Women's Basketball Plays at Illinois State Thursday
1/18/2011 2:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game 17 at Illinois State • Thursday, Jan. 20 • 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Illinois State Redbirds
Redbird Arena • Normal, Ill.
Links: Audio (1180 AM) | Video | Live Stats
Series History: Creighton leads 27-14
Last Meeting: Creighton won 60-57, March 4, 2010 in Omaha
Creighton Bluejays at Illinois State Redbirds
Redbird Arena • Normal, Ill.
Links: Audio (1180 AM) | Video | Live Stats
Series History: Creighton leads 27-14
Last Meeting: Creighton won 60-57, March 4, 2010 in Omaha
• The game can be heard on KOIL AM 1180 in Omaha and online at www.koilam1180.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 on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.
• The Bluejays lead the MVC by allowing just 54.6 points per game in Valley play.
• No MVC opponent has scored more than 58 points against Creighton this year and the Jays have held MVC opponents under 59 points in eight straight regular-season games and in 11 of their last 13 Valley games.
• CU has won its first two MVC road games this year and is looking to start 4-0 on the MVC road for the second straight season.
• The Bluejays are 7-0 when leading at halftime this year and have won 11 straight games when ahead at the half.
• Creighton ranks last in the MVC in field goal percent defense (.426), while Illinois State leads the MVC in field goal percentage (.431).
• Tritz leads the MVC with 17 steals in Valley games and her 45 steals on the year rank second in the MVC.
• Kelsey Woodard tops the MVC with a 3.6 assist-turnover ratio, as she has 18 assists to just five turnovers in conference play.
• Creighton is 8-11 all-time in Normal, Ill.
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton is picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference this year, receiving seven first place votes ... Creighton went 6-5 in non-conference play, once again playing the toughest non-conference schedule in the MVC ... CU's strength of schedule after non-conference play was 39, while the rest of the MVC's average was 182 ... Creighton ranks 15th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game (14.4) ... CU is allowing the fewest rebounds per game in the MVC, at just 34.2 boards per game, while it owns a plus-0.8 rebounding margin and plus-2.0 turnover margin ... Senior Kelsey Woodard, who ranks 13th in MVC history with 225 career three-pointers, leads the team with 12.7 points per game, 32 3FG and 90.0 free throw percentage ... Five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, Carli Tritz is top-scoring freshman in the MVC, averaging 10.4 points per game, including 12.0 ppg in Valley play ... First-team all-MVC forward, senior Sam Schuett (10.6 ppg) leads the team with 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game ... Senior Kellie Nelson, who ranks ninth in CU history in field goal percentage (.494) leads the team in field goal percentage (.505) and blocked shots (15).
Scouting the Redbirds
Illinois State enters the week on a three-game losing streak after having a five-game winning streak snapped ... The Redbirds are 7-0 at home this year, handing UNI its lone MVC loss ... The three-time reigning MVC regular-season champions lead the league in offense (72.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.431) and rank second in rebounding (41.0) and three-point field goal percentage (.341) ... ISU is averaging 64.8 points in league play, shooting just 27.4 percent from three-point range and getting out-rebounded (-1.2) ... Emily Hanley leads the team with 14.3 points and 51.6 field goal percentage, adding 7.3 rebounds per game ... Kenyatta Shelton (8.1 ppg) leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game ... Katie Broadway (11.8) and Shala Jackson (10.4) also average scoring in double figures, while Amanda Clifton (6.3 ppg) tops the team and MVC with 4.8 assists per game.
The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) is in his ninth season as head coach at his alma mater, where he has led his team to six WNIT postseason appearances and five 20-win seasons. He owns a career record of 162-109 (.598), the highest winning percentage by a coach in CU history. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history and led the Jays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Flan is 13-6 against Illinois State in his career. Stephanie Glance (Rollins College, 1985) is in her first season as a collegiate head coach after working under coaching legends Pat Summitt and Kay Yow. Glance was an assistant at Tennessee last season following 15 years on the bench at North Carolina State, which included two stints as interim head coach during Yow's battles with cancer.
