Bluejay Women Head to SIU and Evansville

Game 16 at Southern Illinois ? Thursday, Jan. 15 ? 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Southern Illinois Salukis
SIU Arena ? Carbondale, Ill.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com ? Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: Creighton leads 24-15
Last Meeting: CU won 62-59 in Omaha, Feb. 14, 2008

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

? Live video and live stats for this game and select road games can be found at www.gocreighton.com.

? Kelsey Woodard is averaging 17.6 points and shooting 21-for-41 (.512) from three-point range in her last five games.

? Woodard ranks seventh in the NCAA with 3.0 three-pointers per game.

? CU ranks 11th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game, 11th in three-point field goal percentage and 17th in three-pointers per game.

? CU shot 15-of-23 from three-point range against Missouri State (Jan. 8), just one trey shy of the school record.

? Creighton's 58.6 field goal percentage against Missouri State (Jan. 8) was the best shooting day by the Jays in nearly 13 years.

? Stephani Rhoten scored a career-high 12 points and Kellie Nelson had a season-high 13 points against Missouri State on Jan. 8.

? Kristina Voss averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per game against SIU last year.

? CU has lost three straight games at SIU Arena and is 10-8 all-time in Carbondale.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton has won two straight and will look to get its overall record to .500 for the first time this season when it plays at SIU ... The Jays are 2-5 on the road this year, including 0-2 in MVC play ... CU had the strongest non-conference strength of schedule in the MVC, including five games with Big 12 foes and three top-25 opponents ... The Bluejays lead the MVC with 7.4 three-point field goals made per game, including 8.5 per game in MVC play ... CU ranks 11th in the NCAA with only 14.1 turnovers per game and is 11th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.389) ... Junior Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC and is 29th in the NCAA with 9.9 rebounds per game, while she tops the team in assists, steals and blocked shots ... Sophomore Kelsey Woodard leads the Jays and is second in the MVC with 17.8 points per game in Valley play ... Junior Chevelle Herring leads the team and ranks fourth in the MVC with 14.9 points per game ... Herring, Woodard and Neuvirth rank 1-2-3 in minutes played in the MVC ... Starters Michelle Kaus and Sam Schuett are both injured and out for the year.

Scouting the Salukis
Southern Illinois is 4-8 on the year and has dropped its first three MVC games of the season ... The Salukis are 3-1 at home this year, and will play their first MVC home game of the season against CU ... SIU ranks last in the MVC in scoring and field goal percent defense, allowing opponents to average 70.5 points and shoot 45.5 percent from the field ... SIU has made the fewest three-pointers in the MVC (49), while it ranks ninth in the Valley with a 28.2 three-point field goal percentage ... SIU also ranks last, with just 31.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game ... Jasmine Gibson tops the team with 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while she ranks second in the MVC with a 53.1 field goal percentage ... Erica Smith follows with 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game ... Katrina Swingler adds 10.2 points per game, leading the MVC with a 93.8 free-throw percentage.

The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) has led his team to four WNIT postseason appearances and three 20-win seasons in his first six seasons at Creighton. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history and led the Jays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. Now in his seventh season at CU, his overall mark is 116-88 (.569). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Dana Eikenberg (Penn State, 1992) is in her fifth year at Southern Illinois, where she is 48-81 (.372). The 2007 MVC Coach of the Year led SIU to the 2007 MVC Championship and WNIT, but has has not won more than 10 games in her other three seasons at SIU. She's in her ninth year as a collegiate head coach with an 86-155 (.357) overall record.

CU-SIU Series History
Creighton leads the all-time series with Southern Illinois 24-15, including a 10-8 record in Carbondale. CU is 2-5 in its last seven meetings with SIU, including three straight losses in SIU Arena. CU's last win in Carbondale came on Dec. 31, 2004. CU lost 75-74 in overtime at SIU last Jan. 20. CU won 62-59 in the last meeting between the teams in Omaha last February. Jim Flanery is 7-6 all-time against the Salukis.

