Bluejay Women Open Home MVC Schedule Thursday

Game 14 vs. Missouri State ? Thursday, Jan. 8 ? 7:05 p.m.
Missouri State Lady Bears at Creighton Bluejays
Omaha Civic Auditorium ? Omaha, Neb.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com ? Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: Missouri State leads 26-13
Last Meeting: CU won 56-49 in St. Charles, Mo., March 14, 2008

? The game can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com. Bryant Ott and former Bluejay Sara Cizek Going will call the action.

? Live video for all home games will be available for a season-pass fee of $39.95 or a per game fee of $4.95. More information is available at www.gocreighton.com.

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

? Creighton went 8-1 at home in MVC play last year.

? CU has won five of its six MVC home-openers under Jim Flanery and is 12-4 all-time in its first MVC home game of the year.

? Kelsey Woodard made 7-of-12 three-pointers at Indiana State last Saturday, a career-high and the most by a Bluejay since 2003.

? Woodard averaged 17.7 points per game and went 12-for-24 from three-point range during CU's three-game road trip.

? Megan Neuvirth has pulled down at least 10 rebounds in five straight games, during which she is averaging 12 rebounds.

? CU is averaging 49.3 points per game in its last three outings, its lowest scoring three-game stretch since 1982.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton, 5-8 overall, is 0-2 in MVC play for just the second time in the last eight years, while it has lost two straight following a three-game winning streak ... 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 Jays were picked to finish second in the MVC this year after a 21-12 record last year and a trip to the second round of the WNIT ... The Bluejays lead the MVC with 6.8 three-point field goals made per game ... CU also leads the league and ranks 11th in the NCAA with just 14.1 turnovers per game ... Junior Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC and is 16th in the NCAA with 10.5 rebounds per game, while she tops the team in assists, steals and blocked shots ... Sophomore Kelsey Woodard is third in the MVC and 17th in the NCAA with 2.8 three-pointers per game ... Junior Chevelle Herring leads the team and ranks third in the MVC with 15.5 points per game ... Herring, Woodard and Neuvirth rank 1-2-3 in minutes played in the MVC.

Scouting the Lady Bears
The Lady Bears won their final three non-conference games before opening MVC play with home losses to UNI and Bradley last weekend ... MSU's only win in its first eight games came against Arkansas State, a team which defeated CU ... Six of the the 11 players on MSU's roster are freshmen, including leading scorer Casey Garrison ... Garrison ranks second in the MVC and is the only MSU player averaging double figures, with 16.4 points per game ... The rookie also leads MSU with 5.7 rebounds per game and leads the team in steals and assists ... She has made more free-throws (62) than any Bluejay has attempted ... Freshman Lacey Boshe is second on the team with 7.8 points per game, while rookie Jasmine Malone is third with 7.4 points per game and second with 4.9 rebounds per game ... Last year's MVC Newcomer of the Year, Maggie Dwyer, is averaging 7.3 points per game, down from 13.6 per game in 2007-08 ... MSU leads the MVC with 10 steals per game ... The Lady Bears rank last in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage (.235) and three-point field goals made per game (3.8) ... MSU has lost its last three games in Omaha.

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 114-88 (.564). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Nyla Milleson (Kansas State, 1985) is in her second season at Missouri State and ninth year as a collegiate head coach. She is 15-28 at MSU and 200-64 as a head coach. Milleson guided Division II Drury to five NCAA Tournament appearances in seven seasons prior to moving across town to MSU.

CU-MSU Series History
Creighton trails the all-time series with Missouri State, 13-26. The Bluejays are 10-7 against the Lady Bears in Omaha, including three straight victories over MSU at the Civic. Jim Flanery is 5-9 against MSU. CU and MSU have alternated wins and losses for the past eight meetings, with CU ending the Lady Bears season in the MVC quarterfinals last year. Each team won on its home court in the regular-season last year, as CU needed OT to get by MSU 79-73 at home last January.

