Bluejays Host Shockers in Rare Saturday Night Women's Basketball Game
1/28/2011 2:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game 20 vs. Wichita State • Saturday, Jan. 29 • 6:05 p.m.
Wichita State Shockers at Creighton Bluejays
Ryan Athletic Center & D.J. Sokol Arena • Omaha, Neb.
Links: Audio (1180 AM) | Video | Live Stats
Series History: Creighton leads 29-19
Last Meeting: Creighton won 76-59, March 13, 2010 in St. Charles
Wichita State Shockers at Creighton Bluejays
Ryan Athletic Center & D.J. Sokol Arena • Omaha, Neb.
Links: Audio (1180 AM) | Video | Live Stats
Series History: Creighton leads 29-19
Last Meeting: Creighton won 76-59, March 13, 2010 in St. Charles
• The game can be heard on KOIL AM 1180 in Omaha and online at www.koilam1180.com. Brad Burwell and former Bluejay Sara Cizek Going will call the action.
• Live stats and live video for this game and all home games can be found on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.
• Fans attending the 2 pm men's game can redeem their ticket stub for free admission to the 6 pm women's game.
• There will be a spaghetti feed Saturday from 4-6 pm at Billy Blues Alumni Grill in the Harper Center (20th & California). All you can eat, for just $6 (adults), $5 (Creighton students with ID) or $3 (kids under 12).
• Jim Flanery is 99-53 (.651) all-time in MVC play and is looking to become the seventh coach in league history with 100 career conference victories.
• Creighton has not trailed in any of its last three victories.
• CU scored a season-high 44 first-half points against Missouri State Thursday night.
• Sam Schuett needs just five rebounds to become the fourth player in school history and the 22nd player in MVC history to reach 800 career boards.
• Carli Tritz has 28 assists in her last five games (5.6 per) after dishing 31 assists in her first 14 games (2.2 per) of the season.
• Creighton is 27-2 over the last two seasons when holding opponents under 60 points and just 6-16 when opponents score 60 or more.
• Wichita State is averaging just 48.5 points per game in its last eight games against CU.
• CU has won 10 straight meetings with WSU. With a 16-2 record, Jim Flanery has more wins against WSU than any other opponent.
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton is picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference this year, receiving seven first place votes ... CU 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 is committing just 13.8 turnovers per MVC game, with a plus-4.0 turnover margin in conference play ... CU leads the MVC with a 1.1 assist-turnover ratio in conference play, while allowing just 33.9 rebounds per game in MVC play – which is tops in the league ... Senior Kelsey Woodard, leads the team with 13.2 points per game, 39 3FG and 92.1 free throw percentage ... Five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, Carli Tritz tops the team with 59 assists and 51 steals and is the top-scoring freshman in the MVC, averaging 10.7 points per game, including 12 ppg in Valley play ... First-team all-MVC forward, senior Sam Schuett (10.8 ppg) leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game and her 795 career rebounds are tops among active MVC players ... Senior Kellie Nelson ranks 10th in CU history in field goal percentage (.490), while her sister Sarah Nelson led CU with 14 ppg last week.
Scouting the Shockers
Wichita State is 1-3 on the road in MVC play, defeating Drake 66-57 on Thursday ... WSU is 7-3 at home this season and 3-6 away from Wichita ... The Shockers rank last in the MVC, shooting 62.4 percent at the free throw line on the season, including just 55.9 percent in MVC play ... WSU is averaging 64.7 points per game, allowing 62.4 points, shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range ... The Shockers are minus-1.7 in rebounds overall, but minus-5.9 on the glass in conference play ... Nine Shockers average at least 16 minutes played per game ... Haleigh Lankster, who leads the team with 40 steals, is the only Shocker scoring in double figures, at 12.4 points per game ... BreAnna Dawkins tops the team with 62 assists (3.3 per game) ... Michelle Price (6.1 ppg) leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game ... Morgan Boyd (8.0 ppg) is WSU's top three-point threat with 25 three-pointers on the season.