CU-ISU Series History
Creighton is 27-14 all-time against Illinois State, including 8-11 in Normal. The Jays were the only MVC team to defeat ISU in the regular-season last year, sweeping the season series for the second time in three years and eighth time overall. Creighton has won two of its last three trips to Normal and the Jays have won six of the last eight meetings with ISU after a four-game losing streak in the series.
Last Year Against Illinois State
Creighton handed Illinois State its only two MVC losses, winning 69-44 in Normal and edging the Redbirds 60-57 in Omaha. The Bluejays made 8-of-13 (.615) first-half three-pointers to build a 39-22 lead at Redbird Arena. CU finished 10-of-21 (.476) from long range and out-rebounded ISU 43-31 in the road win, led by Sam Schuett's 15 points and career-high 14 rebounds. At home, CU shot just 17.1 percent from the field in the first half, but still led 23-19. The Jays won despite shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor in the game, led by Megan Neuvirth's 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Individuals Against Illinois State
Kelsey Woodard scored 20 points at Redbird Arena as a freshman and averaged 14.3 points against Illinois State as a rookie. In her career she is averaging 12 points and 4.1 rebounds against ISU, shooting 10-of-30 (.333) from three-point range. Sam Schuett averaged 13 points and 10.5 rebounds against ISU last year and averages 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, shooting 9-of-20 (.450) from three-point range, including 6-of-7 (.857) last year. Ally Jensen averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game against ISU last year and Kellie Nelson averages 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game against the Redbirds in her career, making just 12-of-25 (.343) shots from the field.
Flanery On Top of The Valley
Since taking over as the Bluejay head coach for the 2002-03 season, Jim Flanery has led the Bluejays to more Missouri Valley Conference wins than any other program in that span. See the chart below for records in regular-season MVC games since 2002-03.
MVC Records Since 2002-03
Records prior to Jan. 20
School W-L Pct.
Creighton 97-52 .651
Indiana State 91-58 .611
Illinois State 87-62 .584
Northern Iowa 87-63 .580
Missouri State 84-66 .560
Drake 83-66 .557
Bradley 66-84 .440
Evansville 63-86 .423
Wichita State 47-103 .313
Southern Illinois 42-107 .282
CU = D
Creighton is the top defensive team in Valley play, allowing MVC foes to average just 54.6 points per game, with none eclipsing 58 points through five games. Dating back to last season, the Bluejays have posted 11 consecutive games where MVC foes have failed to score 60 points (including the MVC Tournament). The Bluejays have gone eight straight regular-season MVC games with their opponent not scoring better than 58 points and in each of their last 10 regular-season MVC wins, the Bluejays have held their opponent under 59 points. Since the start of the 2009-10 season, the Bluejays are now 25-2 when holding opponents under 60 points.
Three Averaging a Dozen
The trio of Sam Schuett, Kelsey Woodard and Carli Tritz have scored 53.7 percent of Creighton's points in MVC play as the three are averaging 36.2 points per game combined. Schuett is averaging 12.2 points per MVC game, while both Woodard and Tritz are averaging 12 in conference play.
Cold Weather Means Hot Basketball
With the Bluejays' win over Bradley on Saturday, Creighton is now 49-19 (.721) in January games under head coach Jim Flanery, by far his most successful month. The Jays are 30 games over .500 in January games under Flanery, while they are a combined 23 games over .500 in the other four months on the basketball calendar.
At the Half
The Bluejays are 7-0 when leading at halftime this year and have now won 11 straight games when leading at the half. Creighton has trailed at halftime in half of its first 16 games this year, but has come-from-behind to win three of those games – already equalling the number of wins it had when trailing at halftime last year (3-8).
Strange Shooting Stats
Creighton is shooting better on the road than it is at home this season. The Bluejays are shooting 43.6 percent from the field in true road games and 35 percent from three-point range, compared to 39.9 percent from the floor and 30.3 percent from long range at home.
