Women's Basketball Heads to UTSA Holiday Classic

Bluejays Play at UTSA Holiday Classic in San Antonio
Game #10 • at UTSA • Tuesday, Dec. 20 • 7:15 pm
Game #11 • vs. Colorado • Wednesday, Dec. 21 • 5 pm

Creighton Bluejays (5-4) at UTSA Roadrunners (3-6)
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Arena: Convocation Center (4,080)
UTSA Audio | Live Video | Live Stats
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBB
Series History: Series tied 2-2; UTSA leads 2-0 in San Antonio

Creighton Bluejays (5-4) vs. Colorado Buffaloes (9-0)
Location: Boulder, Colo.
Audio (1180 AM) | Live Stats
No Video Available
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBB
Series History: Creighton leads 2-1; Colorado leads 1-0 on neutral floors

• Through games on Dec. 19, Creighton's strength of schedule was 30, UTSA's was 177 and Colorado's was 314.

• Creighton is 4-6 while participating in in-season tournaments under Jim Flanery. The Bluejays won the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo., in 2007 and split a pair of games at the Wolfpack Invitational hosted by North Carolina State last November.

• Head coach Jim Flanery is 2-0 against teams currently in the Southland Conference and he is 4-0 all-time against the Pac-12, not including his 2-0 record against Colorado as members of the Big 12.

• Creighton has not played in Texas since 2004 and has not won a game in Texas since 1995.

• Creighton is 2-2 against UTSA all-time with both losses coming in San Antonio. CU last played at UTSA on March 2, 1989.

• Sophomore Sarah Nelson ranked sixth in the NCAA in field-goal percentage last week, entering Creighton's game against Bowling Green on Sunday with a 62.9 field-goal percentage.

• Nelson posted her team-leading fourth double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds against Bowling Green on Sunday.

Scouting the Bluejays
The Bluejays are picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference this season ... Creighton returns eight letterwinners and two starters from last year's team which finished 18-13 and 12-6 (T-2nd) in the MVC ... CU lost three senior starters from last year's team which advanced to the WNIT for the fourth straight season last year, tying a school record for consecutive postseason appearances ... Nine of CU's 12 roster spots are filled by underclassmen ...Two-time MVC Player of the Week sophomore Sarah Nelson leads the team with 13.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals per game and four double-doubles ... Nelson ranks among NCAA leaders, shooting 61.4 percent from the field ... Carli Tritz, the 2011 MVC Freshman of the Year, led the team in assists (98), steals (67) and field goal percentage (.478) last year and is CU's active career leader in leader in points, steals, assists, free throws and free-throw attempts, but has been slowed this season following preseason knee surgery ... Ally Jensen (9.6 ppg) leads CU with 3.0 assists per game and 18 three-pointers ... Creighton is 3-0 when Jordan Garrison starts this year.

Scouting UTSA
The Roadrunners are 3-6 on the season, including 3-3 at home, including a 69-56 loss to Wichita State on Dec. 9 ... UTSA went 16-15 last year, and won the West Division of the Southland Conference with an 11-5 mark, but lost three starters from that team ... The Roadrunners are averaging 54.6 points and shooting just 30.6 percent from the field and 18.5 percent from 3-point range this year ... Freshman Ashley Spaletta leads the team with 10.0 points per game and has made 22 of UTSA's 27 three-pointers on the season ... Freshman Mannasha Bell (8.2 ppg) leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game and freshman Judy Jones adds 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game ... UTSA is averaging 7.0 assists and 20.7 turnovers per game.

Scouting Colorado
The Buffaloes are 9-0 and off to their best start since 1992-93, but Colorado's strength of schedule was 319 on Dec. 18 (compared to Creighton's 44) ... Seven of CU's first nine wins have come at home and the Buffs will play Texas-Pan American on Tuesday before meeting the Jays on Wednesday ... Colorado is shooting 46.0 percent from the field, averaging better than 71 points per game and ranks among NCAA leaders, allowing just 52.3 points per game ... Chucky Jeffery leads the team with 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while topping the team in steals and blocks as well ... Freshman Lexy Kresl adds 11.8 points per game and a team-leading 20 three-pointers ... Brittany Wilson adds 10.3 points per game for the Buffaloes.