Last Year vs. Missouri State
Creighton went 2-1 against Missouri State last year, winning 79-73 at home and 56-49 in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals in St. Charles, Mo., last March. The Lady Bears defeated CU 79-73 in Springfield last March. In the first meeting, CU trailed by 13 early in the second half before using a 17-4 run to tie the game and neither team led by more than three in the final nine minutes of regulation. Ally Thrall scored seven of CU's eight points in overtime to lead the Jays to victory with 23 points. Thrall and Kelsey Woodard each drained four treys in the home win. In Springfield, CU shot 25 percent in the first half and trailed by as many as 19 in the loss. In the MVC tourney, CU shot just 29 percent in the game, but behind Sam Schuett's 16 points and 10 rebounds the Jays ended MSU's season.

Individuals vs. Missouri State
Kelsey Woodard leads active Bluejays with 9.0 points per game against MSU. She went 7-for-18 (.389) from three-point range against MSU last year, but 0-for-11 from inside the arc. Megan Neuvirth averages 6.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in her career against MSU, while Kristina Voss averages 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. Chevelle Herring averages 7.3 points per game and is 5-for-13 (.385) from three-point range against MSU. CU will certainly miss Sam Schuett's output against the Lady Bears, as she averages 9.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game against MSU. Kelsey Crites averages 5.4 points and has made 41.7 percent (5-12) of her threes against the Lady Bears in her career.

MVC Home Openers
Creighton is 12-4 all-time in its first MVC home game of the season, including 5-1 under Jim Flanery. CU's only loss under Flanery in its Valley debut came on Jan. 4, 2007, a 56-53 loss to Northern Iowa. CU has won six of its last seven MVC home debuts, including an 83-47 win over Wichita State last year.

Avoiding 0-3
Creighton needs a win to avoid just its second 0-3 MVC start in school history. The only other time CU opened 0-3 in Valley play was in 2006-07. The Jays went on to go 8-7 over their final 15 MVC games that year, while CU's previous 0-2 start (2000-01) led to an 11-7 Valley finish.

That's Offensive
It's Creighton's offense that has been offensive over its last three games, as CU has totalled just 148 points in that span for an average of 49.3. That is 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.

Shooters Wanted
Creighton is shooting 30.8 percent from the field in its last three games, including a season-low 24.2 percent at Illinois State (Jan. 1). On the season, CU ranks last in the MVC in both field goal percentage (.358) and free-throw percentage (.686). CU's field goal percentage is the lowest by a Bluejay team since the 1978-79 team shot 32.6 percent from the field. CU has not shot below 70 percent at the line since the 2001-02 squad finished at 68 percent.

Shooters Found
While Creighton ranks last in the MVC in field goal percentage (.358) and free-throw percentage (.686), the Jays rank second in the league and 28th in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (.366). Breaking down the numbers, CU is shooting only 35.3 percent from inside the arc.

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 and moving CU's record to 7-1 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.

Game Plan ? Trail at Half
In Creighton's last three games, the leader at halftime was not the leader at the end of the game. CU trailed by four at the half in its 51-40 win at North Dakota State (Dec. 29). The Jays led Illinois State 30-29 at halftime on Jan. 1 and edged Indiana State 30-24 at the half on Jan. 3, only to lose 63-43 and 56-54 respectively in those contests. CU is now 3-3 (.500) when leading at halftime this year, after it was 83-17 (.835) when leading at the half under Jim Flanery before this season.

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 21 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.

Woodard For Three (x 7)
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.

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. Since that game, she is 22-for-24 (.917) from the charity stripe.

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.

Statistical Rankings
Megan Neuvirth leads the MVC with 10.5 rebounds and 3.6 offensive rebounds per game. Chevelle Herring leads the MVC with 37.8 minutes per game, Kelsey Woodard is second with 37 minutes and Neuvirth is third with 36.8 minutes played per game. Neuvirth ranks 16th in NCAA in rebounds per game. As a team the Bluejays lead the MVC with 6.8 three-pointers per game, 26th in the NCAA. They are second in the MVC and 28th in the nation with a 36.6 three-point field-goal percentage. Woodard ranks third in the MVC and 17th in the NCAA with 2.8 three-pointers per game.

