Winning Streaks Collide When Women Play at Drake

Game 20 at Drake ? Saturday, Jan. 31 ? 2:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Drake Bulldogs
Knapp Center ? Des Moines, Iowa
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com ? Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: Drake leads 33-15
Last Meeting: Drake won 72-52 in Des Moines, Feb. 9, 2008

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

? Creighton ranks ninth in the NCAA in three-point field goal accuracy, shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.

? CU has the toughest scoring defense in the MVC, allowing just 57.1 points per game on the year, including just 50.9 per game in Valley play. The Jays' last five opponents have averaged just 45 points.

? CU has held its last five opponents below 50 points, the longest such stretch since the 1977-78 squad held five straight below 50.

? Megan Neuvirth has 13 steals in her last three games. With her next steal she will move into the Creighton career top-10.

? Chevelle Herring has dished 12 assists in her last two games, including a career-high seven assists against UNI on Jan. 23.

? Drake is the only MVC team the Bluejays did not defeat last year.

? Creighton is 15-33 all-time against Drake, including 6-19 with six straight losses in Des Moines.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton enters Saturday's game on a six-game winning streak, its longest since the 2004-05 team won eight straight ... CU had the strongest non-conference strength of schedule in the MVC, including five games with Big 12 foes and three top-25 opponents ... While CU ranks ninth in the nation with a 38.8 three-point field goal percentage, the Jays are ninth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.375) and last in free-throw percentage (.662) ... With just 14.1 turnovers per game, the Jays lead the MVC and rank 11th in the NCAA ... The Jays also lead the MVC and rank 19th in the NCAA with 7.2 three-point field goals made per game ... Junior Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC with 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, while she also tops the team in assists, blocked shots and double-doubles ... Sophomore Kelsey Woodard leads the team with 13.5 points per game in MVC play ... Junior Chevelle Herring is averaging 12.7 points and 3.3 assists per game during the six-game winning streak ... 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 Bulldogs
Drake also enters the weekend on a six-game winning streak ... DU is 8-1 at home, with its only loss coming to Iowa ... The Bulldogs rank right behind the Bluejays in scoring defense, allowing only 58.4 points per game ... DU ranks last in the league in three-point field goal percent defense, as opponents shoot 38.5 percent from three-point range ... DU's 3.9 three-pointers per game are the fewest in the league ... Kristin Turk leads DU with 12.2 points per game and 33 three-pointers ... Jordann Plummer tops the team with 12.1 points per game in MVC play ... Overall Plummer averages 11.7 points and tops the team with 39 assists and 27 steals ... Freshman Brittnye McSparron averages 11.4 points per game in MVC play, while she's hit 8-of-16 three-pointers in league action.

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 120-88 (.577). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Amy Stephens (Nebraska, 1991) is in her sixth season at Drake and her 15th as a collegiate head coach. Stephens is 96-79 at Drake and 293-122 overall. She led DU to a share of the MVC regular-season title last year and the MVC Tournament title in 2006-07. Prior to her time in Des Moines, she was a head coach at Nebraska-Kearney.

CU-DU Series History
Drake owns the all-time series lead with Creighton 33-15. The Jays are just 6-19 all-time in Des Moines, while they have lost their last six in the Knapp Center. The Bulldogs have won four straight in the series and eight of the last nine meetings. CU's only win in the last nine tries against DU was a 67-57 triumph on Jan. 14, 2007. DU was the only team to sweep the Jays last year, winning by 22 in Omaha and 20 in Des Moines. Creighton has not won against DU in Des Moines since a 70-56 decision on Feb. 23, 2003. Jim Flanery is 5-9 against the Bulldogs in his career.

Individuals vs. Drake
Drake was the only MVC team to beat the Jays twice last year, handing CU its only home loss of the year, 73-51, on Jan. 12 and then posting a 72-52 win in Des Moines on Feb. 9. The average margin of victory for DU was 21, while CU managed just 51.5 points per game and shot a combined 33.1 percent (40-121) and 25 percent (6-24) in the two games. CU also had 39 turnovers and 19 assists, compared to 27 turnovers and 31 assists for the Bulldogs. CU made just 1-of-7 three-pointers in the home loss. The Jays missed 10 of 12 shots to start the second half at home and missed 17 of 19 shots to start the second half in the road loss. Megan Neuvirth did tie her career-high with seven steals in Des Moines last year.