The Coaches
• Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) is in his 10th season as head coach at his alma mater, where he has led his team to seven WNIT postseason appearances and five 20-win seasons. He owns a career record of 175-120 (.593). One of seven coaches in MVC history with 100 league wins, he led the Bluejays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. He is the second-winningest coach in school history. Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade.
• Rae Rippetoe-Blair (Oklahoma State, 1985) is in her 17th season as a collegiate head coach and her 12th season at UTSA. The three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year is 195-139 (.584) at UTSA and 302-183 (.623) in her career. She's led UTSA to two NCAA tournament, two SLC tourney titles and two SLC regular-season championships.
• Linda Lappe (Colorado, 2002) is in her second season at her alma mater, after leading the Buffaloes to an 18-16 record and a WNIT appearance last year. Lappe served as head coach at Division II Metropolitan State College (50-36) in Denver prior to her appointment in Boulder.
Creighton-UTSA Series History
Creighton and UTSA have split four all-time meetings, having played during four straight seasons starting on Dec. 18, 1985. The Jays are 0-2 in San Antonio, including an 82-80 loss on March 2, 1989 in their last trip to UTSA. CU last beat UTSA on Jan. 25, 1988 in Omaha.

Creighton-Colorado Series History
The Bluejays are 2-1 all-time against the Buffaloes, with both wins coming under head coach Jim Flanery. The Jays won Dec. 4, 2004 in Boulder and on Dec. 3, 2005 in Omaha in the team's previous meeting. Creighton's only loss to Colorado came in a neutral site meeting in Irvine, Calif., on Nov. 27, 1987, a 76-50 decision in favor of the wrong CU.

In-Season Tournaments
Creighton is 4-6 in the five in-season tournaments it has played in under head coach Jim Flanery. The Jays won the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo., in Nov., 2007, defeating Kent State and Colorado State. Last year the Bluejays opened the season with a 40-35 win over Liberty and a 84-71 loss to North Carolina State at the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational in Raleigh, N.C.

Lone Star Games
Creighton is playing its first game in Texas since an 80-63 loss at Houston on Nov. 24, 2004. Creighton lost 98-70 at No. 10 Texas Tech in 2002, as the only other contest the Bluejays have played in Texas since Jim Flanery took over. CU hasn't won a game in Texas since a 68-67 win at Texas State on Dec. 2, 1995, as part of Creighton's tournament championship at the Texas State Invitational in San Marcos, when it also topped Lamar. The Bluejays are 0-2 all-time in San Antonio.

Ally Jensen Closing in on 100
With a team-leading 18 three-pointers in her first seven games, junior Ally Jensen is closing in on 100 career trifectas in her career. She now has 97 career three-pointers, three shy of becoming the 16th player in school history to reach 100 career threes.

Creighton Career 3-Point Field Goals
    1.    309    Kathy Halligan    1988-92
    2.    294    Dayna Finch    2000-04
    3.    261    Kelsey Woodard    2007-11
    4.    250    Laura Spanheimer    2001-05
    5.    187    Missy Miller    1992-96
    6.    174    Holly Sivesind    1993-97
    7.    169    Sam Schuett    2006-11
    8.    154    Ally Thrall    2004-08
    9.    151    Melissa Sanford    1989-92
    10.    137    Krissie Spanheimer    1997-01
    11.    134    Chevelle Herring    2005-10
        134    Angela Timmons    1997-01
    13.    132    Kristi Woodard    2002-06
    14.    102    Christy Neneman    2000-04
    15.    101    Michelle Kaus    2005-09
        97    Ally Jensen    2009-

Nelson Isn't Missing Much
Sarah Nelson ranks sixth in the NCAA in field goal percentage, making 62.9 percent of her shots this season. The sophomore is shooting even better at home, making 70.8 percent of her shots at D.J. Sokol Arena this year. She is 17-of-24 from the field at home this season.

Shots Not Falling for Everyone
While Sarah Nelson ranks among NCAA leaders in shooting and is making better than 70 percent of her shots at home, the rest of her teammates aren't enjoying the same success. Outside of Nelson, the Bluejays are shooting just 31.2 percent from the field at home. Take Ally Jensen's 40.7 percent shooting away at home games and the Bluejays outside of Jensen and Nelson are down to 28.9 percent combined from the field.

Second Half Efforts
Creighton has shot well in the second half of its last two games, unfortunately for the Bluejays, those second halves followed poor shooting first halves. Against No. 3 Notre Dame, the Jays shot just 3-of-20 (.150) in the first half and against Nebraska the Bluejays were 7-of-28 (.250) from the floor. CU is shooting a combined 27-of-52 (.519) from the field in the second half after shooting 10-of-48 (208) in the first half of those two losses. On the season, the Jays are shooting 43.6 percent from the field in the second half, compared to 35.6 percent in the first half.

