Women's Basketball Hosts Indiana State on Senior Day

Game 27 vs. Indiana State ? Sunday, March 2 ? 1:05 p.m.
Indiana State Sycamores at Creighton Bluejays
Omaha Civic Auditorium ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com ? TV: ESPNU
Series History: Creighton leads 25-11
Last Meeting: CU won 68-60 in Terre Haute, Jan. 31, 2008

? The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Dan McLaughlin and Kelly Cizek Hanfelt 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.

? CU will honor seniors Sara Cain and Ally Thrall following Sunday's game.

? Cain had a season-high 15 points and career-high 14 rebounds vs. Illinois State on Friday for her first career double-double.

? Thrall poured in a career-high 26 points against Illinois State on Friday.

? Creighton is 10-1 at home this year, averaging 73.3 points per game at the Civic.

? Creighton leads the MVC and ranks 10th in the NCAA, shooting 77.2 percent at the free-throw line.

? CU leads the MVC with 40.7 rebounds per game, 43.4 boards per MVC game and is tops in Valley play with a plus-8.9 rebounding margin.

? CU is 25-11 all-time against Indiana State, including 12-3 in Omaha.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton is 8-2 in its last 10 games and has won five straight home games ... The Bluejays' 10-1 home mark is the best by the Jays since the 2003-04 WNIT Champions went 12-1 ... They average 73.3 points per home game, compared to 62.2 in road games ... The Jays are 16-1 this year when shooting at least 40 percent from the field ... CU has been out-rebounded just once in its last 13 games and has out-rebounded its last four opponents by an average of 13.4 ... While CU leads the league in MVC play with a plus-8.9 rebounding margin, it ranks last with a minus-5.4 turnover margin ... Ally Thrall leads the Jays with 11.6 points per game at home and is averaging 18 points per game over her last three ... Thrall leads the MVC, shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range ... Sara Cain leads the team with 16 double-figure scoring games this year ... Five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, freshman Kelsey Woodard leads the team with 12.2 points per game in MVC play ... Kristina Voss leads the team and is second in the MVC, shooting 53.7 percent from the floor.

Scouting the Sycamores
The Sycamores 3-9 on the road this year, including 1-7 in the MVC ... ISU's only road MVC win came at Missouri State ... ISU ranks second in the MVC in free-throw percentage, at 77.0 percent ... ISU ranks last in the MVC in rebounding margin with a minus-5.0 deficit on the boards, while it ranks ninth in the MVC with 6.9 steals per game ... ISU ranks second in the MVC with 6.6 three-pointers made per game ... First-Team Academic All-American Laura Rudolphi scored a career-high 27 points against MSU last week ... On the season she leads the team with 15.3 ppg and tops the league with 45 blocked shots ... Kelsey Luna adds 11.9 ppg, leads the league with 60 three-pointers made this season and leads the team with 42 steals ... Angela Phillips leads the team with 4.3 assists per game and scores 12.6 ppg ... Maria Olsthoorn leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.

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 105-77 (.577), including 6-7 against Indiana State. Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Indiana State is coach by Jim Wiedie (Kent State, 1988), in his eighth year at ISU. The two-time MVC Coach of the Year owns a 139-90 mark as a collegiate head coach.

Creighton-Indiana State Series
Creighton leads the all-time series with Indiana State, 25-11, including 12-3 in Omaha. The Sycamores have won each of the last two meetings with CU in Omaha, while the Bluejays have won the last two overall meetings after dropping six straight in the series. The Bluejays overcame a nine-point halftime deficit at Terre Haute to defeat ISU 68-60 earlier this season. Kelsey Woodard led all players with 20 points and five three-pointers. The Jays held ISU to just five second-half field goals in out-scoring the Sycamores 40-23 after halftime. CU overcame a 19-point deficit against ISU in the 2007 MVC Tournament quarterfinals to end the Sycamores season 69-65, led by Sam Schuett's then career-best 22 points. Last year in Omaha, ISU edged the Bluejays 69-64 on March 1.