Creighton Values Its Possessions
Despite losing its starting point guard, Creighton remains among the NCAA elite in fewest turnovers per game. The Bluejays rank 15th in the NCAA this week, averaging just 14.6 turnovers per game. In each of the previous two seasons, the Jays have also finished in the top-25 nationally in fewest turnovers per game, ranking 22nd last year and eighth during the 2008-09 season. The Jays committed a season-low six turnovers at South Dakota (Dec. 2), tied for the fewest committed by the Jays under head coach Jim Flanery.
Kellie Nelson is Heating Up
Senior Kellie Nelson is shooting 62.5 percent from the field over her last seven games, making 25-of-40 shots in that span, after starting the season just 27-of-63 (.429) through her first nine games. Nelson now leads the team, shooting 50.5 percent from the field to rank fourth in the MVC, while her team-best 56.3 percent shooting in Valley games ranks third.
Leading vs. Losing
Creighton's win over Bradley (Jan. 15) marked the fifth time at D.J. Sokol Arena that the Bluejays never trailed in a game – the second time this season, vs. Wyoming (Nov. 20). The Jays have now lost as many games at their new home, as they have had games in which they have never trailed (5).
Schuett Doubles Up the MVC
Sam Schuett recorded notched her second double-double of the year against UNI (Jan. 13), with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Both double-doubles have come in the first five MVC games. She now has 15 career double-doubles, 13 of which have come against MVC teams – 11 in the MVC regular-season and two in the MVC Tournament. Her only two non-conference double-doubles came at UC Davis (Nov. 27, 2009) and Nebraska (Nov. 30, 2007).
Tritz is Tops
Carli Tritz is the leading scorer in the MVC among all freshmen and newcomers, averaging 10.4 points per game to rank 19th overall. Her 12 points per game in MVC games ranks 13th. She leads the MVC with 17 steals in league games, while the guard is shooting 54.8 percent from the field in Valley games to rank second on the team and fourth in the league. Against Bradley (Jan. 15) she was tops on the team with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals one game after establishing career-highs with 10 rebounds and seven assists against UNI (Jan. 13).
Woodard Climbing the Charts
Senior Kelsey Woodard has moved from 21st to 12th on the Creighton scoring charts this year, as she now has 1,284 career points. She recenty moved past Holly Sivesind (1,250), Megan Neuvirth (1,257), Dayna Finch (1,260) and Angela Timmons (1,263) on the Jays' scoring list and is now 72 points shy of the top-10. She also recently moved past MVC and NCAA legend Jackie Stiles in career three-pointers, as her 225 career triples are more than the 221 Stiles made in her record-setting career. Woodard now ranks 13th in MVC history with her 225 career threes.
Woodard Takes Aim at Cirone
Kelsey Woodard enters play at Redbird Arena ranked 13th in league history with 225 career three-pointers. She trails MVC and Illinois State great Kristi Cirone (229) by four for 12th on the Valley's three-point llist.
Tritz Honored by MVC for Fifth Time
For the third straight week and the fifth time in the first nine weeks of her career, Carli Tritz was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 10. The freshman guard has now won the honor on Nov. 29, Dec. 13, Dec. 27, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10. During her most recent win, she averaged 11 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in CU's two road victories, while making 66.7 percent (10-15) of her shots. The week prior, she had 15 points, six rebounds and five steals against Drake (Dec. 31) in her MVC debut. She filled up the stat sheet in games against North Dakota (Dec. 20) and Kansas (Dec. 22) – averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Creighton's Kelsey Woodard owns the MVC record with six Newcomer of the Week honors during the 2007-08 season.
Home is Where the Wins Are
Creighton is 18-5 (.783) all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena, posting a 12-3 home record last year. The Bluejays are now 90-30 (.750) at home under Jim Flanery (since 2002-03), including 58-17 (.773) in MVC play at home under Flanery. Creighton has won 29 of its last 36 home games, with two of those seven losses coming at Qwest Center Omaha.
Defense at D.J.