No Bad Losses
Creighton is 4-4 on the year, but the combined record of the four teams which have beaten the Bluejays is 32-5. Notre Dame (9-1), Nebraska (9-1), Kansas (8-1) and South Dakota (6-2) are all off to impressive starts, as the Fighting Irish are ranked third and the Cornhuskers are ranked 25th in this week's AP poll. The four teams CU has defeated this year are a combined 14-21, with North Carolina State (6-2) the only team with a winning record.

Sixty More Nifty Than Fifty
Creighton is 4-0 this year when it scores at least 60 points and 0-4 when it is held under 60. Since Jim Flanery took over, the Bluejays have won 23 games when scoring less than 60 points, but are only 23-63 (.267) when doing so. The Jays are 151-57 (.726) when scoring at least 60 points under Flan, including an even more impressive 100-19 (.840) when scoring 70 points.

Freshman Makes History
Taylor Johnson became the first freshman in school history to make at least four three-point field goals in consecutive games earlier this year when she drained four against both NC State (Nov. 27) and at Wyoming (Dec. 1). The rookie has found her shooting touch, as she is now 9-of-20 (.450) from long range in her last three games after making 1-of-14 (.071) to start her career. She was the first Bluejay to make at least four threes in consecutive games since Kelsey Woodard did so in the final two games of the 2008-09 season.

Ally Jensen Returns From Rib Injury
Junior Ally Jensen suffered an injured rib in Creighton's win over NC State (Nov. 27) and the injury forced her to miss a game for the first time in her career, sitting at Wyoming (Dec. 1). The guard appeared to be back in fine form against No. 3 Notre Dame (Dec. 4), leading the team with 12 points, while making 3-of-5 three-pointers to raise her 3-point percentage to 41.7 on the season.

Home is Where the Wins Are
Creighton went 12-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena last year, and is now 25-7 (.781) at its new home. The Bluejays are 97-32 (.756) at home under Jim Flanery, including 64-17 (.790) in MVC play at home under Flanery.

Defending D.J.
The Bluejays are 25-7 all-time their new home. In those 32 games, the Bluejays have allowed less than 60 points points 22 times – including 12 of their last 17 games. Bluejay opponents are averaging just 55.8 points per game in the 32 games played inside D.J. Sokol Arena.

Sammy I Am
Freshman Sammy Jensen played a total of 29 minutes through five appearances in Creighton's first six games this year, not attempting a field goal in any of her first five games. The rookie finally pulled the trigger when she found herself open in the corner for a three-point attempt in the first half against No. 3 Notre Dame (Dec. 4). She drained the trifecta and would play a season-high 17 minutes against the Fighting Irish.

Home Away From Home
Creighton is 3-2 on the road this season after posting a combined 2-8 record in non-conference road games over its previous two seasons. Creighton is in search of its first winning record on the road in non-conference play since Jim Flanery's first season in 2002-03 when the Bluejays went 6-2 in non-conference road games (3-2 in the regular-season and 3-0 in the WNIT). The Jays were 2-2 in non-conference road games in 2004-05 and 4-4 on the non-con road in 2003-04.

Flan Schedules the Big Boys (or Girls)
Creighton's game against Nebraska was its fourth of five games against teams from BCS conferences this season, continuing a trend head coach Jim Flanery started when he took over in 2002-03. The Bluejays have played 65 games against BCS schools in that span, 25 more than the next closest MVC school – Drake (39). Flanery's 19 wins against BCS schools in that span are nine more than the next closest MVC school in that span – Illinois State (10). In fact, Flan has more wins against BCS conference (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) schools since he took over than Bradley has games played (16) against BCS schools.

MVC vs. BCS since 2002-03
School    Games    Wins
Creighton    65    19
Illinois State    30    10
Drake    39    9
Missouri State    32    7
Indiana State    19    6
Northern Iowa    36    4
Wichita State    21    4
Evansville    19    3
Bradley    16    2
Southern Illinois    21    0

The Ally Way Doubles
Junior Ally Jensen scored 12 points against No. 3 Notre Dame (Dec. 4) for her fourth double-figure scoring game in her first six games played this year. As a sophomore, she scored in double figures just four times in 31 games all season. The guard is shooting 43.6 percent from three point range this year, making 17-of-39 shots from deep. Her 16 points against North Dakota State (Nov. 13) were the most she'd scored since her career-high 18 points against Drake as a freshman in the MVC Tournament.

