Women's Basketball on ESPNU at Drake Saturday

Game 21 at Drake ? Saturday, Feb. 9 ? 11:00 a.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Drake Bulldogs
Knapp Center ? Des Moines, Iowa
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com
Television: ESPNU
Series History: Drake leads 32-15
Last Meeting: DU won 73-51 in Omaha, Jan. 12, 2008

? The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, with Dave Kaplan and Sarah Kustok calling the action.

? The game can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com. Brad Burwell and Rob Simms will call the action.

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

? Creighton leads the MVC and ranks 18th in the NCAA with 7.1 three-pointers per game.

? Des Moines native Ally Thrall leads the MVC in 3FG percentage, shooting 44.2 percent from long range on the season.

? CU has out-rebounded its opponent in seven straight games and 8-of-9 MVC games to lead the Valley with a plus-7.9 rebounding margin in conference play.

? Freshman Kelsey Woodard is the reigning MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week - just the second player in league history to earn the honors simultaneously. While her four Newcomer of the Week nods this year have tied the CU and Valley record.

? CU's win over No. 24 Illinois State last Saturday was its first win over a ranked opponent since 1999.

? CU is 15-32 all-time against Drake, including 6-18 (five straight losses) in Des Moines.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton enters the week on a four-game winning streak and looking for its first five-game winning streak and three-game road winning streak since the 2004-05 season ... During CU's four-game streak, the Jays are shooting 44.5 percent from the field and out-rebounding opponents by 8.8 boards per game ... While CU leads the MVC with a plus-7.9 rebounding margin in conference play, it ranks last in MVC play with a minus-5.9 turnover margin ... The Jays rank second in the MVC and 21st in the NCAA, shooting 75.4 percent at the free-throw line ... Rookie Kelsey Woodard leads the team, shooting 87.8 percent at the line ... Woodard is averaging a team-best 14 points per game during CU's four-game streak and a team-high 13 points per game in MVC play ... Senior Sara Cain leads the team with 10.2 points per game, and tops the MVC, shooting 94.7 percent at the free-throw line in Valley play ... Sam Schuett is averaging 10.8 points per game over her last four and tops the team with 6.5 rebounds per gam on the year ... Center Kristina Voss leads the MVC, shooting 55.6 percent from the field.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Drake, the preseason MVC favorite, has lost two straight and three of its last five after a six-game winning streak ... The Bulldogs are the top defensive team in the MVC, allowing just 60.5 points per game on the year and only 58.7 points in Valley play ... Drake ranks second in the MVC in both assist-turnover ratio (0.9) and fewest turnovers per game (13.9) ... The DU offense averages 69.1 points per game, led by the MVC's leading scorer Jill Martin's 17.2 ppg ... Martin tops DU and is second in the MVC with 8.4 rebounds per game, while leading the MVC with eight double-doubles ... Lindsay Whorton, who ranks third in the MVC with 2.4 3FG per game, is the only other Bulldog to average double figures with 14.8 points per game ... Jordann Plummer adds 9.2 ppg and leads the team with 38 steals ... Lauren Dybing chips in 8.6 ppg and tops the team with 22 blocked shots.

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 101-75 (.574). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Drake is coached Nebraska native Amy Stephens (Nebraska, 1991). Stephens is 74-68 in her fifth season at Drake, while the former Nebraska-Kearney coach is 271-111 in her 13th year of coaching.

Creighton-Drake Series
Drake leads the all-time series with Creighton, 32-15. The Jays are 6-18 against Drake in Des Moines, including five straight losses at the Knapp Center. Jim Flanery is 5-8 against Drake, while DU has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series. DU's 73-51 win over CU last month in Omaha was the worst home loss for CU under Flanery and CU's worst home defeat in over seven years. DU limited CU to season lows of one three-pointer on just seven attempts. Last year the teams split the regular-season series, with each team winning on its home court. The teams then squared off in an unlikely MVC Tournament championship game, with Drake needing overtime to get by the Bluejays 65-64 on March 11 in Des Moines. Sara Cain scored a career-high 24 points in the championship game for Creighton.