With a 6-2 mark in their home arena this year, the Bluejays are 18-5 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena. In those 22 games, the Bluejays have allowed 55 of fewer points nine times – including three times this year. Bluejay opponents are averaging just 56.6 points per game in the 23 games played inside D.J. Sokol Arena, while the Jays are averaging 65.9 points per game in their new home venue.
No Bad Losses
Through 23 games at its new facility, Creighton has lost just five times. The combined record of those five teams entering the game in which they topped Creighton is 41-20 (.672). Bradley is looking to become the first opponent to capture two wins at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Tritz the Starter
Since moving into the staring lineup on Dec. 20, freshman Carli Tritz is averaging 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. She is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from three-point range (6-10) as a starter. In her nine games as a reserve, the guard averaged 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, making 45.9 percent of her field goals and 38.5 percent (5-13) of her three-pointers.
The Kamphaus Dozen
Freshman Alyssa Kamphaus scored a career-high 12 points, making all five of her field goal attempts, while playing just seven minutes in her MVC debut at Evansville (Jan. 6). Included in the five makes for the rookie center, was what she said was the first three-pointer she has ever made in a game in her life.
Garrison Makes Debut
Freshman guard Jordan Garrison did not play in Creighton's first 12 games, after not dressing for the first 11 because of a stress fracture in her left leg. She dressed, but did not play, against Drake (Dec. 31), before finally making her collegiate debut at Evansville (Jan. 6). The rookie misfired on her first three-point attempt but knocked down her second try for her first career points.
Schuett's Rise on Rebounding Chart
Senior Sam Schuett now ranks fourth in school history with 777 career rebounds. She recently surpassed Creighton Hall of Famers Connie Yori (746) and Kathy Halligan (749), and went by Angie Janis (775) in CU's last game.
Tritz MVC Debut, Second to One
Carli Tritz scored 15 points in her MVC debut against Drake on Dec. 31. The 15 points in her MVC debut mark the second highest scoring game by a Bluejay in her first Valley game in school history. The only other Bluejay rookie to score more in an MVC debut was Missy Miller with 23 points on Jan. 7, 1993 in Creighton's first ever MVC game. Freshman Becky Flynn also scored 14 points in that same game in 1993, while Laura Spanheimer scored 14 points against Southern Illinois on Dec. 30, 2001 in her first Valley game. Tritz also grabbed six rebounds and five steals against Drake.
Strength of Schedule is Tops in MVC
As it annually does, Creighton again played the strongest non-conference schedule in the MVC. Through non-conference games played on Dec. 28, the Bluejays' strength of schedule (SOS) was 39. Only one other school in the MVC had an SOS of better than 131 – Missouri State's 88. In fact, the other nine teams in the MVC had an average SOS of 182 – 143 spots lower than Creighton's.
Tracking Six Three-Pointers Made
Through 16 games, Creighton ranks third in the MVC making 6.4 three-pointers per game. The Bluejays have made at least six three pointers in half of their games, far off of their pace over the previous two seasons. The Bluejays are 5-3 this year when failing to make six three-pointers in a game, but are just 35-54 (.393) under Jim Flanery when not making six treys. Compare that mark to the 127-55 (.698) record CU has compiled in games it has drained at least three trifectas since the 2002-03 season. The Jays made at least six threes in 23 games last year, compared to just nine games with less than six. In 2008-09, the Jays had 24 games with at least six triples, and only 10 games without. In only one of Flanery's first eight seasons at the helm have the Bluejays not had more games with at least six three-pointers – the 2006-07 season featured 16 games with at least six threes and 16 games with less than six threes.