Last Year vs. Southern Illinois
Creighton and SIU each won on its home court last year, with SIU winning 75-74 in overtime in Carbondale on Jan. 20. CU edged SIU 62-59 in Omaha on Feb. 14. Creighton, which shot 35.3 percent from three-point range last year, made just 5-of-19 (.263) three-pointers against SIU in two games. Kelsey Woodard scored nine of CU's 12 points in overtime, leading all players with 25 points in the Jays' loss. Kristina Voss added a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds in defeat. SIU's Jayme Sweere scored the game-winning bucket with 10.2 seconds left. Woodard led the Jays with 14 points in Omaha, making all eight of her free-throws against SIU. She scored 12 of her 14 points in the final 7:30 of the game. Megan Neuvirth added 13 points and three steals. CU's streak of 228 straight games with a three-pointer came to an end, as the Jays went 0-for-6 from long range in the win. CU did shoot 44 percent from the field and 85.7 percent at the line (18-21) in the win. In two games last year, the Jays out-rebounded the Salukis 89-67 for an average margin of plus 11 on the glass.

Individuals vs. Southern Illinois
In two games as a freshman last year, Kelsey Woodard averaged 19.5 points against the Salukis, including 25 in SIU Arena. She was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line and hit 42.9 percent of her field goals against SIU. Kristina Voss averaged a double-double against SIU last year with 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per game, while she averages 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds against SIU in her career. Megan Neuvirth averages 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game against the Salukis in her career.

Kelsey Can
Kelsey Woodard leads the Jays and ranks second in the MVC, with 17.8 points per game in Valley play. She's averaging 17.6 points in her last five games, in which she is shooting 21-of-41 (.512) from three-point range. Woodard ranks third in the MVC and seventh in the NCAA with 3.0 three-pointers per game.

Woodard's January Warming Trend
Sophomore Kelsey Woodard is shooting 39.9 percent from three-point range in her career, but she's an even better shooter in the month of January. Including her 17-of-36 (.472) start to this month, in her career, she is shooting 49.3 percent (36-of-73) from long range in the month of January. She also averages 14.0 points per game in January, compared to 7.7 points per game during other months of the season.

Getting More from Moore
Freshman DaNae Moore had a career-game in CU's 53-45 win over Wichita State on Jan. 10. The rookie guard pulled down a game-high and career-best 12 rebounds, and scored a career-high nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. In MVC play she is averaging 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while her 11 offensive boards in Valley play are second on the team.

Milestone Watch
Kelsey Woodard will look to become the 13th player in school history to make 100 three-pointers in her career when the Jays play on the road this week. Woodard enters the week with 97 career three-pointers made. Earlier this season, Michelle Kaus pushed her career three-point total to 101 to become the 12th player in school history to eclipse 100 trifectas.

Statistical Rankings
Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC with 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 offensive rebounds per game. Chevelle Herring leads the MVC with 37.3 minutes per game, Kelsey Woodard is second with 36.7 minutes and Neuvirth is third with 35.8 minutes played per game. Neuvirth ranks 29th in NCAA in rebounds per game. As a team the Bluejays lead the MVC with 7.4 three-pointers per game, 17th in the NCAA. They are second in the MVC and 11th in the nation with a 38.9 three-point field-goal percentage. Woodard ranks third in the MVC and seventh in the NCAA with 3.0 three-pointers per game.

Best Strength of Schedule
Creighton's strength of schedule as of Jan. 13 was a league-best 40 according to RealTimeRPI.com. Indiana State's was 46 to help the average strength of schedule of the the other nine MVC teams sit at 151. SIU's SOS is 135 and Evansville's is 133.

Turnover Topic
Creighton leads the MVC with the fewest turnovers per game, while its 14.1 turnovers per game ranks 11th in the NCAA this week. Those numbers are all the more impressive when noting the Jays lost four-year starting point Ally Thrall after last season. The Jays averaged 17.3 turnovers per game last year.

It's Raining Threes
Creighton dropped in a season-high 15 three-pointers in its 92-63 victory over Missouri State (Jan. 8). The 15 treys were the most by a Bluejay squad since making 15 against Evansville on Jan. 18, 2003. It marked the most three-pointers ever made by a Lady Bear opponent and fell one shy of the CU record set in 1989 and four shy of the MVC record which Missouri State set in 2005.

More Three Information
Creighton shot 65.2 percent from three-point range against Missouri State (Jan. 8), making 15-of-23. It was the best three-point shooting day by the Jays since hitting 12-of-18 (.667) against Iowa on Dec. 8, 2002.

Shooting Woes Cured by Civic
Creighton shot 30.8 percent from the field during a three-game road trip (Dec. 29-Jan. 3), including a season-low 24.2 percent at Illinois State (Jan. 1). The Jays entered their game with Missouri State on Jan. 8 ranked last in the MVC in field goal percentage at 35.8 percent ? the lowest shooting percentage by a Bluejay team since 1978-79. But upon returning home, the Jays shot a season-high 58.6 percent from the field (34-58) and 65.2 percent from three-point range (15-23) against MSU.

