Salukis Visit Omaha in Women's Basketball Saturday
1/13/2012 3:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Southern Illinois Salukis (3-12, 0-5 MVC)
at Creighton Bluejays (7-8, 1-3 MVC)
Game #16 • Saturday, Jan. 14 • 2:05 p.m.
Ryan Athletic Center & D.J Sokol Arena (2,500) • Omaha, Neb.
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBB
Series History: CU leads 30-15; CU leads 15-7 in Omaha
Audio (1180 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video
at Creighton Bluejays (7-8, 1-3 MVC)
Game #16 • Saturday, Jan. 14 • 2:05 p.m.
Ryan Athletic Center & D.J Sokol Arena (2,500) • Omaha, Neb.
Twitter: @GoCreighton, @CreightonWBB
Series History: CU leads 30-15; CU leads 15-7 in Omaha
Audio (1180 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video
• Jim Flanery is looking for his 100th career home win. He enters today's game with a record of 99-33 (.750) all-time at home.
• Creighton's seven-game winning streak in the series with SIU is its longest active streak against any opponent.
• Creighton is 16-4 (.800) in 20 MVC games played at D.J. Sokol Arena.
• Evansville scored only 33 points on Thursday, the fewest scored by a Bluejay opponent since Nebraska Wesleyan scored 31 in 1978.
• After getting out-rebounded by 11.7 boards per game in its first three MVC games, the Bluejays out-rebounded Evansville 39-23.
• Jordan Garrison scored a career-high 11 points, making 3-of-4 three-pointers in Creighton's win over Evansville.
• Alyssa Kamphaus tallied career-highs with 11 rebounds and three assists against Evansville, scoring a season-high eight points.
• Creighton is averaging 9.3 steals per game in MVC play, tied for the league-lead with WSU. Eight different Bluejays logged at least one steal in CU's win over Evansville, including a career-high tying three from Jasmin Corbin.
• Carli Tritz has 12 steals in four MVC games after she logged nine steals in 10 non-conference games played.
• McKenzie Fujan is 12-for-24 (.500) from the field over her last six games played.
• Only one Bluejay opponent has scored more than 60 points in Creighton's last 15 Valley home games. Opponents are averaging just 55.1 points per game in 35 games over three seasons at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton once again played the toughest non-conference schedule in the league, with its strength of schedule ranked 18th before the start of Valley play ... CU returns eight letterwinners and two starters from last year's team which finished 18-13, 12-6 (T-2nd) in the MVC ... Nine of CU's 12 roster spots are filled by underclassmen ... The Bluejays are tied for the league-lead, allowing only 57.3 points per game ... CU is also tied for tops with Wichita State with 9.3 steals per game in MVC play ... The Jays are ranked eighth in the MVC in offense (58.5 ppg), their lowest scoring average since the 1981-82 season and are 10th in the MVC with 34.3 rebounds per game ... Two-time MVC Player of the Week sophomore Sarah Nelson (12.9 ppg) leads the team with 7.0 rpg, 27 steals, 12 blocks and four double-doubles ... Nelson leads the team and is fourth in the MVC, shooting 52.8 percent from the field ... Carli Tritz leads the team with 13.1 points per game and is averaging 14.6 points, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals in her last eight games ... She is CU's active career leader in leader in points, steals, assists, free throws and free-throw attempts ... ... Ally Jensen (8.1 ppg) leads the team with 27 3FG this year.
Scouting the Salukis
Southern Illinois is looking for its first MVC win since the 2009-10 season, as it has lost its last 23 Valley games ... SIU, which already has more wins than it did all of last year, enters the weekend on an eight-game losing streak ... SIU leads the MVC with 5.0 blocks per game, led by CiCi Shannon's league-best 38 swats ... SIU ranks last in the MVC in defense (70.5 ppg allowed), rebounding margin (-3.2), assists (10.9) and free-throw percentage (.663) ... Teri Oliver ranks third in the MVC in scoring (17.7) and leads the MVC with 48 three-pointers ... Cartaesha Macklin ranks 4th in the MVC with 16.1 ppg ... Alexus Patterson is the reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week, she is averaging 10.2 points and 10 rebounds in MVC play.
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 177-124 (.588). 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. Flan is 13-6 all-time against SIU.
• Missy Tiber (West Liberty State, 1994) is in her third season at Southern Illinois and as a Division I head coach, where she is 10-64 (.135) after putting together a 167-70 (.705) mark at Division II Tusculum College and Belmont Abbey College, where she led her teams to three NCAA Tournaments in eight years.