Individuals vs. Drake
No active Bluejay averages better than Kristina Voss' career average of 6.3 against Drake. Kelsey Woodard averaged 4.5 points and 6.5 rebounds against DU last year. Megan Neuvirth averages 5.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game against DU in her career. The Jays could use Michelle Kaus for this game, as in her career she is 10-of-21 (.476) from long range against DU, averaging 6.2 points per game.

High School Reunion
Creighton freshman DaNae Moore and Drake freshman Brittnye McSparron will reunite on the Knapp Center floor this weekend. The pair from Apple Valley, Minn., played together at Eastview High School and have both cracked their team's starting line ups as freshmen.

No Bailout for This Chevy
Chevelle Herring poured in 20 points against Bradley last Sunday, her highest scoring output in a conference game this year and most points scored since her career-high 31 against Kansas on Dec. 13. Herring tied her career-high with five three-pointers in the win, including a 4-for-4 performance from beyond the arc after halftime.

Herring Can Help
Point guard Chevelle Herring has dished 12 assists in her last two games, including a career-high seven against Northern Iowa on Jan. 23. Her 3.0 assists per game in MVC play are tops on the team and rank seventh in the league.

Crites Hits Her Stride
Creighton's recent improved play has been helped by the re-emergence of Kelsey Crites off the bench. Over her last five games, the junior is averaging 5.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while she is shooting 11-of-22 (.500) from the field. Crites pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds to lead all players against Bradley on Jan. 25.

Stop That Thief
Megan Neuvirth has 13 steals in her last three games, including a season-high five against Bradley (Jan. 25). A leading candidate for MVC Defensive Player of the Year, the junior now ranks 11th in school history with 179 career steals. With her next swipe she will tie Holly Sivesind (180) for 10th on the CU career list, while she is just three shy of assistant coach Dayna Finch (182).

Woodard Reaches 100
Kelsey Woodard became the 13th player in school history, and the second this year, to make 100 career three-pointers when she knocked down a trey at Evansville (Jan. 17). Her 102 career three-pointers are tied with two-time MVC Player of the Year Christy Neneman for 11th on the school list. Next in her sights, older sister Kristi who is 10th on the Bluejay career list with 132 trifectas.

Sixth Double-Double for Neuvirth
Megan Neuvirth grabbed her team-leading sixth double-double of the season at Southern Illinois (Jan. 15), despite fouling out with six minutes to play. The forward scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, including eight in the second half. The double-dime was the 10th of her career.

Three is Better Than Two
Simple concept, right? Well it applies to the Bluejays in that they shoot better from three-point range than they do from inside the arc. On the year the Jays rank ninth in the NCAA with a 38.8 three-point field goal percentage, while they rank ninth in the MVC in field goal percentage, at 37.5 Those numbers mean the Jays are shooting just 36.8 percent from inside the arc, compared to 38.8 from long range.

Rhoten For Two
Stephani Rhoten's fastbreak layup against Bradley provided her with her first career two-point field goal. In her first 17 games with the Jays, she was 0-for-4 from inside the three-point arc. She is now 9-for-19 (.474) from three-point range in her Bluejay career and is 1-for-5 from “two-point” range.

Summarizing the Streak
During Creighton's six-game winning streak the Bluejays are averaging 62.2 points per game, while allowing just 48 points. CU is shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from long range in its last six games, while opponents are shooting just 33.8 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the arc. The Jays have a plus-5.2 rebounding margin during the streak and are averaging 8.5 steals and 4.5 blocks in the same span.

Nelson Ratings
Sophomore Kellie Nelson pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds at Evansville on Jan. 17. She 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 over the Lady Bears.

Bench Warms Up
Sparked by the recent play of Kelsey Crites and Kellie Nelson, the Bluejays have been getting bigger contributions from their bench lately. In CU's last six games, the Bluejay bench is averaging 16.0 points per game after averaging 8.3 points in their first 13 contests. The Bluejay bench scored a season-high 29 points against Missouri State (Jan. 8), led by Nelson's 13 points and Stephani Rhoten's 12.
Crites is shooting 11-of-22 (.500) and averaging 5.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in her last four outings. She played a career-high 31 minutes at Evansville (Jan. 17).
Crites had eight points, seven rebounds and team-best four assists at UE and then added a career-best 10 rebounds against Bradley (Jan. 25). Nelson had eight points and career-high 10 rebounds against the Purple Aces and swiped a career-high three steals against BU.