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot ...
... and keep shooting. The Jays shot 58.6 percent from the field against Missouri State on Jan. 8, the best shooting day by a Bluejay team in nearly 13 years. The field goal percentage was the highest by a CU squad since they shot 63.2 percent at Bradley on Feb. 8, 1996.

Not So Rocky Rhoten
Sophomore Stephani Rhoten established career-highs by scoring 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range in just nine minutes against Missouri State (Jan. 8). Rhoten entered the game with 13 points in her first 12 games on 3-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-9 shooting from three-point range.

Nelson Ratings
Sophomore Kellie Nelson scored a season-high 13 points, dished two assists, had a blocked shot and a steal against Missouri State (Jan. 8). She tied her career-high with six field goals, finishing 6-of-7 from the field in the win.

Neuvirth Giveth and She Taketh Away
Megan Neuvirth leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with 35 steals, while she also tops the team and ranks fifth in the MVC with 3.6 assists per game. Neuvirth tied her career-high with eight assists against Missouri State on Jan. 8. She also tied for game-high honors with three steals in the win.

Woodard For Three (x7)
Kelsey Woodard made a career-high seven three-pointers at Indiana State (Jan. 3), including six in the first half. Her seven treys were the most by a Bluejay since current assistant coach Dayna Finch drained seven at Iowa on Dec. 28, 2003. She is one of just six players in CU history to make at least seven in a game, while her seven trifectas are tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history.

Don't Step Any Closer (Than 19'9”)
While Creighton ranks eighth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.374) and free-throw percentage (.667), the Jays rank second in the league and 11th in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (.389). Creighton's 41.5 three-point field goal percentage in MVC play leads the league. CU's 7.4 three-pointers per game tops the MVC and ranks 17th in the NCAA, while they are averaging 8.5 threes per game in MVC play.

Six in Double Figures
SIx Bluejays scored in double figures against Missouri State (Jan. 8), led by Kelsey Woodard's 19. The game marked the second time in three seasons CU has put six players in double figures, also pulling off the feat at Memphis on Dec. 6, 2006. Megan Neuvirth added 18, Chevelle Herring had 13 and Kristina Voss had 12. Stephani Rhoten scored a career-high 12 off the bench, and Kellie Nelson had a season-high 13 in a reserve role.

90 Points
Creighton's 92 points in a 92-63 win over Missouri State on Jan. 8, were the most scored by the Bluejays in regulation since a 96-86 win at Siena on March 22, 2003 in the WNIT. The 92 points were the most scored by the Jays since topping Wichita State 93-83 in overtime on Jan. 7, 2006. It marked the seventh time CU has scored 90 points for Jim Flanery, as CU improved to 7-0 when scoring 90 points since 2002-03.

That's Offensive
Creighton's offense was offensive in its last three road games, as CU totalled just 148 points in that span for an average of 49.3. That marked the lowest three-game point total by a Bluejay team since the 1981-82 team closed the season with just 131 points (43.7 per game) in its final three games.

More Offensive Numbers
After holding a 30-29 halftime lead at Illinois State (Jan. 1), the Jays were out-scored 34-13 in the second half. The 13 points in a half tied the lowest scoring half of basketball by the Bluejays since 2002-03. The Jays scored 13 points in the first half at Drake on Feb. 29, 2004 and had 13 points in the first half at Northwestern on Nov. 21, 2003.

Driving 60
In Jim Flanery's first six years at Creighton, the Bluejays never went more than two straight games scoring less than 60 points ? this year's team now has two three-game streaks of scoring less than 60 points in a game. Prior to this season, CU had not gone three consecutive games without scoring 60 since Dec., 2000.

Fifty-Fifty
Creighton held North Dakota State to just 40 points on Dec. 29, tying the lowest output by a Bluejay opponent under Jim Flanery. The Jays limited Wichita State to 45 points on Jan. 10, moving CU's record to 8-1 when holding teams below 50 since 2002-03. CU was then held to 43 points at Illinois State (Jan. 1), dropping to 1-10 under Flanery when failing to score 50 points.

