Women's Basketball Releases 2008-09 Schedule

OMAHA, Neb. ? Creighton released its always challenging women's basketball schedule Monday afternoon. Over half of the Bluejays' non-conference opponents appeared in the 2008 postseason, with four advancing past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays will play five teams from the Big 12 Conference during their non-conference slate, before opening Missouri Valley Conference play at last year's tournament champion, Illinois State, on New Year's Day.

The Bluejays begin play with a pair of home exhibition contests against Division II foes Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 4) and Central Missouri (Nov. 8).

Creighton tips off the regular-season on Nov. 14 at Arkansas State. A battle with in-state rival Nebraska on Nov. 17 will serve as CU's home opener. The Jays then turn around to host another Big 12 foe, Iowa State on Nov. 23. Both the Huskers and Cyclones won first-round NCAA Tournament games last year.

Fellow Jesuit institution Saint Louis in on the CU docket for the first time in 21 seasons, as CU will play at SLU on Nov. 25, before returning home to host Denver (Nov. 30).

December begins with three Big 12 opponents, at Oklahoma (Dec. 3), at Kansas State (Dec. 9) and at home against Kansas on Dec. 13. Both OU and K-State were victorious in their NCAA Tournament first-round games last year, while KU advanced deep in the WNIT postseason.

The Jays play host to another 2008 WNIT team on Dec. 20, when UC Davis comes to the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Colorado State is in Omaha the following day to wrap up CU's home non-conference slate. A trip to North Dakota State (Dec. 29) concludes non-conference play for the Bluejays.

CU opens the New Year and MVC schedule at Illinois State and Indiana State. The Jays' first home conference opponent is Missouri State on Jan. 8. After a Jan. 10 home contests against Wichita State, the Jays head back to Illinois and Indiana to face Southern Illinois (Jan. 15) and Evansville (Jan. 17). UNI (Jan. 23) and Bradley (Jan. 25) head to Omaha before the Jays end January at Drake on the 31st.

February begins with a trip to Missouri State and Wichita State, before UE and SIU head to Omaha on Valentine's Day weekend. The Jays then play at Bradley and UNI before ending February with a Friday night home game against Drake on the 27th. The home contest against Drake will be the first regular-season women's basketball game ever played at Qwest Center Omaha.

The regular-season wraps with home contests against Indiana State (March 5) and Illinois State (March 7).

For the second straight year, the State Farm MVC Tournament will be held at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. This year's event tips off on Thursday, March 12 and concludes with the championship game on Sunday, March 15.

Creighton returns three starters from a squad which appeared in its fourth postseason WNIT in the last six years. The Jays finished with a 21-12 overall record last year, including a fourth-place finish in the MVC at 12-6.

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