Women's Basketball Heads to Rocky Mountain Invitational

Games 4 & 5 at Rocky Mountain Invitational
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Creighton Bluejays, Nov. 23, 6 p.m. (CST)
Colorado State or Navy vs. Creighton, Nov. 24, 6 or 8 p.m. (CST)
Moby Arena ? Fort Collins, Colo.

? The two games at the Rocky Mountain Invitational are the last two this season which will not be broadcast on Spirit 88.9 FM. The remaining 24 regular-season games will on be on the air.

? The Bluejays are beginning a six-game road trip this weekend, as they will not return home until Dec. 18.

? Creighton bounced back from its poorest shooting performance in four years with its highest scoring performance in two years with a 90-57 win over Memphis on Monday.

? It was CU's first 90-point output since a 93-83 overtime win against Wichita State on Jan. 7, 2006 and first regulation 90-point game since a 91-64 win over Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 30, 2003.

? The 33-point margin of victory was the largest in Jim Flanery's six years as head coach and the largest since an 88-54 win over Southern Illinois on March 2, 2002.

? All 11 active Bluejays played at least 11 minutes and scored at least three points in the blowout of Memphis, led by freshman Kelsey Woodard's 14 points.

? The Bluejays lost 62-43 at No. 6 Rutgers last Friday. CU shot just 22 percent in the loss, its worst shooting performance since shooting 19.7 percent at Northwestern on Nov. 21, 2003.

Scouting the Bluejays (2-1)
Creighton is 2-1 on the season with home wins over UALR and Memphis and a loss at No. 6 Rutgers ... CU is coming off a 13-19 season, including an 8-10 sixth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference and a spot in the MVC Tournament title game ... CU is picked to finish sixth in the MVC preseason poll ... The defense is allowing just 57.7 points per game ... The balanced offense is led by freshman Kelsey Woodard's 8.0 points per game, while five other Bluejays average at least 7.0 points per game ... Nine Bluejays play between 13 and 23 minutes per game ... Megan Neuvirth, the reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year, tops the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, while Kristina Voss has logged 12 offensive rebounds (of 16 total) ... Senior Ally Thrall leads the team with 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game ... Junior Chevelle Herring and freshman Abby Henry are both out for the season due to knee injuries.

Scouting the Golden Flashes (0-3)
Kent State was 15-13 last year and has been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference East Division this season ... KSU has won at least 15 games in 17 straight seasons ... The Flashes have opened the year with three losses, while allowing 78.7 points per game ... KSU has made just 6-of-42 three-point shots (.143) on the year and averages 20.7 turnovers per game ... The offense averages 62.7 points led by 6-foot-4 junior forward Anna Kowalska with 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game ... Freshman Stephanie Gibson tops the team with five assists per game.

Scouting Colorado State (0-4)
The Rams went 8-21 last year and are picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Mountain West ... CSU is off to an 0-4 start, including a 101-96 triple overtime loss to San Francisco in its only home game ... CSU also lost at MVC foe Northern Iowa to open the year ... Senior guard Sara Hunter scored 41 points in the loss to USF and leads the team with 17.5 points per game ... CSU is allowing 79.8 points per game this year, and scoring 69.0 ... Juanise Cornell leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Scouting Navy (2-4)
The Mids are 2-4 this season, with home wins over Howard and Rider, while they are 0-4 away from home ... Navy returns one starter from a team that was 12-17 a year ago, including 6-8 in the Patriot League ... Freshman center Cassie Consedine leads the team with 14 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, as well as seven three-pointers and 15 blocked shots ... Junior guard Kalen Kropa tops the team with 4.5 assists per game ... Navy is averaging 53.7 points per game and allowing 59.2, but also turning the ball over 23.3 times per game.

The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) guided his team to three straight WNIT appearances to start his career, while capturing the 2004 WNIT Championship. In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history. Now in his sixth season at CU, his overall mark is 90-69 (.566). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Flanery has never faced Kent State or Navy, and is 1-0 against Colorado State and 3-0 against the Mountain West Conference. Kent State is led by Bob Lindsay, in his 19th season he is 344-186. Colorado State's head coach is Jen Warden. In her third year at CSU she is 17-45 and 46-104 in her sixth year as a head coach. Navy is guided by Tom Marryott with a 52-70 record in his fifth year at the Naval Academy.