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 164-110 (.599), for 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 16-2 against Wichita State in his career. Jody Adams (Tennessee, 1994) is in her third year at Wichita State where she is 41-42 (.494) and in her fourth year as a collegiate head coach after leading Murray State to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 with a 24-8 mark. Adams is a former UMKC and SIU assistant coach.
CU-WSU Series History
Creighton leads the all-time series with Wichita State, 29-19, including a 15-6 record in Omaha. The Bluejays have won 10 straight overall and 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Shockers. CU has won the last nine meetings in Omaha, with WSU's last win here coming on Jan. 1, 2001. Jim Flanery is 8-0 against WSU at home and is 16-2 overall against the Shockers, his most wins against any MVC opponent. CU has held WSU below 60 points in each of the last eight meetings, as the Shockers are averaging just 48.5 points per game in that span.
Last Year Against Wichita State
The Bluejays swept the regular-season series and topped the Shockers in the MVC Tournament. CU crushed WSU 89-48 in Omaha last January, shooting a school-record 64 percent from the field. The 41-point margin of victory stands as the largest under Jim Flanery and the largest MVC win in school history. Sam Schuett out-rebounded WSU 9-7 in the first half of the game, in which the Jays out-rebounded the Shockers 42-20 overall. The Jays won 58-48 in Wichita and then stopped WSU 76-59 in the MVC tourney. For the season, the Jays shot 55.9 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from three-point range against the Shockers, out-rebounding WSU by an average of 10 per game.
Individuals Against Wichita State
Kelsey Woodard averages 11 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in her career against Wichita State, shooting 18-of-37 (.486) from three-point range. Sam Schuett averaged 14 points per game against WSU last year and averages 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in her career against the Shockers, making 50 percent of her field goals (26-52). Kellie Nelson averaged 12.3 points per game against WSU last year and averages 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in her career against the Shocks, shooting 57.8 percent (26-45) from the floor. DaNae Moore has twice tied her career-high with nine points against the Shockers, while she averages 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in six games against WSU.
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. 29
School W-L Pct.
Creighton 99-53 .651
Indiana State 93-59 .612
Illinois State 90-62 .592
Northern Iowa 89-63 .586
Missouri State 85-67 .559
Drake 83-69 .546
Bradley 68-84 .447
Evansville 63-89 .414
Wichita State 48-104 .316
Southern Illinois 42-110 .276
Flan Aims For 100th MVC Win
Head coach Jim Flanery captured his 99th career MVC victory against Missouri State Thursday night. His next win will give him 100 Valley coaching wins, joining just six other coaches who have reached that milestone.
Most MVC Coaching Wins (league games)
Name, School Wins Years
Cheryl Burnett, MSU 201 1988-02
Cindy Scott, SIU 199 1983-98
Jill Hutchison, ILS 170 1983-99
Tony DiCecco, UNI 117 1996-07
Lisa Bluder, DU 116 1991-00
Connie Yori, CU 109 1992-02
Jim Flanery, CU 99 2002-pr.
Jim Wiedie, INS 98 2001-10
Stop at 60
Creighton is 27-2 over the last two seasons when holding opponents under 60 points and just 6-16 when opponents score 60 or more. In 17 of Creighton's first 24 games played at D.J. Sokol Arena, the Bluejays have held opponents below 60 points, with 16 of those games resulting in a win (only loss was 58-57 to UNI earlier this month). The Jays' have not allowed 60 points in any of their last 12 MVC wins.
Leading vs. Losing
Creighton has not trailed in any of its last three wins. The Jays' home wins over Bradley (Jan. 15) and Missouri State (Jan. 27) gave the Bluejays six games at D.J. Sokol Arena in which they never trailed during the game (three this season, three last season). The Jays have now won more games (6) where they have never trailed at their new home than they have lost at D.J. Sokol Arena (5).
