Creighton WBB Travels to Utah to Battle Utes

Omaha, Neb. - Looking to move back over .500, the Creighton women's basketball team wraps up its season-long seven-game road trip at Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 9. The Bluejays defeated the Utes 64-56 last season in Omaha.

12/9: - 2:00 pm: Creighton (4-4) at Utah (4-2)

Radio - 1290 AM: Glen Sisk (Play-by-Play)

Stats (Free): Utah Gametracker

Video - Pac-12 (Free): http://pac-12.com/live/university-utah

Series History: Utah leads 7-6
Creighton won last meeting, 64-56 on Nov. 20, 2014 in Omaha
Creighton's last win in Utah came on March 14, 1992

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Bird Seeds

Creighton's last trip to Utah to face the Utes came in 1992, the Bluejays are riding a four game winning streak against Utah that dates back to the same 1992 season. That year the two schools faced off three times as members of the WAC.
The Bluejays at 3-3 overall at Utah, posting victories the last three times they have visited the campus.
Utah won the first six meeting with Creighton from 1988 to 1990, but the Bluejays have claimed six of the last seven contests.
Utah enters Wednesday's game with a perfect 4-0 record at home this season, including a 97-56 win over Cal State Northridge on Dec. 3
Creighton is wrapping up a seven-game road trip that has seen the Bluejays go 0-3 in true road contests and 2-1 in a neutral site tournament in Austin, Texas.
The last road victory for Creighton came on Feb. 27, 2015 at Georgetown, 71-62. Since that game Creighton is 0-4.
Creighton's last trip to the state of Utah came on Nov. 28, 2012 as the Bluejays bested BYU in a game played in the home of the Utah Jazz, 65-62 in overtime.

Series with Utah:
Utah owns a 7-6 series lead on the Bluejays, but Creighton has won six of the past seven
meetings. The Bluejays posted a 64-56 win over the Utes last season at D.J. Sokol Arena on Nov. 20.

The last time Creighton traveled to Salt Lake City to face the Utes came in 1992 when the two teams were both members of the WAC. Current Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen was the coach of the Bluejays that season as Creighton swept the Utes in three meetings.

Overall Creighton is 3-3 against the Utes in the state of Utah.

Scouting Utah (4-2)
Much has changed for the Utes since the meeting between the two squads last season in Utah. First and foremost Utah is led by a new head coach, Lynne Roberts. Coming from Pacific, Roberts has breathed new life into a Utah squad that finished the 2014-15 season 9-21.

Utah has raced out to a 4-2 start to the year, including a perfect 4-0 mark at home. The Utes boast a season-opening victory against South Dakota and soundly defeated Cal State Northridge on Dec. 3, 97-56.

Utah's lone losses came in the Junkanoo Jam Thanksgiving Tournamant in the Bahamas to Oklahoma and Boston College.

Utah is led by two players from North as both of the Utes leading scorers, Emily Potter and Paige Crozon, hail from Canada. Standing 6'6'' Potter is a more traditional post player, averaging 16.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg. She is shooting 61.9% from the field and has not taken a three-point shot. Crozon, meanwhile, give the Utes a deep threat with a team leading nine treys (9-of-22, 40.9%).

Utah, however, has proved susceptible to the turnover. The Utes had committed 109 in six contests (18.2 per game).

Keys to the Game w/Utah

Slow down Potter in the post: This will be Creighton's third consecutive game against a strong post pressence. The combination of Norby, Brown and Greene will once again be asked to work as a unit defensively.
Take advantage of turnover: Utah is
averaging just under 20 turnovers per game. The Bluejays have to pressure the Utes and force them to get sloppy with the basketball.
Score consistently: In losses to Kansas and Nebraska the Bluejays have raced out to an early lead in the first quarter, then gone cold as the game went on. The Bluejays need to find a consistent threat on offense.

Good Hands Reside in the BIG EAST(As of 12/7/15)
Both Creighton and Villanova are back among the leaders of the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game and the Bluejays (5) and Wildcats (1).

Rank   Team    Turnovers per game
1.   Villanova   8.3
2.   Western Illinois   10.9
3.   Northern Coloroad   11.0
4.   Montana   11.3
5.   Creighton   11.4
6.   Tennessee-Martin   11.6
7.   North Carolina-Asheville   11.7
8.   Northwestern   11.9
9.   Georgia   12.0
   Drexel   12.0
   Penn   12.0
   Youngstown State   12.0

One More Dominated by the BIG EAST (As of 12/7/15)
To go along with taking care of the rock, and drilling the long ball, Creighton, Villanova and DePaul also all sit in the top-10 in the NCAA in Assist-to-Turnover Ratio.

Rank   Team    A   T   Ratio
1.   Villanova   123   66   1.86
2.   Western Illinois   163   98   1.66
3.   Nebraska   147   90   1.63
4.   Baylor   217   137   1.58
5.   Northern Colorado   137   88   1.56
6.   Creighton   140   91   1.54
7.   DePaul   181   120   1.51
8.   Connecticut   128   85   1.46
9.   Northwestern   139   95   1.46
10.   Georgia   158   108   1.46
11.   Mississippi State   133   91   1.46

Staggering Numbers for Faber at Nebraska
Audrey Faber is delivering some staggerging numbers early in her career. The freshman's six blocks against Nebraska on Sunday rank second all-time for most blocks in a game. Just one behind the school record of seven, held by Kris Kugel against Northern Iowa on Dec. 20, 1991.

Faber finish the game against Nebraska with 22 points, five rebounds, six blocks and six assists.

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Players Mentioned

Audrey Faber