Individuals Against the Sycamores
Helped by her career-game, Sam Schuett averaged 12.7 points against ISU last year. Schuett poured in 22 points, seven rebounds and five steals against ISU in the MVC tournament last year. Megan Neuvirth approached a triple-double in CU's loss to ISU in Omaha last year, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and career-high seven steals. She added 12 points and eight rebounds against ISU in the MVC tourney. Last year she averaged 10 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game against ISU. Kristina Voss pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds against Indiana State on Jan. 31 in Terre Haute and added 13 points for a double-double. Kelsey Woodard was one of four Bluejays in double figures in this year's first meeting with ISU, pouring in a game-high 20 points, making 5-of-7 three-pointers.

Cain is Able
Senior Sara Cain waited until her 114th career game to record her first double-double, doing so in fine fashion against Illinois State on Friday night. Cain scored a season-high 15 points and added a career-high 14 rebounds for her first collegiate double-dime.

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 1,047 points.

The Ally Way
Ally Thrall scored a career-high 26 points in CU's overtime win over Illinois State on Friday night. Thrall launched a career-high 23 shots in the win, the most field goal attempts by a Bluejay since Angie Janis unloaded 23 attempts against Evansville on Feb. 19, 2006. It marked the second time this season Thrall notched a career-high in a home overtime win for the Bluejays - as she scored 23 against Missouri State on Jan. 6.

Home Court Advantage
Creighton is 10-1 at home this season, including 7-1 in MVC play. With a win on Sunday, the Jays would finish 8-1 or better at home in conference play for the fifth time in the last seven years. CU was undefeated (9-0) at home in MVC play in both 2001-02 and 2002-03 and then went 8-1 at home in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. Since 2001-02, the Jays are now 49-13 (.790) at home in conference play.

Working Overtime
Creighton improved to 2-1 in overtime games this year with an 80-77 win over Illinois State on Friday. The Bluejays also topped Missouri State 79-73 (Jan. 6) at home and fell at SIU (Jan. 20) 75-74 in OT. 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 9-5 in overtime games under Jim Flanery (since 2002-03).

Close Calls Go Our Way
Creighton's three-point win over Illinois State on Friday was the Bluejays' eighth game this season decided by five points or less. The Bluejays improved to 6-2 in such games this season and are 31-18 in games decided by five points or less under Jim Flanery.

Fabulous Free-Throw Shooting
Creighton leads the MVC and ranks 10th 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 85.7 percent (78-91) at the line in its last five games.

More Free-Throw Info
Ally Thrall has moved into elite company on the career free-throw percentage list. Thrall is now 180-for-219 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. Kelsey Woodard ranks third in single-season CU history (trailing only sister Kristi who owns the top two spots), shooting 85.5 percent at the stripe this year. Sam Schuett ranks fourth at 85.0 percent and Kristina Voss ranks 10th in CU single-season history, shooting 81.1 percent at the free-throw line.

Thrall Ball
Ally Thrall has led the Bluejays in scoring in each of the last three games. In that span she is averaging 18 points per game, including a career-high 26 points against Illinois State on Friday. In the last nine games, the Jays are 8-2 and Thrall has scored in double figures in seven of the 10 games. She is averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 assists per game in CU's last 10 games.

Home Sweet Home
Creighton is 6-8 in true road games this year, including 3-4 in MVC play, compared to 10-1 at home overall and 7-1 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 10-1 6-8
PPG 73.3 62.2
Opp. PPG 64.1 66.1
FG% 43.8 37.8
Opp. FG% 38.4 42.9
3FG% 36.8 32.7
Opp. 3FG% 29.8 32.3
Reb. Margin +8.1 +4.7
Asst. / game 16.4 12.9
TO / game 17.2 19.0
TO margin -2.1 -4.4

She Keeps Going and Going and Going ...
Senior Ally Thrall played all 45 minutes of Creighton's win over Illinois State (Feb. 29) for her 31st career “complete game” ? including playing all 45 minutes of an overtime game five 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 six times this season.

February Success
Creighton went 5-2 in February, posting its first winning February since the 2003-04 season. In the previous three Febs, the Jays were 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 20-21 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 Bluejay 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.

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.

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.

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 11-2. Woodard did not score in double figures in either of CU's road games last weekend and the Jays are 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 16-1, 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 9-3 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 (Feb. 17), 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 eight 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-8.9 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.

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 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.

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).

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 10-5 ??
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

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.

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 Jays 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 Indiana State on Senior Day

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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