Taking a Knapp
CU has lost five straight games to the Bulldogs at the Knapp Center, including two last year. The Jays are just 6-18 all-time against Drake in Des Moines. Overall, Creighton is 9-16 (against all opponents) at the Knapp Center, including 6-4 in the MVC Tournament, after going 2-1 at the event last year. CU has not defeated Drake in the Knapp Center since a 70-56 win on Feb. 23, 2003. After upsetting Indiana State and Illinois State in the MVC Tournament here last year, Drake topped the Jays 65-64 in overtime of the championship game (see page 9 of notes for that box score).

Individuals Against the Bulldogs
Des Moines native Ally Thrall averaged 15.5 points per game against Drake as a sophomore, but was held to just two points in the first meeting between teams this year ? she averages 6.8 ppg against DU in her career. Sara Cain averaged 17.3 points per game against DU last year, including a career-high 24 points, and averages 9.1 ppg against the Bulldogs in her career. Sam Schuett averages 7.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Megan Neuvirth adds 6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game against the Bulldogs.

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. 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.

Four Straight Wins
Creighton has rebounded from a three-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak entering play on Saturday. During the streak, the Bluejays are averaging 71.5 points per game and allowing 65.8. CU is shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from three-point range while averaging 8.0 three-pointers per game during the streak. The Jays are averaging 40.5 rebounds per game and own a plus-8.8 rebounding margin over the last four games. Freshman Kelsey Woodard is leading the Jays with 14 ppg during the streak, while she is shooting 50 percent (10-20) from three-point range and averaging 3.5 assists per game during the span. Ally Thrall is 9-for-21 (.429) from three-point range during the streak and averaging 12.5 points and 5.0 assists per game. Sam Schuett is coming off the bench to average 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over the last four, shooting 7-for-16 (.438) from beyond the arc. Megan Neuvirth leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game during the streak.

Woodard Earns MVC Honors
Kelsey Woodard was named both the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week on Monday after scoring a game-high 20 points in each of CU's road wins last 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. It also marks the fourth time she has earned Newcomer of the Week accolades this year, tying a school and MVC record which Megan Neuvirth established last year. 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 last week, 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.

Iowa Natives
Four Bluejays will be playing in their home state on Saturday, including seniors Ally Thrall (Des Moines) and Sara Cain (Walford). Junior Kristina Voss (Ankeny) and sophomore Kelsey Crites (Clinton) are also playing in their home state. Head coach Jim Flanery is also an Iowa native, a Guthrie Center High School graduate.

Lucky 13
Creighton has already equalled last year's win total of 13 with at least 10 games left in the season for the Jays. The 2006-07 team finished 13-19 for a second-straight losing record by the Bluejays. In the previous 34 years of Creighton women's basketball, the Jays have never had three straight losing seasons.

Sister Act
With older sister Kristi watching from the Bluejay bench as the graduate manager, Kelsey Woodard shot her way past big sister last week. With 20 points at Indiana State last Thursday, 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 has already made more three-pointers (32-18), more free-throws (43-23) and dished more assists (46-20) than her older sister did in her all-MVC freshman team campaign.

Put Me in Coach
Kelsey Woodard has started the last five games for the Bluejays and made six starts this year as a freshman. The Jays are 5-1 with Woodard in the starting line-up and 8-6 with her coming off the bench. Woodard is averaging 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shooting 48.4 percent (15-31) from three-point range as a starter, compared to 7.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 35.4 percent (17-48) from three-point range as a reserve. CU is averaging 70 points per game or 3.4 more ppg when Woodard starts.

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.

Neuvirth for Three?
Megan Neuvirth entered last Saturday's game at No. 24 Illinois State 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.

Give us a Second Chance
Creighton has scored 266 second-chance points this year, for an average of 13.3 per game ? 4.7 more second-chance points than its opponents. During CU's four-game winning streak the Jays have won by an average of 5.8 points, while they have averaged nine more second chance points per game (14-5) than their opponents in that span. The Jays have out-scored their opponents 56-20 in second chance points over their last four games.