Creighton-SIU Series History
The Bluejays lead the all-time series with Southern Illinois 30-15, including a 15-7 advantage in Omaha. The Jays have won the last seven meetings with SIU after losing five of six. SIU has scored less than 60 points in six of the last seven meetings and less than 50 points three times in that span. CU has won its last four games against SIU in Omaha, with SIU's last win here coming on Feb. 18, 2007.
Individuals against SIU
Carli Tritz is the only active Bluejay to average more than 10 points per game against SIU in her career, as Tritz averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steal per game while shooting 9-of-15 (.600) against SIU last year. Ally Jensen scored nine points at SIU as a freshman, but averages just 4.0 ppg and shoots 3-of-12 (.250) from long range against the Salukis. Alyssa Kamphaus scored eight points in 10 minutes at home against SIU last year. Sarah Nelson averages 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds against the Salukis.
In Search of 100th Win
Head coach Jim Flanery enters today's game with a 99-33 (.750) career record in home games, including a 27-8 (.771) record inside of D.J. Sokol Arena. A win over SIU would give Flan 100 career home wins.
Streak Stopped
Creighton halted its longest regular-season losing streak in five years with a 65-33 thrashing of Evansville on Thursday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and prevented the Bluejays from their first ever 0-4 start in Valley play. The win also ended CU's six-game MVC losing streak which dated to last season.
Bluejays Win Big
Creighton cruised to a 65-33 win over Evansville on Thursday. Here a few numbers to highlight the win.
• The 33 points were the fewest scored by a Bluejay opponent since Nebraska Wesleyan scored 31 on Nov. 28, 1978.
• The 32-margin of victory was Creighton's largest of the season and the fifth time under Jim Flanery the Bluejays have won by at least 30 points. CU has twice defeated Wichita State by at least 30 points and owns large non-conference wins over North Dakota (+39) and Memphis (+33) under Flanery.
• The 32-margin of victory was the third-largest winning margin in MVC play under Flanery.
• The win marked the third straight season the Bluejays have beaten the Purple Aces by at least 26 points.
Largest MVC Winning Margins
Under Jim Flanery (since 2002-03)
Opponent Date Score Margin
Wichita State 1-7-10 89-48 41
Wichita State 1-4-08 83-47 36
Evansville 1-12-12 65-33 32
Missouri State 1-8-09 92-63 29
Illinois State 2-19-11 71-44 27
Evansville 1-6-11 81-55 26
Evansville 1-14-10 63-37 26
Winning > Losing
Creighton snapped its four-game losing streak on Thursday and did so by reversing recent trends.
• Through its 0-3 MVC start, CU was shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 58.1 percent at the free-throw line. In CU's win over Evansville, CU shot 45.6 percent from the field and 87.5 percent at the line.
• During its 0-3 start, CU was outrebounded by an average of 11.7 per game, but the Bluejays posted a 39-23 rebounding edge over UE, equaling their best rebounding margin of the season.
Special Night For Specialty Stats
In Creighton's 65-33 win over Evansville (Jan. 12), the Bluejays posted season-highs for bench points (29), points off turnovers (29) and second-chance points (17). In fact, in CU's two home MVC games, the Bluejays are outscoring their opponents 49-19 on points off turnovers, with a plus-15 differential in both contests (20-5 vs. Drake and 29-14 vs. Evansville).
Garrison Picks Spots, Hits Shots
Sophomore Jordan Garrison scored a career-high 11 points in Creighton's win on Thursday, making 4-of-5 shots from the field. She tied her career-high by making three three-pointers, finishing 3-for-4 from long range.
Kamphaus Kollects Karoms
Sophomore Alyssa Kamphaus more than doubled her previous career high with 11 rebounds against Evansville on Thursday. The center pulled down 11 boards and scored a season-high eight points, while also adding a career-high three assists in 17 minutes off the bench.
Mac is 50-50
McKenzie Fujan is shooting 50 percent from the field over her last eight games. The sophomore guard is 12-of-24 from the floor over that span, raising her shooting percentage on the season from just 29.3 percent up to 36.9 percent in that span.
Stealing the Show
Creighton is tied for the MVC lead with 9.3 steals per game in conference play, up from their 8.5 steals in non-conference action. Carli Tritz has 12 steals in four conference games after she logged only nine steals in her 10 non-conference games. The Bluejays have posted at least 10 steals in four of their last five games, including 13 against Evansville on Thursday, led by Jasmin Corbin's career-high tying three swipes.