Under Flanery With & Without Six 3FG
W/6 3FG W/O 6 3FG
Season W-L W-L
2010-11 5-3 5-3
2009-10 18-5 3-6
2008-09 18-6 4-6
2007-08 14-5 7-7
2006-07 10-6 3-13
2005-06 7-13 1-8
2004-05 14-3 5-7
2003-04 19-8 5-1
2002-03 22-6 2-3
Totals 127-55 35-54
Longest Home Stand Since 1999
Creighton went 3-1 in its longest home stand since 1999, winning all three of its games at D.J. Sokol Arena. Its lone loss came in just its second home game ever played at Qwest Center Omaha. The four game home stand was the first of two four game home stands for the Jays this year, after not playing one four-game stand over the past 11 seasons. The Jays had not played four straight at home since Jan. 21-31, 1999. The Jays play a four-game conference home stand between Jan. 27 and Feb. 5, the longest MVC home stand since that same 1999 stretch.
Tritz Takes
Carli Tritz leads the MVC with 17 steals inside Valley action, while she tops the team and ranks second in the MVC with 45 steals on the season. She has grabbed at least two steals in all but one game this year, leading the team in steals in 12 of her first 16 games. She topped the team with five steals against Marquette (Nov. 28) and Drake (Dec. 31), becoming the first Bluejay freshman to record five steals in a game since Megan Neuvirth had five in the 2007 MVC Tournament championship game against Drake.
Woodard Named MVC Player of the Week
Kelsey Woodard was named the MVC Player of the Week on Dec. 27 after her performances against North Dakota and Kansas. Woodard averaged 20 points and 3.0 assists per game, making 50 percent of her field goals (14-28) and three-pointers (5-10) in the two contests. It was her second career Player of the Week honor, and first since Feb. 4, 2008.
Bluejays Establish Highs
Creighton enjoyed its highest scoring game in more than seven years on Dec. 20, cruising to a 96-57 win over North Dakota. The 96 points were the most scored by the Jays since winning 96-86 at Siena on March 22, 2003. In addition to the season-high point total, the Jays also put up season-highs in field goals (33), field-goal percentage (.611), three-pointers (12), assists (24), steals (12), blocked shots (9) and points in the paint (40). CU's 96 points, 33 field goals and 55 points in a half (2nd) all established D.J. Sokol Arena records as well.
Individual Highs
In addition to the multiple team season-best numbers against North Dakota (Dec. 20), several individuals also set career highs in the win. McKenzie Fujan scored a career-best nine points, making 4-of-6 shots. Jasmin Corbin led the team with a career-high five assists. DaNae Moore led the Jays with a career-best three steals.
Flan Schedules the Big Boys (or Girls)
With Creighton's win over Marquette on Nov. 28, head coach Jim Flanery now has twice as many wins against BCS schools than the next closest MVC school since his first campaign in 2002-03. Flanery's 18 wins against BCS schools in that span are twice as many as Drake (9). In fact, Flan has more wins against BCS schools in that span than Bradley has games played (16) against BCS schools. His 18 wins also equal the number of games played by Evansville, Indiana State and Wichita State against BCS schools in that same span. Creighton's has played 60 games against BCS programs since 2002-03, the next closest MVC school is Drake, which has played 38 games in the same span.
MVC vs. BCS since 2002-03
School Games Wins
Creighton 60 18
Drake 38 9
Illinois State 26 8
Missouri State 29 7
Indiana State 18 6
Northern Iowa 34 4
Wichita State 18 4
Evansville 18 3
Bradley 16 2
Southern Illinois 21 0
Scoring in the 90s
Creighton's 96 points in its win over North Dakota (Dec. 20) were the most points scored by the Bluejays in a game since a 96-86 win at Siena on March 22, 2003 in the WNIT. It was the first time the Jays had scored 90 points since a 92-63 win over Missouri State on Jan. 8, 2009. The Jays improved to 8-0 when scoring at least 90 points under Jim Flanery.
Jays Ranked No. 10 in Mid-Major Top-25
Creighton is ranked No. 10 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll (Jan. 11), its highest ranking in the poll this season. The Jays were ranked No. 20 in the preseason, moved to 18th during the first two weeks of the regular-season, 16th in the third week, 14th in the fourth week, 15th in week five, 14th in week six, 16th in week seven, 13th in week eight and now 10th. Two of CU's first three games were against Mid-Major top-10 teams, topping eighth-ranked Liberty and falling at fifth-ranked Bowling Green. Bowling Green was also receiving votes in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 to start the season.