Something New From Neuvirth
Junior Megan Neuvirth has added “shot-blocker” to her basketball resum? this season, as she leads the team and ranks third in the MVC with 24 blocked shots. With three blocked shots against North Dakota State (Dec. 29), she became the first Bluejay since Jenny Olson in 1994-95 to swat at least three shots in three straight games. Neuvirth blocked three against UC Davis (Dec. 20) and six against Colorado State (Dec. 21) before her three at NDSU. Olson had four, three and four blocked shots in a three-game span from Dec. 31, 1994 through Jan. 4, 1995. CU's all-time leading shot-blocker, Amy Hoffman, never had three straight games with at least three blocks.

Voss FT Streak Ends
Senior center Kristina Voss made 21 consecutive free-throw attempts before missing at Illinois State on Jan. 1. A career 71.9 percent free-throw shooter to begin the year, she started the season with an 0-for-4 performance at the line and was 4-for-10 after two games.

Megan's Double-Doubles
Megan Neuvirth has five double-doubles in 15 games this year, after posting four double-doubles in her first 55 career games (all as a freshman). Her most recent double-dime came with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Illinois State (Jan. 1). She had 26 points and 13 rebounds against UC Davis (Dec. 20) and followed with 18 points and 14 boards against Colorado State (Dec. 21). Of her nine career double-doubles, six of them have come in back-to-back games, including her first four this year.

Neuvirth's Numbers
Megan Neuvirth, an MVC All-Defensive Team honoree in the past, has proven to be far from one dimensional this year as she is enjoying her best season as a Bluejay. The junior forward leads the MVC and ranks 29th in the NCAA with 9.9 rebounds per game, while she also ranks in the MVC top-10 in several other statistical categories. She is the only player in the league to rank in the top-10 in rebounding (1st), three-point percentage (9th), assists (6th), steals (2nd) and blocked shots (3rd). She also tops the MVC with 3.6 offensive boards per game, ranks third in minutes per game (35.8) and is sixth in assist-TO ratio (0.9).

200
Creighton's game at North Dakota State marked the 200th for head coach Jim Flanery at the helm of the Bluejays. He is the third Bluejay coach to reach the 200 game plateau, following Bruce Rasmussen (343) and Connie Yori (285). Through 200 games, Rasmussen owned a record of 115-85 (.575), while Yori was 117-83 (.585) in her first 200 games at Creighton. Flanery was 114-86 (.570) through his first 200 games.

Player of the Week ? #2
Junior Megan Neuvirth was named the MVC Player of the Week on Dec. 22 following a pair of dominating performances. Neuvirth logged back-to-back double-doubles against UC Davis (Dec. 20) and Colorado State (Dec. 21). Against UCD, she poured in a career-high 26 points, including a career-best four three-pointers, to go along with 13 rebounds. Against CSU, she finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals. For the week she averaged 22 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

Player of the Week ? #1
Junior Chevelle Herring was named the MVC Player of the Week on Dec. 15 for her play against No. 25 Kansas State (Dec. 9) and Kansas (Dec. 13). For the week she averaged 27 points and four rebounds against the Big 12 foes. She poured in a game-high 23 at nationally-ranked K-State and followed with a career-high 31 points in a one-point overtime loss to Kansas. She also played every minute of both games. For the week she shot 48.7 percent (19-39) from the field, 50 percent (4-8) from three-point range and 75 percent (12-16) from the free-throw line.

Neuvirth on the Block
Megan Neuvirth had 23 career blocked shots through 65 games before this season, with a career-best 15 as a freshman. This year she has already swatted 23 shots through 14 games, including a career-high six blocks against Colorado State on Dec. 21. The six blocks were the most by a Bluejay since Amy Hoffman swatted six at Oregon State on Dec. 2, 2004. The CU record for blocks in a game is seven, done by Kris Kugel on Dec. 20, 1991 at Northern Iowa.

Move Evidence of a Tough Schedule
If having the strongest strength of schedule in the MVC wasn't proof enough of CU's tough slate, here is further. The Jays faced five Big 12 teams, five 20-win teams and four opponents which advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament last year. In addition to the four NCAA teams (Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma), the Jays also battled two WNIT teams in non-conference play (Kansas, UC Davis).

Herring Named All-Big 12
OK, not really, but junior Chevelle Herring could make a case to earn all-conference honors from the Big 12 this year after her play against the league. In five games against the league this year, she averaged 22.6 points per game. In each of the five games, she was the game's high-scorer, establishing a career-high in three games. She averaged 40.2 minutes per game, while shooting 44.4 percent (12-27) from three-point range and 77.8 percent (21-27) at the free-throw line. Herring scored a career-high 31 points against Kansas, in addition to 24 points against Iowa State and 23 against Kansas State.