300
Jim Flanery coached in his 300th game as Creighton's head coach at Wichita State on Jan. 8. He joins Bruce Rasmussen as the only other coach in school history to reach 300 games as CU's leader. Rasmussen coached in 343 games in 12 seasons at Creighton, while Flan is now in his 10th season. Rasmussen, now Creighton's athletic director, was 160-140 (.533) after 300 games, while Flanery is now 176-124 (.587) in his career.
Carli's Accomplishments
Sophomore Carli Tritz has scored in double figures in each of Creighton's last eight games – the longest streak of her career. Tritz leads the Bluejays with 14.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game in that span. Tritz is shooting 46.2 percent from the field in her last eight games, after starting the season shooting just 32.3 percent from the field in her first six outings. Tritz tied her career-high with six steals against Drake on Dec. 31 and has 12 steals in CU's first four MVC games.
Home is Where the Wins Are
Creighton went 12-2 at D.J. Sokol Arena last year, and is now 27-8 (.771) at its new home. The Bluejays are 99-33 (.750) at home under Jim Flanery, including 65-18 (.783) in MVC play at home under Flanery, including a 16-4 (.800) league mark at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Defending D.J.
Creighton is 27-8 all-time their new home. In those 35 games, the Jays have allowed less than 60 points points 25 times and under 50 points 10 times. Only one MVC opponent has scored more than 60 points in the last 15 games played in Omaha. Bluejay opponents are averaging just 55.1 points per game in the 35 games played inside D.J. Sokol Arena.
Best Non-Conference RPI & SOS in MVC
• As it annually does, Creighton again played the strongest non-conference schedule in the MVC. When non-conference play concluded, the Bluejays' strength of schedule (SOS) through Dec. 28 was 18. Only one other school in the MVC had an SOS in the top 100, as Illinois State's SOS was 39 before Valley play began. The average strength of schedule for the nine other MVC teams was 174 – or 156 spots lower than Creighton's.
• Creighton's league-leading RPI was 49 before MVC play began. The Jays were one of four MVC teams in the top 100, with Missouri State (63), Bradley (82) and Illinois State (97) joining them.
No Bad Non-Conference Losses
One reason for Creighton's high non-conference RPI and strength of schedule is the fact that the five teams Creighton lost to this year were a combined 52-4 in non-conference action. Colorado (11-0), Notre Dame (12-1), Nebraska (11-1), Kansas (11-1) and South Dakota (7-1) had impressive non-conference marks. Notre Dame is ranked second and Nebraska is ranked 15th in this week's AP poll.
On Top of the Valley
Creighton has won more MVC games in the last 10 seasons than any other program in the league. With 105 victories since the 2002-03 season, the Bluejays were the only Valley team to eclipse 100 conference wins in the nine-year span of 2002-11. 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
(through Jan. 12)
School W-L Pct.
Creighton 106-60 .639
Northern Iowa 102-65 .612
Indiana State 101-65 .608
Illinois State 100-66 .602
Missouri State 94-72 .566
Drake 91-75 .548
Bradley 73-94 .437
Evansville 65-102 .389
Wichita State 58-108 .349
Southern Illinois 42-125 .251
Alexis in Stitches
Alexis Akin-Otiko had an unfortunate ending to her best game since Nov. 13 at Missouri State on Jan. 5. The freshman scored 10 points, making all five of her field goal attempts in Creighton's game at MSU, scoring in double figures for the second time this season. The rookie left the game with 2:47 remaining after colliding head-on with Lady Bear star Casey Garrison. Akin-Otiko needed four stitches to repair a cut under her right eye, while Garrison suffered a broken nose in the collision.
Looking For O in Omaha
The Bluejays went six straight games without reaching 60 points (Dec. 4-31) before scoring 60 in a loss at Missouri State on Jan. 5. That was the longest streak of sub-60 games since the 1981-82 team went nine straight games without getting 60 to end the year. Creighton's 58.5 points per game scoring average is its lowest since the 1981-82 team averaged 56.6 points per game on the season.
Flan's Place in MVC History
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 106 2002-pr.
3-Point Streak Snapped
Creighton had made at least five three-pointers in its first 11 games this year before it made a season-low three and shot a season-low 15.8 percent (3-19) from long range against Drake on Dec. 31. The 11-straight games with five threes was CU's longest streak since making five threes in 12 straight games between Jan. 8 – Feb. 20, 2004. The Bluejays ended last season having made at least five three-pointers in their final eight games as the Jays set a school-record with 19 consecutive games with at least five threes.