Schuett's Milestones
Sam Schuett joined some elite groups of players during Creighton's game with Nebraska (Dec. 8), becoming the 23rd player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points and the seventh player to reach 700 career rebounds. She is the sixth CU player to have both 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in a career.
Tritz or Treat
Freshman Carli Tritz scored a game-high 21 points against Nebraska (Dec. 8) to become the first Bluejay rookie with a 20-point game since Kelsey Woodard scored 29 against South Dakota State on March 20, 2008. Tritz scored at least 10 points in four straight games (Nov. 20 - Dec. 8), the longest streak by a CU freshman since Sam Schuett scored 10+ points in five straight in 2007. The guard made 4-of-6 three-pointers against Nebraska.
Home Winning Streak Snapped
Creighton's loss to Nebraska (Dec. 8) snapped its nine-game home winning streak – the Bluejays' longest since winning 23 straight at home between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. The Bluejays have still won 28 of their last 34 home games dating back to 2008-09.
Bench Impressed
Creighton's bench out-scored the opponent's bench in 10 of its first 11 non-conference games and before its game at No. 18 Notre Dame (Dec. 11), the bench had out-scored the opponent's bench in each of its first seven games. The Irish reserves out-scored CU's bench 34-11. Before that game, the CU bench had out-scored opponents 170-84, highlighted by a 22-0 edge against Marquette (Nov. 28). The Bluejay bench is averaging 20.8 points per game, while the opposition's bench is averaging 14.3 points per contest.
Schuett's Assists are Up
Sam Schuett leads the team with 45 assists this year. She dished a career-high eight assists in a 63-61 win over Marquette (Nov. 28) and followed with six assists at South Dakota (Dec. 2). The eight assists were the most by a Bluejay since Ally Thrall's nine on March 20, 2008. The eight helpers also established a D.J. Sokol Arena record.
Low Scoring Win
Creighton defeated Liberty 40-35 to open the season at the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational on Nov. 12. The 40 points were the fewest scored by the Bluejays in a win since a 40-23 victory over Doane College (Neb.) on Feb. 21, 1977 and the fewest scored overall by the Jays since a 50-35 loss to Eastern Michigan on Dec. 21, 2000. The 35 points for Liberty where the fewest it had scored in a game since Dec. 29, 1993.
Sarah's Solid Start
Freshman Sarah Nelson led the Bluejays with 14 points and 10 rebounds against North Carolina State (Nov. 13). The double-double was the first by a Bluejay freshman since Kelsey Woodard logged her only career double-dime on Jan. 4, 2008 against Wichita State. The rookie led the team in rebounding in three of CU's five games and earned her first career start against North Dakota State on Dec. 18.
Woodard Named All-Tournament Team
Kelsey Woodard led the Bluejays with 10 points per game at the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational, earning her all-tournament recognition at the event. Against Liberty, she drained three three-pointers in the second half to account for all nine of her points and to help CU come from behind and win. She added two more threes and 11 points in the championship game against North Carolina State.
Kelsey Can Shoot
Kelsey Woodard is one of 23 players in school history with 1,000 career points. Woodard is the second-most accurate free-throw shooter in school history (.854), trailing only her sister Kristi (.862) in that category. She is ranked fourth in school history and 13th in league history with 225 career three-pointers.
Schuett Lowe's Senior CLASS Candidate
Sam Schuett has been named one of 30 candidates nationally for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award which honors seniors for their efforts on and off the court. CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School and to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in community, classroom, character and competition. Schuett graduated magna cum laude with a degree in accounting in May, has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, ranked 12th among CU's 232 student-athletes in community service hours last year and is a first-team all-conference player on the court. Ten finalists for the award will be named in January. Creighton is one of five school's nationally (Wisconsin, Ohio State, Lehigh, Duke) to have a male and female as Lowe's Senior CLASS candidates, as CU's Kenny Lawson Jr., is up for the award as well.