Schuett Approaching Milestone
Sam Schuett has 795 career rebounds, just five shy of becoming the fourth player in school history with 800 career boards. She will join CU Hall of Famers Shannon Struby (824) and Pam Gradoville (924) and former teammate and record-holder Megan Neuvirth (929). She will become just the 22nd player in MVC history with 800 rebounds.
Tritz Gives and Takes
Taking hasn't been a problem for freshman Carli Tritz this season, as she quickly established herself as one of the top defenders in the MVC, as her 51 steals on the year lead the team and rank second in the league. But her giving has recently been on the rise, as evidenced by her career-high eight assists against Missouri State on Thursday. Tritz leads the team with 59 assists this season, but 28 of those assists have come in CU's last five games. She is averaging 5.6 assists per game in her last five, after dishing 31 assists through her first 14 games – 2.2 per contest.
Fast Start Leads to Nice Finish
Creighton scored a season-high 44 points in the first half of its 68-56 win over Missouri State on Thursday. The Jays led 44-23 at the break for their largest halftime lead of the season.
Woodard Wows
Kelsey Woodard poured in a season-high 25 points against Missouri State (Jan. 27), equalling the highest scoring game by a Bluejay over the past two seasons. Her 25 points also established a D.J. Sokol Arena high for a Bluejay. The senior drained 5-of-10 three-pointers in the win, the ninth time in her career she has made at least five threes in a game. It was her third 20-point game of the year and the 11th of her career.
Two Rookie Starters
Creighton has started two freshmen – Carli Tritz and Sarah Nelson – in its last two games, marking the first time since the 2006-07 season that the Bluejays had started two freshmen in a game, as Megan Neuvirth and Sam Schuett were both starters in the 2007 MVC Tournament championship game at Drake. But it served as the first time under Jim Flanery that two true freshmen were in the starting lineup (Neuvirth was a redshirt in 2006-07). The last time two true freshmen had started a game at Creighton was Feb. 11, 2001 when Dayna Finch and Christy Neneman started in a 77-52 home win over Illinois State. That duo started four games together that season.
Nelson Named Newcomer of the Week
Sarah Nelson was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday after averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game last week. The freshman had a career-high 17 points in just 14 minutes at Illinois State and earned her second start of the season at Indiana State, scoring 11 points, including nine in the first half.
Nelson, Tritz Make History
Not only did the freshman duo of Sarah Nelson and Carli Tritz start together at Indiana State on Saturday, but with Nelson bringing home MVC Newcomer of the Week honors on Monday, the pair are the first set of Bluejays to earn the award in the same season (Tritz has won the honor five times this year). Prior to this season, only Megan Neuvirth (2006-07) and Kelsey Woodard (2007-08) had won the award for the Bluejays – which started during the 2003-04 season.
Where We Rank
• Carli Tritz leads the MVC, shooting 50 percent from the field in league games. Her 44.4 three-point percentage in MVC games ranks second.
• Creighton ranks 15th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game, with just 14.4 on the season. CU's 13.8 turnovers per game in MVC play are the fewest in the league.
• Creighton ranks 26th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio, one of only 27 teams in the nation (of 333) with more assists than turnovers on the season. CU leads the Valley in league games with a 1.1 assist-turnover ratio (120 asst. - 110 TO).
Longest MVC Home Stand Since 1999
Creighton is opening its longest MVC home stand since 1999 this week. The Jays have not played four straight Valley games at home since Jan. 21-31, 1999. Earlier this season, CU logged a four-game home stand which served as its longest since that 1999 stint. Creighton went 3-1 in its previous four-game home stand this year, 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.
Home is Where the Wins Are
Creighton is 19-5 (.792) all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena, with a 7-2 home record this year after posting a 12-3 home record last year. The Bluejays are now 91-30 (.752) at home under Jim Flanery (since 2002-03), including 59-17 (.776) in MVC play at home under Flanery. Creighton has won 30 of its last 37 home games, with two of those seven losses coming at Qwest Center Omaha.
Defense at D.J.