Series History
The Bluejays have never faced either Kent State or Navy on the basketball court. The Jays have a long history with Colorado State, as both were members of the High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) together in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Jays are 11-3 all-time against CSU, including six straight Bluejay wins in the series. CU is 4-3 in Fort Collins, including a 79-68 win in the 2004 WNIT in the last meeting between the teams.

Rocky Mountain High
Head coach Jim Flanery is 3-0 all-time against the Mountain West Conference and 3-0 against teams from Colorado, including a win over Colorado State in Fort Collins in the 2004 WNIT. The Jays went on to defeat UNLV in the 2004 WNIT Championship game. Flanery's Bluejays also defeated San Diego State in 2002. In addition to the win over CSU in 2004, Flanery's teams have twice defeated the University of Colorado.

In-Season Tournaments
Creighton has not swept an in-season tournament since 1998, when it won the InnSuites Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz. In each of the last two seasons, the Bluejays have been swept in the in-season tournament they participated in. In 2005 the Jays lost to North Dakota State and Louisiana Monroe at the Lobo Shootout in Albuquerque, N.M., and then lost to host Missouri and Eastern Illinois at the Tiger Classic in Columbia, Mo., last year. CU's last win in an in-season tournament was a 91-64 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 30, 2003 at the Duke Classic in Durham, N.C.

Out of Action
The Jays have lost a player for the season due to a torn ACL for the third straight year, as freshman Abby Henry has suffered the season-ending injury this year. In addition to Henry's injury, junior Chevelle Herring underwent surgery on her injured knee (not a torn ACL) and will miss the season as well. Megan Neuvirth (2005-06) and Kelsey Crites (2006-07) have also suffered season-ending ACL injuries in the past. In fact, Neuvirth also suffered a torn ACL in Creighton's final game last season, but rehabbed over the off-season and returned without missing a game. As Neuvirth and Crites both did, Henry will apply for a medical redshirt at the end of the year.

90 for 90
Creighton scored 90 points against Memphis on Monday and helped head coach Jim Flanery capture his 90th career win. It was the sixth time under Flanery the Jays have scored at least 90, improving to 6-0 when reaching that mark since 2002-03.

Large Margins
Creighton topped Memphis 90-57 on Monday for a 33-point margin of victory, the largest in the Jim Flanery era. It was CU's largest margin of victory since topping Southern Illinois by 34 in the final game of the 2001-02 regular season, 88-54.

Bench Warmers
Creighton's reserves didn't keep the bench warm in the Bluejays 90-57 win over Memphis on Monday, they kept the nets warm, as the Bluejay bench scored 50 points in the win. It marks the highest bench output in the Jim Flanery era, topping the 41 points the 2002-03 bench twice put up. In fact, it's the most bench points scored by the Bluejays since the reserves scored 53 against Northwestern on Dec. 10, 2000.

Bench Scoring under Flanery
Season Average High Game
?07-08 30.3 50
?06-07 19.6 35
?05-06 17.0 31
?04-05 13.9 29
?03-04 15.8 30
?02-03 22.4 41

More High Water Marks
In addition to being the largest margin of victory and the most points scored by the Bluejay bench in the Flanery era, the 48 points CU scored in the paint against Memphis on Monday were the most under Flanery. CU also forced 29 turnovers in the game, tying the high mark for a Flanery team set against Southern Illinois on Jan. 16, 2003. The Bluejays scored 36 points off the 29 turnovers, the second-most points off turnovers under Flanery, as the Jays scored 39 points off of Evansville turnovers on Feb. 13, 2003.

Take a Breather
Senior Ally Thrall has led the MVC in minutes played in each of the last two seasons. She had done so by playing at least 31 minutes in 60 straight games before playing just 22 minutes in CU's blowout of Memphis (Nov. 19). It was the fewest minutes played for Thrall since playing 22 against Houston on Nov. 30, 2005 in the third game of her sophomore year.