Impressive Defensive Streak
Creighton's opponents have failed to score at least 50 points in CU's last five games. The last time CU put together a five-game streak in which opponents failed to scored 50 points came during the 1977-78 season. In fact, prior to this current streak, the last time the Jays had even gone back-to-back games without allowing 50 came on Dec. 30, 1993 and Jan. 2, 1994.

D-D-D-Defense
Creighton is the top scoring defense in the league, allowing opponents to average just 57.1 points per game and a league-low 50.9 per game in Valley play. CU's last five opponents averaged 45 points, with none scoring more than 47. Prior to this season, the Jays had held an opponent to less than 50 in seven games since 2002-03, while the Jays have now held six opponents below 50 points this year, including a season-low of 40 scored by North Dakota State (Dec. 29).

Sensing a Theme?
Creighton's defense is allowing just 57.1 points per game, the lowest by a Bluejay team since the fifth year of women's basketball at Creighton. The 1977-78 Bluejays allowed just 49.3 points per game.

Keep the Chevy in Town
Junior Chevelle Herring leads Creighton with 14.6 points per game this year. At home, Herring is averaging 16.6 points, shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range. On the road, Chevy is averaging 12.3 points and shooting 27.9 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from long range.

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 have also now kept five straight foes from reaching 50 points, moving CU's record to 12-1 when holding teams below 50 since 2002-03. CU was held to 43 points at Illinois State (Jan. 1), dropping to 1-10 under Flanery when failing to score 50 points.

She's a Leader
Not only a team-leader, but Megan Neuvirth is a statistical leader for the Jays. Neuvirth leads the team and MVC with 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She also leads the Jays with 28 blocked shots, 58 assists and six double-doubles. She ranks 40th in the NCAA in rebounds and 41st in steals.

Woodard's January Warming Trend
Sophomore Kelsey Woodard is shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range in her career, but she's an even better shooter in the month of January. Including her 22-of-51 (.431) start to this month, in her career, she is shooting 46.6 percent (41-of-88) from long range in the month of January. She also averages 12.8 points per game in January, compared to 10.5 points per game during other months of the season.

Only Megan
Megan Neuvirth, perhaps the leading candidate for MVC Defensive Player of the Year, is far from one-dimensional. The junior forward leads the MVC with 9.4 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), steals (1st), scoring (6th), three-point percentage (9th), assists (7th), and blocked shots (4th). She also tops the MVC with 3.4 offensive boards per game, ranks third in minutes per game (35.4) and is seventh in assist-TO ratio (0.8).

Statistical Rankings
Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC with 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 offensive rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. Chevelle Herring leads the MVC with 37.2 minutes per game, Kelsey Woodard is second with 36.9 minutes and Neuvirth is third with 35.4 minutes played per game. Creighton owns the best defense in the league, allowing only 57.1 points per game and just 50.9 per game in Valley play. As a team the Bluejays lead the MVC with 7.2 three-pointers per game, 19th in the NCAA. They lead the MVC and are ninth in the nation with a 38.8 three-point field-goal percentage.

Turnovers are Tasty, Not in Basketball
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.

Getting 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.

Neuvirth Giveth and She Taketh Away
Megan Neuvirth leads the team and MVC with 51 steals, while she also tops the team and ranks seventh in the MVC with 3.1 assists per game. Neuvirth tied her career-high with eight assists against Missouri State on Jan. 8. She has 13 steals in her last three games, including a season-high five against Bradley (Jan. 25).

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 and then followed by making 6-of-9 (.667) at Southern Illinois. It was the best three-point shooting day by the Jays since hitting 12-of-18 (.667) against Iowa on Dec. 8, 2002.

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.

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.

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 three road games from Dec. 29-Jan. 3, 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 three 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.

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 28 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 at 21
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 six double-doubles in 19 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 13 points and 11 rebounds at Southern Illinois (Jan. 17). 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 10 career double-doubles, six of them have come in back-to-back games, including her first four this year.

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 27 shots through 18 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 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 game.

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 37.2 minutes played per game. Kelsey Woodard ranks second in the MVC with 36.9 minutes per game and Megan Neuvirth ranks third in the league with 35.4 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 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 has scored less than 10 points 10 times in 19 games this year. 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.

Players Mentioned

Tyrai Bronson

Sara Cain

DaNae Moore

Ally Thrall

Related Videos