2003.

They're Back
Creighton had no seniors on the roster last year and returns 10 of 11 letterwinners and all five starters from last year's team. The only player not returning is role-player Jess Lammers, therefore the Jays are returning 99.6 percent of scoring and 99.5 percent of minutes played from last year's team. All but one (Katie Frank) of the 10 returners started at least two games for the Jays last year.

Nebraska Flavor
Over half of Creighton's 13 players on the roster this season are playing collegiate basketball in their home state. Bellevue natives Abby Henry (West), 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).

Senior Citizens
Sara Cain and Ally Thrall are seniors on this year's team, one year removed from a “senior-less” squad. Last year marked the first time since 1990-91 that the Bluejays did not have a senior. CU followed up that team without seniors by logging a school-record 28 wins and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Five Starters Back
The Bluejays have all five starters back from last year's team after opening last season with just one returning starter. Senior Ally Thrall was the only player to start all 32 games last year, while Sara Cain started 29 and Michelle Kaus started 26. Megan Neuvirth (19) and Sam Schuett (18) are also considered returning starters. Kristina Voss (16) and Chevelle Herring (15) also started for a good portion of the season, while Kelsey Crites and Tyrai Bronson also earned a pair of starts each. This marks the first time since 1990-91 that the Bluejays have returned all five starters. That 1990-91 squad finished 22-7.

All in the Family
Freshman Kelsey Woodard is following in the footsteps of older sister Kristi, who played at Creighton from 2002-06 and is now the graduate manager for the Jays. Kelsey is wearing the same No. 3 that Kristi wore during her playing career. The Woodard's sister in-law, Heidi Geier Woodard is in the CU Athletics Hall of Fame for her softball career in the late 1990s.

Blog Me
Senior guard Ally Thrall has her own blog on the Creighton athletics website at www.gocreighton.com. “Thrall's Thoughts” gives fans insights to the team through the eyes of one of its co-captains. The public relations / advertising major updates the blog once a week.

We're Moving
Creighton broke ground for a new on-campus women's basketball and volleyball facility on Oct. 16. The Ryan Athletics Center and D.J. Sokol Arena, a 46,000 square-foot facility, will house a gym seating 2,500 to 3,000, women's basketball and volleyball coaches 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 by the end of 2008.

Put it in Neutral
For the first time in women's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament history, the event will be played at a neutral site. The 10-team event will take place in St. Charles, Mo. (a suburb of St. Louis) on March 13-16 at The Family Arena. The neutral site will be a welcome site for league members who have not hosted the event over the past four seasons. The host school won the tournament in 2004 (Missouri State), 2005 (Illinois State), 2006 (Missouri State) and 2007 (Drake). In each of the last three seasons, the host school has been the seventh or eighth seed.

Women's Basketball Hosts League-Leading Illinois State Friday

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Players Mentioned

Tyrai Bronson

Sara Cain

Kelsey Crites

Katie Frank

Chevelle Herring

Michelle Kaus

Jess Lammers

Kellie Nelson

Megan Neuvirth

Sam Schuett

Ally Thrall

Kristina Voss

Kelsey Woodard

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