Flock of Freshmen
Half of the Creighton roster is made up of freshmen this season. The six-member freshman class equals the largest rookie class in the nine-year tenure of head coach Jim Flanery, as the 2005-06 team also had six freshmen. All six Bluejay rookies this season are on scholarship, marking the first time since the 1997-98 season that Creighton has at least six freshman on scholarship.
Creighton's Sister Act
One of Creighton's six freshmen is Sarah Nelson, younger sister of Bluejay senior Kellie Nelson, continuing a recent trend of sisters playing for the Jays. Current senior Kelsey Woodard followed in the footsteps of older sister Kristi (2002-06), while Laura (2001-05) and Krissie (1997-01) Spanheimer also had a family tradition at Creighton. The Nelsons however, are just the second recorded sister duo to play alongside each other at Creighton, joining Peggy and Patty Bierle during the 1978-79 season.
Norman to Redshirt
Freshman forward Riley Norman will take a medical redshirt this season after suffering a torn right ACL during preseason work outs. The rookie had surgery on Oct. 18 to repair the knee, which she also injured at the end of her senior year of high school.
Nebraska Natives
For the fourth consecutive season, at least half of Creighton's roster is from Nebraska. Last year the Bluejays started five Nebraskans in 29 of their 32 games, marking the first time in recorded history the Jays had an all-Nebraska lineup in one game - let alone 29. Seven of Creighton's 12 players on this year's roster are from Nebraska – Omaha products Jasmin Corbin (Millard West), Kellie Nelson (Westside), Sarah Nelson (Westside) and Sam Schuett (Millard West), Bellevue native Kelsey Woodard (Bellevue West), Seward High graduate Alyssa Kamphaus and Weston native by way of Wahoo Bishop Neumann, McKenzie Fujan.
20-20-20 Vision
Creighton has won at least 20 games in each of its previous three seasons. In school history, every time the Jays have won 20 games in a season, it has come in groups of at least three – winning at least 20 in three straight years (1985-87), four straight years (1991-94), three straight years (2002-04) and now again in three straight (2008-10). The Bluejays have now won 20 games in five of Jim Flanery's eight seasons as head coach. Flanery's predecessor Connie Yori won 20 games three times in her 10 years as CU's head coach, while Bruce Rasmussen captured 20 wins in five of his 12 years leading the Bluejays.
Another Tough Schedule
Creighton again plays the toughest non-conference schedule in the MVC, as eight of the Bluejays' 11 non-conference games are against teams which appeared in the postseason last year, including a pair of NCAA Sweet 16 teams. CU hosted 2010 Sweet 16 participant Nebraska on Dec. 8 and then played at Sweet 16 team Notre Dame on Dec. 11. Liberty, Bowling Green and NC State all played in the NCAA Tournament last year. Wyoming, Marquette and Kansas played in the WNIT last year.
Preseason Picks
The Bluejays have been picked to finish third in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by league coaches, media and SIDs. CU received seven first place votes, second only to preseason favorite Missouri State's 27. The Jays earned 328 points in the poll, just one behind second-place Northern Iowa. The Jays have finished even or higher than their predicted finish in six of Jim Flanery's first eight years at the helm.
Updated & Extended Coverage
Fans will notice Creighton home games not only have a new live stats platform, but will also benefit from Creighton's change to BCS Stats. The new live stats provider allows fans to follow the live action on their mobile device at www.gocreightonstats.com. Fans can also find more info on Bluejay athletics on Facebook at the “Official Creighton Athletics Page” and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gocreighton. The women's basketball team also has its own Facebook page, with inside glimpses into the program. Fans can also read assistant coach Carrie Moore's blog “Tuesdays With Moore” each Tuesday on www.gocreighton.com.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballCreighton Media Availability Men's Soccer - 10/21/25
Tuesday, October 21
Creighton Media Availability Cross Country - 10/21/25
Tuesday, October 21
Creighton Media Availability Volleyball - 10/21/25
Tuesday, October 21
Creighton Women's Soccer Media Availability - 10/21/25
Tuesday, October 21