30-Point Performance
Chevelle Herring poured in a career-high 31 points against Kansas on Dec. 13, the first Bluejay to score 30 in a game since Sam Schuett had 30 at Nebraska on Nov. 30, 2007. Herring became the fifth different player under head coach Jim Flanery (since 2002-03) to score at least 30 in a game, joining Schuett, Angie Janis, Laura Spanheimer and Christy Neneman. It marked the 10th time a player has scored at least 30 in a game under Flanery, as Neneman accomplished the feat five times with Flanery at the helm.

We're Hurting
Over half of Creighton's original 11-person roster has been affected by injury or illness this season, causing the Jays to add walk-on Michaela Kraft to the team.
First ? DaNae Moore breaks her right hand in preseason practice and misses both of CU's exhibition games.
Second ? Sam Schuett injures her left ankle in practice on Oct. 31, has surgery on Nov. 10 and will miss the season.
Third ? Michelle Kaus tears her left ACL for the second time in eight months against Nebraska on Nov. 17. She underwent surgery on Dec. 18 and will miss the remainder of the season.
Fourth ? Megan Neuvirth is struck with an illness which caused her to lose weight. Tests for mono were negative, however she did received an I-V before the game at Oklahoma (Dec. 3), but played all 40 minutes that night.
Fifth ? Kristina Voss sprains her left ankle early in the first half at Kansas State (Dec. 9), plays just two minutes that game and misses the Kansas contest (Dec. 13).
Sixth ? Kelsey Woodard suffers a cut above her right eye in a collision during the Kansas game on Dec. 13, misses a key seven-minute span in the second half, before returning to the floor with stitches.

40-40-40 Club
Chevelle Herring, Megan Neuvirth and Kelsey Woodard each played all 40 minutes in Creighton's game at Kansas State on Dec. 9. It marked the first time since Dec. 29, 2005, that three Bluejays played at least 40 minutes in a game, as Angie Janis (40), Kristi Woodard (41) and Ally Thrall (45) all played that much in a 67-64 overtime win at Northern Iowa. It was the first time under Jim Flanery that three players had played an entire game in the same contest.

No Rest for the Weary
With a small roster, it's no surprise that three Bluejays are atop the MVC leader board in minutes played per game. Chevelle Herring has played every minute in five games this year ? including all 45 minutes against Kansas ? and leads the MVC with 37.3 minutes played per game. Kelsey Woodard ranks second in the MVC with 36.6 minutes per game and Megan Neuvirth ranks third in the league with 36.4 minutes played per game.

Welcome Aboard
With season-ending injuries to senior Michelle Kaus (knee) and junior Sam Schuett (ankle), the Bluejay roster was down to nine. It's now back to 10 active players with the addition of walk-on Michaela Kraft. The 5-foot-3 guard from Mandan, N.D., joined the team in late November, and debuted in a game against Colorado State on Dec. 21. As a prep at Mandan High she was a part of five Class A state championships.

Lonely No Moore
Freshman DaNae Moore is no longer the lone freshman on the Bluejay roster, as Michaela Kraft has joined the team as a walk-on. Alone, Moore represented the smallest freshman class in school history to start the season. While Kraft is in her second year at Creighton, athletically she is listed as a freshman.

This Chevy Drives Well
Junior Chevelle Herring leads the team and ranks third in the MVC with 15.3 points per game. She scored in double figures in seven straight games (Nov. 17-Dec. 13), including four games with at least 20 points and the first 30-point game by a Bluejay in over a year. On Nov. 17 against Nebraska she scored a then career-best 19 points on 9-of-22 shooting from the field. She followed with a then career-high 24-point outing against No. 24 Iowa State (Nov. 23). Against KU (Dec. 13), she again led all players with a career-high 31 points, finishing 11-of-18 from the field.

IV for Intravenous, Not the Numeral
Despite receiving an IV before the game at sixth-ranked Oklahoma (Dec. 3), Megan Neuvirth played a career-high 40 minutes (and followed with 40 minutes played at K-State on Dec. 9). She established a then career-high by making all three of her three-point attempts at OU. The junior also led the team with six rebounds and led all players with four steals and two blocked shots against the nationally-ranked Sooners.