Nelson: 2-Time MVC Player of the Week
Whatever the opposite of a sophomore slump is, Sarah Nelson is doing it. The sophomore was named the MVC Player of the Week twice in the first three weeks of the season, earning the honor on Nov. 28 following a week in which she averaged 16.5 points and 13.5 rebounds and set career-highs for rebounds and points in a game. Nelson turned in a career-high 17 rebounds against South Dakota (Nov. 22) and followed with a career-high 22 points against NC State (Nov. 27). She made 9-of-10 shots against the Wolfpack and to finish the week 14-of-20 (.700) from the field.
• Nelson also earned MVC Player of the Week honors after the opening week of the season when she averaged 14.5 points per game and made 12-of-16 shots (.750) from the field in road wins at North Dakota and North Dakota State.
• Nelson is the first Bluejay two be named MVC Player of the Week twice in one season since Megan Neuvirth in 2008-09.
• Nelson is the first Bluejay to be named MVC Player of the Week twice in the same month since Christy Neneman in February 2002.
• Nelson scored in double figures in her first six games this year after never scoring 10+ in consecutive games at all as a freshman.

Flan's Movement
Creighton opened the season with a 72-54 win at North Dakota, earning head coach Jim Flanery his 171st career victory. That win moved him ahead of his predecessor Connie Yori (170) alone into second place on the CU career victories chart. He now trails only Bruce Rasmussen's (currently Creighton's AD) 196 wins for tops in school history.

Creighton Coaching Wins
Name    Wins    Seasons
Bruce Rasmussen    196    12
Jim Flanery    174    10
Connie Yori    170    10
Gaye Kinnett    33    3
Eddye McClure    26    3
Howard Faber    11    1

Tritz Scores Career-High 23 at Kansas
Sophomore Carli Tritz poured in a career-high 23 points at Kansas on Nov. 16, also setting career-high marks by going 9-for-18 from the field. Her previous career best of 21 points also came against a Big 12 school, scoring 21 against Nebraska at home last year. The super sophomore is averaging 18 points per game in her last two outings.

Tritz Reaches 400 Points Rapidly
With 13 points against South Dakota (Nov. 22), sophomore Carli Tritz eclipsed 400 career points in just her 35th career game. She became the fastest Bluejay to reach 400 points since Becky Flynn scored her 400th career point in her first game as a sophomore in 1993. Flynn reached 400 points in her 29th career game. If you're curious about other recent Bluejays to quickly reach 400 – Christy Neneman (37), Kelsey Woodard (38) and Laura Spanheimer (39) – were all edged out by Tritz.

Impact Rookies
Freshmen Taylor Johnson (6.4 ppg) and Alexis Akin-Otiko (5.6 ppg) rank fourth and fifth on the team, respectively, in scoring through eight games. Johnson scored a career-high 15 points against NC State (Nov. 27) and followed with 12 points at Wyoming (Dec. 1), combining to go 8-for-17 (.471) from three-point range in those two games. Akin-Otiko had seven points and a team-best five rebounds in just 13 minutes of play in her collegiate debut at North Dakota (Nov. 11). She was 7-of-9 from the floor for 16 points in 16 minutes of action at North Dakota State (Nov. 13), tying for game-high scoring honors. Akin-Otiko is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game to rank third on the team, despite averaging just 15.5 minutes per game.

Double-Double-Double
Sarah Nelson posted back-to-back double-doubles against South Dakota (Nov. 22) and NC State (Nov. 27). Nelson is the first Bluejay to post consecutive double-doubles since Sam Schuett did so on Jan. 2 & 7, 2010. The sophomore has three double-doubles on the year after logging just one double-dime all of last season.

Cleaning the Glass
Sarah Nelson had the best rebounding game by a Bluejay since 2003 on Nov. 22 when she pulled down 17 rebounds against South Dakota. The 17 boards were not only a career-high, but they were also a D.J. Sokol Arena record. The 17 caroms were the most by a Bluejay since two-time MVC Player of the Year Christy Neneman snagged 17 rebounds against Indiana State on Feb. 27, 2003. The 17 rebounds are tied for the 10th-most in a single game in school history.

3s by the Dozen
Creighton made a season-high 12 three-pointer in its 74-67 win over NC State (Nov. 27). The game marked the 20th time under Jim Flanery the Bluejays have made at least 12 triples in one game, moving Creighton's record to 16-4 (.800) under Flan when making at least 12 threes. The Jays are now 33-11 (.750) under Flan when making 10 or more three-pointers in a game.