Crites Career High
Sophomore Kelsey Crites tied her career high with 11 points against Memphis (Nov. 19). She also attempted a career-best 12 shots in just 20 minutes of play off the bench for the Jays.

Sister Act
Freshman Kelsey Woodard leads the team with 8.0 points per game, as she led the team with a career-best 14 points in just her third collegiate game. Woodard is 7-for-7 from the free-throw line in her first three games, with 24 points. Her older sister Kristi had similar numbers in her first three career games back in 2002. Kristi scored 15 points in her second career game and had 25 points through three games, while shooting 6-for-6 at the line in the same span.

D-D-D Defense
Through three games, the CU defense appears much improved over last year, allowing an average of just 57.7 points per game. Last year's team allowed 68.1 points per game, including 73.3 per game through the first three. In the last 10 years, the lowest points per game by the CU opposition was 62.2, as established by the 2001-02 MVC Championship team.

Balanced Bluejays
Through three games this year, no Bluejay is averaging better than eight points per game, while seven Jays are averaging at least 6.7 points per game. Five different Bluejays have led the team in scoring through the first three games (two players each with 10 points in the first two games). Every Bluejay has at least three field goals, while no player has made more than 10. Nine of 11 Bluejays are playing between 13 and 23 minutes, as Ally Thrall is ahead of the team with 31.7 minutes per game.

Better Than Average Start
In four of the five previous seasons, the Bluejays have started the year with a 2-2 record (while they started 0-7 last year). With a win on Friday, the Jays would be 3-1 for the first time since 2000 when the team started 6-1.

Shooting Woes from Three-Point Land
Last year, the Bluejays were not only the worst three-point shooting team in the MVC, they became the worst three-point shooting team in school history, by making just 30.1 percent from long range. This season the Jays have made only 25.4 percent of their three-pointers to open the year.

Cain is Able to hit Threes
Senior Sara Cain had attempted one three-pointer in her career through her first three seasons on campus. At Rutgers (Nov. 16), she launched six shots from long range, making two. She hit back-to-back three-pointers early in the second half to account for the first two trifectas of her career.

On the Offensive Glass
Creighton's leading rebounders, Megan Neuvirth and Kristina Voss, have both been offensive minded when hitting the glass this year. Neuvirth leads the team with 5.7 boards per game, with 10 of 17 rebounds coming on the offensive end. Of the 16 rebounds Voss has pulled down, 12 have been offensive.

Battling the Best
With a 62-43 loss at No. 6 Rutgers (Nov. 16), the Bluejays have now lost 13 consecutive games to nationally-ranked opponents. CU's last win against a ranked foe came on Dec. 7, 1999 when it defeated 14th-ranked Kansas in Omaha, 55-54. The Jays' last road win against a ranked team came Jan. 2, 1999, a 67-64 win at No. 25 Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. CU is 2-17 against the top-25 since 1998-99.

Solid Debuts
Freshmen Kellie Nelson and Kelsey Woodard had strong collegiate debuts against UALR on Nov. 10. Nelson grabbed six rebounds in the first half and finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Woodard was 3-for-6 from the field and had eight points while tying for the team-lead with three assists, also in 19 minutes off the bench.

Three for Thrall
Ally Thrall's three-point basket against UALR on Nov. 10 was the 103rd of her career, breaking a tie with Christy Neneman for sole possession of 10th place on the CU career charts. Thrall now has 105 career three-pointers and the next person she will aim for on the CU three-point list will be current graduate manager Kristi Woodard who made 132 treys in her injury-shortened career.

They're Back
Creighton had no seniors on the roster last year and returns 10 of 11 letterwinners and all five starters from last year's team. The only player not returning is role-player Jess Lammers, therefore the Jays are returning 99.6 percent of scoring and 99.5 percent of minutes played from last year's team. All but one (Katie Frank) of the 10 returners started at least two games for the Jays last year.