Need a Three From Woody
Sophomore Kelsey Woodard went 0-for-7 from three-point range at Oklahoma on Dec. 3, the poorest shooting day from long range in her career. The Jays lost to fall to 0-2 this year when Woodard does not make a three. The Jays went 3-5 last year when Woodard did not make a three-pointer. The Jays are also 0-5 over the past two years when Woodard does not make a field goal in a game, as she was held without a field goal in CU's loss to Iowa State on Nov. 23.

Twice the Double-Doubles
In addition to Megan Neuvirth's 17 points and career-high 16 rebounds at Saint Louis (Nov. 25), Kristina Voss added a double-double of her own. Voss chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth career double-dime. They were the first pair of Jays to have double-doubles in the same game since Neuvirth and Sam Schuett pulled off the feat on Feb. 3, 2007 at Northern Iowa.

No Bench Scoring
For the first time under head coach Jim Flanery, the Creighton bench was held scoreless in the Jays' 63-59 loss to Iowa State on Nov. 23. Three times previously the Bluejays had notched two points off the bench since 2002-03, with the last coming against Kansas in 2005. Creighton's bench is averaging 9.8 points per game this year and has scored less than 10 points nine times in 14 games. Last year the Bluejay bench scored less than 10 points twice in 33 games.

ACL-U
That's Anterior Cruciate Ligament University, not that other ACLU. When Michelle Kaus tore her ACL against Nebraska (Nov. 17), it marked the latest in a long line of ACL tears for Bluejays. Kaus also tore the same ACL last March. No longer a Bluejay, Abby Henry tore her ACL in the preseason last year and missed the entire season. Megan Neuvirth tore her ACL in CU's final game of the 2006-07 season and Kelsey Crites tore her ACL in Creighton's sixth game of the 2006-07 season. Even women's basketball sports information contact, Rob Simms, tore his ACL in May, 2008.

Be Careful Kristina
Should Michelle Kaus choose to take a medical redshirt and return next season, that would make senior Kristina Voss the only member of the five-person class to make it through her career in four seasons and without a season-ending injury. Kelsey Crites, Chevelle Herring and Megan Neuvirth are all fourth-year juniors, having already redshirted because of injuries. While Voss has not suffered a season-ending injury, she did sustain a sprained ankle at Kansas State on Dec. 9 and missed the Kansas game on Dec. 13.

Season-Ending Injuries
For the fourth consecutive season the Bluejays have lost at least one player to injury for the entire season. This year junior Sam Schuett suffered an ankle injury in practice on Oct. 31 and will be forced to miss the season following surgery on the left ankle on Nov. 10. Senior Michelle Kaus tore her left ACL on Nov. 17 and will also miss the season. Chevelle Herring (2007-08), Kelsey Crites (2006-07) and Megan Neuvirth (2005-06) were the previous players to go down with season-ending injuries. Crites played six games in 2006-07, while Herring and Neuvirth did not play a game the seasons they were injured.

Adjust the Numbers Again
When the season started, the Jays returned 75.9 percent of their rebounding, 66.1 percent of their scoring and 61.1 percent of their assists from last year's squad. However, subtract Sam Schuett's stats from the mix and the numbers drop to 59.1 percent of rebounding, 54.3 percent of scoring and 49.3 percent of assists. Schuett led the team with 6.8 rebounds per game last year, was third in assists and fifth in scoring Then subtract Michelle Kaus' numbers from the equation and the numbers fall to 55.4 percent of rebounding, 48.5 percent of scoring and 47.1 percent of assists from last year are now active on the roster.

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

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

Welcome to Creighton
The Jays welcome three newcomers to this year's roster, sophomore Stephani Rhoten of Canyon, Texas, freshman DaNae Moore of Apple Valley, Minn., and Michaela Kraft of Mandan, N.D. Rhoten, who attended Seward County (Kan.) Community College last year, is Creighton's first junior college transfer since Taya Allen in 1998-99. Allen was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year that season. Moore, a high school teammate of Bluejay senior Michelle Kaus at Eastview High School, alone made up the smallest freshman class in CU women's basketball history, before she was joined by CU's third newcomer Kraft. Kraft joined the team as a walk-on after the season started.

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

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

So Long Civic
Creighton is playing in its final season at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, as it is slated to move into the new, on-campus Ryan Center and D.J. Sokol Arena prior to next season. The Bluejays went 11-1 at the Civic last year.

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

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