Career Highs All Around
The Bluejays had four players score career-high point totals in their 74-67 win over NC State (Nov. 27), led by Sarah Nelson's 22 points. Taylor Johnson entered the NC State game with 13 points scored in her first four collegiate games before snapping out of her shooting funk by hitting 4-of-10 three-pointers and finishing with 15 points. Junior Jasmin Corbin scored a career-high nine points, making a career-best 6-of-6 free throws, and sophomore Jordan Garrison finished with a career-high nine points by making 3-of-5 three-pointers in her first career start. Junior Ally Jensen dished a career-high seven assists – three more than her previous career-best – while she also equalled her career-high with six rebounds against the Wolfpack.

Garrison Returns to Form
Sophomore Jordan Garrison missed the first 12 games of her freshman season and played in just 16 due to a stress fracture in her left leg. The three-point sharp-shooter made 4-of-20 (.200) shots from long range in her 16 games played last year. Turn the page to this season and she has made 10-of-27 (.370) three-point shots in her first eight games, which included her first career start against NC State (Nov. 27). Garrison made 3-of-5 threes for a career-best nine points against NC State.

Bluejays Blowout Bison
Creighton blasted North Dakota State 71-51 on Nov. 13, the Bluejays' first 20-point non-conference road win since a 78-56 win at Colorado State on Nov. 24, 2007. It marked just the third non-conference road win of at least 20 points under head coach Jim Flanery, with the first coming on Dec. 20, 2002 – 80-57 at UC Irvine.

Preseason Picks
The Bluejays have been picked to finish fourth in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by league coaches, media and sports information directors. Sophomore Carli Tritz was named to the five-member preseason all-MVC team after her outstanding freshman campaign. Missouri State captured 36 first-place votes and are the preseason favorites, while UNI received the remaining four votes and is picked to finish second. Wichita State is the only other team picked above Creighton this year.

We're Still Young
One season after half of the roster was made up of freshmen, the 2011-12 roster consists of 12 players, nine of which are underclassmen. The Bluejays have one senior (DaNae Moore), two juniors, five sophomores, three true freshmen and one redshirt freshman on the roster.

Creighton's Sister Act Continues
One of the three freshmen on this year's team is Sammy Jensen, the younger sister of junior Ally Jensen, continuing the recent trend of sisters playing for the Bluejays. Last year, Kellie and Sarah Nelson played alongside each other. Before the Nelson's played together, the last recorded sister duo to play on the same Bluejay basketball squad was Peggy and Patty Bierle during the 1978-79 season. Kelsey Woodard (2007-11) followed older sister Kristi (2002-06) and Laura Spanheimer (2001-05) followed in the steps of her older sister Krissie (1997-01) to solidify this basketball program as true family environment.

Nebraska Natives
Five of Creighton's 12 players on this year's roster are from Nebraska – Omaha products Jasmin Corbin (Millard West) and Sarah Nelson (Westside), Seward High graduate Alyssa Kamphaus, Wahoo Bishop Neumann product McKenzie Fujan and Alexis Akin-Otiko out of Bellevue West.

Another Tough Schedule
As always, Creighton plays one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MVC, one that features the 2011 NCAA National Runner-Up coming to Omaha. Creighton hosts North Carolina State on Nov. 27, the first ACC team to play against the Jays in Omaha. On Dec. 4, the Bluejays host Notre Dame for the first time in program history. The Fighting Irish, who lost to Texas A&M in the 2011 NCAA Title game, will be the fourth team in a decade to come to Omaha the year after it played in the Final Four – Missouri State (2002), Minnesota (2004), Oklahoma (2009). Seven-time reigning Mid-American Conference champion Bowling Green plays at D.J. Sokol Arena on Dec. 18.

Flan Makes History With 100th MVC Win
Head coach Jim Flanery won his 100th career MVC game against Wichita State on Jan. 29, 2011, becoming the seventh coach in league history to reach 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    105    2002-pr.

On Top of the Valley
Creighton has won more MVC games in the last nine years than any other program in the league. With 105 victories since the 2002-03 season, the Bluejays are the only Valley team to eclipse 100 conference wins in that span. All 105 wins have come since Jim Flanery took over, making him just the seventh coach in league history to win 100 MVC games.

MVC Records Since 2002-03
School    W-L    Pct.
Creighton    105-57    .648
Northern Iowa    99-63    .611
Indiana State    97-65    .599
Illinois State    97-65    .599
Missouri State    91-71    .562
Drake    89-73    .549
Bradley    72-90    .444
Evansville    64-98    .395
Wichita State    54-108    .333
Southern Illinois    42-120    .259

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