Preseason Picks
The Bluejays received one first place vote and have been picked to finish sixth in the MVC this year in the preseason poll voted on by league coaches, media and sports information directors. The Jays were picked to finish ninth in last year's preseason poll, and ended the year in sixth. The last time the Bluejays were tabbed for a sixth-place finish was 2001-02, when they captured their first regular-season Valley title. Drake is the MVC preseason favorite for the second straight year, earning 24 of 39 first-place votes.

We “Kneed” You
Kelsey Crites and Megan Neuvirth are both coming off of ACL injuries suffered last year. Crites tore her right ACL in the sixth game (at Missouri) last season and earned a medical redshirt. Neuvirth suffered a torn ACL in the final moments of overtime in Creighton's final game last year, the MVC Tournament championship game at Drake.

Welcome to Creighton
Creighton's three freshmen this year are all from the Omaha metro area, including high school teammates Kelsey Woodard and Abby Henry. Both Bellevue West graduates verbally committed to Creighton prior to their sophomore year of high school. Kellie Nelson led her Westside team to a state runner-up finish, falling to Henry and Woodard's Thunderbirds in the state title game.

Senior Citizens
Sara Cain and Ally Thrall are seniors on this year's team, one year removed from a “senior-less” squad. Last year marked the first time since 1990-91 that the Bluejays did not have a senior. CU followed up that team without seniors by logging a school-record 28 wins and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Five Starters Back
The Bluejays have all five starters back from last year's team after opening last season with just one returning starter. Senior Ally Thrall was the only player to start all 32 games last year, while Sara Cain started 29 and Michelle Kaus started 26. Megan Neuvirth (19) and Sam Schuett (18) are also considered returning starters. Kristina Voss (16) and Chevelle Herring (15) also started for a good portion of the season, while Kelsey Crites and Tyrai Bronson also earned a pair of starts each. This marks the first time since 1990-91 that the Bluejays have returned all five starters. That 1990-91 squad finished 22-7.

All in the Family
Freshman Kelsey Woodard is following in the footsteps of older sister Kristi, who played at Creighton from 2002-06 and is now the graduate manager for the Jays. Kelsey is wearing the same No. 3 that Kristi wore during her playing career. The Woodard's sister in-law, Heidi Geier Woodard is in the CU Athletics Hall of Fame for her softball career in the late 1990s.

Coaching Changes
Creighton welcomes Rekha P. Hollomon as an assistant coach on this year's team, replacing associate head coach Tanya Warren. Hollomon, a native of North Carolina, spent last season at Ball State and has also been on staff at Eastern Illinois and Baylor. Warren left her alma mater to become head coach at MVC foe Northern Iowa.

Stealing is Good
The Bluejays logged 8.6 steals per game last year, including a league-leading 8.5 in MVC games. That was much improved from the 2005-06 squad which recorded the fewest steals per game (5.6) in school history. Megan Neuvirth led the MVC with 76 steals as a freshman last year, including 43 in conference play and an MVC record 14 during the Valley tournament.

Seniors, Co-Captains, Roomies, etc.
Roommates Sara Cain and Ally Thrall have many similarities. Cain (Walford) and Thrall (Des Moines) are both Iowa natives, both earned MVC All-Tournament Team honors last year and both were named second-team all-MVC scholar-athletes last year. They co-led the team with 10.6 points per game (though Cain edged Thrall 339-338 total) and they are co-captains as the only two seniors on this season's team.

Nebraska Flavor
Over half of Creighton's 13 players on the roster this season are playing collegiate basketball in their home state. Bellevue natives Abby Henry (West), Chevelle Herring (East) and Kelsey Woodard (West), Omaha products Kellie Nelson (Westside) and Sam Schuett (Millard West) along with Katie Frank (South Sioux City) and Megan Neuvirth (West Point Central Catholic).

Thrall's to the Wall
Senior Ally Thrall has led the MVC in minutes played in each of the last two years, averaging 38.3 minutes per game last year and 37.4 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2005-06. She tied a school record by playing in 123 (of 125) minutes at the MVC Tournament last year. She played the entire game 12 times last year and has played an entire game 25 times in her career, including all 45 minutes of an OT game three times.