Ally Jensen Joins the 100 3FG Club
Junior Ally Jensen became the 16th player in school history to reach 100 career three-pointers when she hit her third trey at UTSA on Dec. 20. Jensen is now ranked 14th in school history with 105 triples, recently passing two-time MVC Player of the Year Christy Neneman on the charts.
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. 106 Ally Jensen 2009-
15. 102 Christy Neneman 2000-04
16. 101 Michelle Kaus 2005-09
Trail to Win
In six of Creighton's seven wins this year, the Bluejays have fallen behind in the opening minutes, only to come back and own a lead before halftime. Creighton never trailed in its win at Wyoming, has led at halftime in all six of its wins and trailed at halftime in five of its six losses. A quick glance at CU's deficits overcome for wins this year:
• Nov. 11 at UND, CU trailed by 6 just 90 seconds into the game, but led 34-28 at halftime and won 72-54.
• Nov. 13 at NDSU, CU trailed by 8 six minutes into the game, but led 28-24 at halftime and won 71-51.
• Nov. 27 vs. NCST, CU trailed by 4 three minutes into the game, but led 33-30 at halftime and won 74-67.
• Dec. 18 vs. BGSU, CU trailed by 10 with 9:15 left in the first half, but led 26-25 at halftime and won 49-47.
• Dec. 20 at UTSA, CU trailed by 6, six minutes into the game, but led 23-18 at halftime and won 54-53.
• Jan. 5 vs. Evansville, CU trailed by 3, five minutes into the game, but led 29-17 at halftime and won 65-33.
Tritz Named All-Tournament
Carli Tritz was named to the UTSA Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team following her play at the event in San Antonio Dec. 20-21. Tritz scored 14 points against UTSA and followed with a game-high 18 points and five assists against Colorado to average 16 points per game at the tournament.
Concussions are Contagious?
Well no, but two Bluejay freshmen recently missed time with concussions. Taylor Johnson missed three games (Dec. 18-21) with concussions symptoms, due to a concussions suffered in practice the week before playing Bowling Green on Dec. 18. Sammy Jensen then suffered a concussion while taking a charge in Creighton's game at UTSA (Dec. 20). Both freshmen returned to action in Creighton's MVC opener.
Bluejays Lose Norman Again
For the second straight season Riley Norman will not appear in a regular-season game for the Bluejays. The Des Moines native suffered a torn ACL during preseason practices prior to her freshman year in 2010-11 and missed the year. The forward underwent surgery for a separate knee injury on Dec. 22 and will miss all of the 2011-12 season because of the injury.
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 has gone 11-of-27 (.407) from long range after starting her career 1-of-14 (.071) from beyond the arc. 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.
Road Winning
Creighton went 4-2 on the road in non-conference action this season after posting a combined 2-8 record in non-conference road games over its previous two seasons. Creighton captured 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 played 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 66 games against BCS schools in that span, 26 more than the next closest MVC school – Drake (40). 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 (17) against BCS schools.
MVC vs. BCS since 2002-03
School Games Wins
Creighton 66 19
Illinois State 32 10
Drake 40 9
Missouri State 32 7
Indiana State 20 6
Northern Iowa 37 4
Wichita State 21 4
Evansville 20 3
Bradley 17 3
Southern Illinois 22 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. She scored in double figures five times in her first 10 games this season after a season-high 17 points at UTSA on Dec. 20, after she scored in double figures just four times in 31 games all season.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nelson Grabs 17 Rebounds
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 then 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.
Not So Rocky Road
The Bluejays won their first two road games of the season for the first time since 1995. Creighton opened the season with consecutive road wins in its first two games for the first time in school history. Prior to its 72-54 win at North Dakota to open the year, Creighton had not won its first road game of the season since 1999 and had not won a season-opener on the road since 1998.
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.
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 177 10
Connie Yori 170 10
Gaye Kinnett 33 3
Eddye McClure 26 3
Howard Faber 11 1
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.
The Bellevue Bloodline
Freshman Alexis Akin-Otiko continues a trend at Creighton which began in 2002-03. Akin-Otiko attended Bellevue West, following in the footsteps of former Bluejays and fellow Bellevue West Thunderbirds Kristi and Kelsey Woodard. Kristi played for the Jays from 2002-06 and Kelsey played from 2007-11, meaning one T-Bird has been on the roster every year since 2002-03 – with the exception of 2006-07. CU has had at least one player from Bellevue on the roster every season for the last decade, as Chevelle Herring, a Bellevue East product, played from 2005-10.
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