Megan's Double-Doubles
Megan Neuvirth has five double-doubles in 13 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 16th in the NCAA with 10.5 rebounds per game, while she also ranks in the MVC top-10 in several other statistical categories. In fact, she is the only player in the league to rank in the top-10 in rebounding (1st), three-point percentage (9th), assists (7th), steals (2nd) and blocked shots (3rd). She also tops the MVC with 3.6 offensive boards per game, ranks third in minutes played per game (36.8) and is eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.8).

CU Has Best Strength of Schedule
Creighton has played the toughest schedule in the MVC this year, as its strength of schedule is 38 according to RealTimeRPI.com (as of Jan. 6). The next closest SOS in the Missouri Valley Conference through Jan. 5 was Indiana State's 71. The average SOS of the other nine teams in the MVC is 157, with the worst SOS belonging to Bradley at 268.

Herring Steps Up Her Game
Chevelle Herring averaged 22.6 points per game in five contests with the Big 12 this year, including a career-high 31 against Kansas on Dec. 13. However in Herring's eight games against teams outside of the Big 12, she is averaging just 11.0 points per game. She shot 44.4 percent from three-point range against Big 12 teams, and shoots just 31.7 percent from beyond the arc outside the Big 12. She is shooting only 29.2 percent from the field against non-Big 12 teams, after shooting 41.2 percent from the floor against the Big 12.

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 21 shots through 13 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 37.8 minutes played per game. Kelsey Woodard ranks second in the MVC with 37 minutes per game and Megan Neuvirth ranks third in the league with 36.8 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 15.5 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 Gripes From Crites
After not appearing off the bench in Creighton's game against Iowa State (Nov. 23), Kelsey Crites impressed off the pine at Saint Louis (Nov. 25) and against Denver (Nov. 30). The junior swiped a team-leading and career-high four steals at SLU. She also added four rebounds, four points and three assists in just 20 minutes at SLU. She followed with seven points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes against Denver.

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 8.8 points per game this year and has scored less than 10 points four times in six 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.

Milestone Reached
Michelle Kaus pushed her career three-point total to 101 with three makes against Nebraska last Monday. In so doing, Kaus became the 12th player in school history to eclipse 100 career three-pointers.

Hot Shooting, Bad Injuries
Senior Michelle Kaus has now suffered two torn left ACL's in an eight month period, the first ending her 2007-08 season last March. The most recent occurred on Nov. 17 against Nebraska, ending her 2008-09 season. In both instances, Kaus had been on fire from long range right before the injury took place. Last year Kaus connected on 16-of-30 shots from three-point range (.533) in her final eight games before the injury. This season, she was 6-for-9 (.667) from long range.

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.

Rhoten's Road to Omaha
Stephani Rhoten has three years of eligibility remaining at Creighton after playing her freshman season at Seward County CC in Liberal, Kan., last year. Rhoten averaged 14.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in her only junior college season. The guard was named second-team all-conference and honorable-mention all-region after leading both the conference and region in assists.

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.

Finch Flies Home
The MVC's most prolific three-pointer shooter has returned to the Creighton bench this year. Dayna Finch, a 2004 Creighton graduate, is back on the Bluejay bench as an assistant coach, following a two-year stint at Northern Colorado and two seasons as a graduate assistant at Nebraska. Finch's 294 career three-pointers made remains the MVC record, while her 1,260 career points rank 13th in school history. She replaces Rekha Hollomon, who took a position on Baylor's basketball staff.

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 and is 63-23 at home in their seven seasons under head coach Jim Flanery.

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.

Neuvirth's Near Triple-Double
While it was only exhibition play, Megan Neuvirth's performance against UNO on Nov. 4 was impressive. The junior had 14 points, career-best 14 rebounds, five steals and tied her career-high with eight assists. She's approached a triple-double before, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals against Indiana State on March 1, 2007 and nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists against Evansville on Feb. 15, 2007. Only two Bluejays have ever recorded a triple-double in the regular-season ? Becky Flynn (Jan. 11, 1994) and Laura Spanheimer (Jan. 8, 2004).

Players Mentioned

Tyrai Bronson

Sara Cain

DaNae Moore

Ally Thrall

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