With a 7-2 mark in their home arena this year, the Bluejays are 19-5 all-time at D.J. Sokol Arena. In those 24 games, the Bluejays have allowed less than 60 points points 17 times – including seven of nine games this year. Bluejay opponents are averaging just 56.6 points per game in the 24 games played inside D.J. Sokol Arena, while the Jays are averaging 66 points per game in their new home venue.
No Bad Losses
Through 24 games at its new facility, Creighton has lost just five times. The combined record of the five teams which won at D.J. Sokol Arena entering the game in which they topped Creighton is 41-20 (.672). Missouri State is looking to become the first opponent to capture two wins here.
Cold Weather Means Hot Basketball
Creighton is 51-20 (.718) in January games under head coach Jim Flanery, by far his most successful month. The Jays are 31 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 9-0 when leading at halftime this year and have now won 13 straight games when leading at the half. Creighton has trailed at halftime in nine of its first 19 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).
Jays Ranked No. 14 in Mid-Major Top-25
Creighton is ranked No. 14 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll (Jan. 25), while Missouri State is ranked eighth this week. The Lady Bears were the fourth team this season the Jays have faced that are also in the Mid-Major Top 25, following a loss at No. 17 Illinois State last week. Two of CU's first three games were against Mid-Major top-10 teams, as the Jays knocked off eighth-ranked Liberty and lost at fifth-ranked Bowling Green. Bowling Green, now ranked second in the poll, was also receiving votes in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 to start the season. Creighton peaked with a No. 10 ranking in week nine.
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 14.3 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 under head coach Jim Flanery.
Tritz the Starter
Since moving into the starting lineup on Dec. 20, freshman Carli Tritz is averaging 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range (9-19) 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.
Tritz is Tops
Carli Tritz is the leading scorer in the MVC among all freshmen and newcomers, averaging 10.7 points per game to rank 17th overall. Her 12.0 points per game in MVC games ranks 13th. She is leading the MVC in field goal percentage in league play, making 50 percent of her shots against MVC foes. The rookie ranks second in the MVC with 51 steals on the season. 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 against UNI (Jan. 13). She dished a career-high eight assists against Missouri State (Jan. 27).
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 during MVC play. 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).
Woodard Climbing the Charts
Senior Kelsey Woodard has moved from 21st to 12th on the Creighton scoring charts this year, as she now has 1,331 career points. She recently 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 25 points shy of the top-10. She also recently moved past MVC and NCAA legend Jackie Stiles in career three-pointers, as her 232 career triples are more than the 221 Stiles made in her record-setting career. Woodard now ranks 12th in MVC history with her 232 career threes.
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.
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 claims to be 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.
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 19 games, Creighton ranks second in the MVC making 6.5 three-pointers per game. The Bluejays have made at least six three pointers in 10 of their first 19 games, far off of their pace over the previous two seasons. The Bluejays are 5-4 this year when failing to make six three-pointers in a game, but are just 35-55 (.389) under Jim Flanery when not making six treys. Compare that mark to the 129-55 (.701) 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 7-3 5-4
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 129-55 35-55
Carli Doesn't Play for You
Carli Tritz ranks second in the MVC with 51 steals this year and swiped at least one steal in each of her first 16 career games. She has grabbed at least two steals in all but three games this year, leading the team in steals in 13 of her first 19 games. Tritz swiped a career-high six steals at Indiana State (Jan. 22). 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.
If the Schuett Fits
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).
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. 6, 2008 against Missouri 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 (.855), trailing only her sister Kristi (.862) in that category. She is ranked fourth in school history and 12th in league history with 232 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.
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 in 1978-79.
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.
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/ Women's BasketballCreighton Volleyball vs Seton Hall Postgame Press Conference - 10-19-25
Sunday, October 19
#13 Creighton Volleyball Highlights vs. Seton Hall - 10.19.25
Sunday, October 19
Creighton Women's Soccer Highlights at DePaul, 10/18/25
Saturday, October 18
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. Iowa State. Press Conference - 10/17/25
Saturday, October 18