Neuvirth is Newcomer of Year
Sophomore Megan Neuvirth was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year last season as a redshirt freshman. She led the league with 76 steals, including an MVC-best 43 in conference play. Neuvirth also led the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and 7.3 in MVC play. She was the only freshman on the MVC All-Defensive team. Her four double-doubles last year also topped the team and were the most by a CU freshman since Shannon Struby's nine in 1990-91.

Sara's Scoring
Senior Sara Cain averaged 3.9 points per game through her first two years on campus, before breaking through to lead the team with 10.6 points per game last year. She ended her junior season with an exclamation point, by scoring a career-high 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting against Drake in the MVC Tournament title game.

Record-Setting Performances
Creighton used record-setting efforts by a trio of players to reach the MVC Tournament title game last March. Megan Neuvirth set an MVC and school record by recording 14 steals in CU's three games at the event. Sam Schuett set the school record for total rebounds in an event with 27 and her 9.0 rebounds per tournament game in her career is a school record. Her 12 boards in the MVC Championship game also tied the school record for rebounds in a tournament game. Ally Thrall's 123 minutes played tied Krissie Spanheimer's 1999 school record for minutes played in an MVC tourney.

Good Things Come in Threes
Junior Michelle Kaus led the team and ranked eighth in the MVC with 54 three-point field goals made last year. Of her 88 career field goals made, 77.3 percent (68) of them have come from three-point range. She twice made six three-pointers in a game last year.

Exhibition Recap
Creighton cruised past Division II Central Missouri 88-48 on Nov. 1 in its only exhibition game this year. Six Bluejays scored in double figures, led by Sara Cain's 13. Kristina Voss logged a double-double with 12 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Senior Ally Thrall was joined by freshmen Kellie Nelson and Kelsey Woodard with 12 points each. In fact, both freshmen were the first players to reach double figures for the Bluejays. Sam Schuett added 11 points for the Jays off the bench. CU shot 55 percent from the field, 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range and went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line while out-rebounding UCM 41-22. The Jays forced 25 turnovers and had a 38-18 advantage in points off turnovers and dominated the paint, out-scoring UCM 44-10 inside.

Schedule Notes
Creighton again plays the toughest non-conference schedule in the MVC. The Jays opened the season against Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday, Nov. 10. UALR is one of six teams that won at least 20 games last year. The Bluejays will also face four Big 12 teams (three on the road) and four NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. Creighton's toughest task will come at preseason No. 3 Rutgers, the 2006-07 NCAA National runners-up, on Nov. 16.

Blog Me
Senior guard Ally Thrall has her own blog on the Creighton athletics website at www.gocreighton.com. “Thrall's Thoughts” gives fans insights to the team through the eyes of one of its co-captains. The public relations / advertising major updates the blog once a week.

We're Moving
Creighton broke ground for a new on-campus women's basketball and volleyball facility on Oct. 16. The Ryan Athletics Center and D.J. Sokol Arena, a 46,000 square-foot facility, will house a gym seating 2,500 to 3,000, women's basketball and volleyball coaches offices, locker rooms, ticket offices, athletic training and meeting rooms, media workrooms and much more. Construction on the facility located at Webster and Florence Blvd. (19th Street) is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Put it in Neutral
For the first time in women's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament history, the event will be played at a neutral site. The 10-team event will take place in St. Charles, Mo. (a suburb of St. Louis) on March 13-16 at The Family Arena. The neutral site will be a welcome site for league members who have not hosted the event over the past four seasons. The host school won the tournament in 2004 (Missouri State), 2005 (Illinois State), 2006 (Missouri State) and 2007 (Drake). In each of the last three seasons, the host school has been the seventh or eighth seed.

Women's Basketball Heads to Rocky Mountain Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Tyrai Bronson

Sara Cain

Kelsey Crites

Katie Frank

Chevelle Herring

Michelle Kaus

Jess Lammers

Kellie Nelson

Megan Neuvirth

Sam Schuett

Ally Thrall

Kristina Voss

Kelsey Woodard

Kristi Woodard

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