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 ?? ??
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

The Energizer Bluejay
Senior Ally Thrall played all 80 minutes in Creighton's two games last week and has played in 151 of CU's 160 minutes during the Jays' four-game winning streak. Thrall has played in 29 career “complete games”, 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.

Cleaning the Glass
Creighton has out-rebounded its opponents in seven straight games and eight of its first nine MVC games. CU has a league-leading plus-7.9 rebounding margin in MVC play after topping Illinois State on the glass, 33-27, in a win last Saturday. CU has been out-rebounded just five times in 20 games this year.

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.

Ally Cat Keeps Climbing
Senior Ally Thrall begins the week with 970 career points, just 30 shy of becoming the 19th member of the 1,000-point club at Creighton. The guard is now ranked seventh in school history with 140 career three-pointers, 11 shy of moving into sixth place.

Individual League Leaders
Three Bluejays lead the league in statistical categories entering the week. Junior center Kristina Voss tops the MVC, shooting 55.6 percent from the field. Senior guard Ally Thrall is shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range this season to lead the MVC. Senior forward Sara Cain is 18-of-19 from the free-throw line in MVC play, leading the conference with a 94.7 free-throw percentage in league play.

Team League Leaders
The Bluejays begin the week leading the league with 7.1 three-point field goals made per game, both on the year and in MVC play. In conference play the Jays lead the league with 43.8 rebounds per game and a plus-7.9 rebounding margin.

Voss Names Scholar of the Week
Kristina Voss averaged a double-double in road wins at Indiana State and No. 24 Illinois State last week, 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 honoreee, 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.

Close Call Against Drake
Creighton was limited to a season-low one three-pointer against Drake (Jan. 12), shooting just 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, after attempting better than 21 treys per game through their first 13. The one trey marked CU's lowest three-point total since going 1-for-4 from long range against Minnesota on Nov. 28, 2004. The one make kept a streak of 221 straight games with a made three-pointer alive, dating back to Dec. 21, 2000. CU last did not make a three-pointer on Dec. 20, 2000, when it was 0-for-11 from downtown against Alabama.

Beating the Best
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.

Road Weary Warriors
While Creighton has pulled even at 2-2 on the MVC road this year, the Jays are 5-6 on the road this season, compared to 7-1 at home. The Jays score more, shoot better and take better care of the ball at home. Statistical comparisons below:

Statistic Home Away
Record 7-1 5-6
PPG 72.8 63.5
Opp. PPG 32.2 68.2
FG% 43.1 38.2
Opp. FG% 38.0 44.5
3FG% 38.8 32.4
Opp. 3FG% 26.8 32.8
Reb. Margin +5.9 +4.1
Asst. / game 17.6 13.3
TO / game 17.3 18.8
TO margin -0.9 -4.5

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Thoughts on Thrall
Ally Thrall poured in a career-high 23 points, including seven of CU's eight overtime points, in the Jays win over Missouri State (Jan. 6). She surpassed 900 career points on Jan. 6 and is on pace to become the 19th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points.

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.

Woodard Named Newcomer Again
For the third time this season, Kelsey Woodard was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 7. The rookie averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in her first two conference games, leading the team with 13 points against Wichita State (Jan. 4) and then notching her first career double-double with 12 points and career-high 10 rebounds against Missouri State (Jan. 6).

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.

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.

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

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 13-1 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.

Woodard Named Newcomer of the Week
For the second time in the first six weeks of the season, freshman Kelsey Woodard was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 17). The rookie led a near-upset for the Bluejays at Iowa State (Dec. 16), scoring the final eight points of the first half to cap an 18-3 CU run, giving the Jays a 28-22 lead. She finished with a team-high 12 points, making 3-of-4 field goals and 2-of-3 three-pointers, while adding a pair of assists and rebounds.

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.

Exhibition Recap
Creighton cruised past Division II Central Missouri 88-48 on Nov. 1 in its only exhibition game this 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. Senior Ally Thrall was joined by freshmen Kellie Nelson and Kelsey Woodard with 12 points each. In fact, both freshmen 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.

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.

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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