Bluejay Women Visit Oral Roberts Friday Night

Game 11 vs. Oral Roberts ? Friday, Dec. 21 ? 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays at Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Mabee Center ? Tulsa, Okla.
Radio: 88.9 FM, www.kvss.com
Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: Creighton leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Creighton won 72-64 in Omaha, Dec. 21, 2006

? The game can be heard on Spirit 88.9 FM (KVSS) and online at www.kvss.com. Brad Burwell will call the action.

? Live stats and live video for this game and select road games can be found on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.

? Ally Thrall is 11-for-15 from three-point range over her last three games, including a 5-for-5 performance Tuesday against Kansas State.

? CU made a season-high 12 three-pointers and shot a season-best 57.1 percent beyond the arc in its win over Kansas State Tuesday.

? The Bluejays rank in the top 20 in the NCAA in free-throw shooting, making 76.7 percent at the free-throw line. Sam Schuett (.958) and Kelsey Woodard (.897) rank among MVC and NCAA leaders in free-throw percentage.

? Woodard, already a two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, set CU records by starting her season and her career by making 23 straight free-throws.

? After the ORU game, CU is off for two weeks, until opening MVC play at home with Wichita State on Jan. 4.

? The Bluejays are 5-0 against the Summit League under Jim Flanery, including a 72-64 home win over Oral Roberts exactly one year ago from this year's game.

Scouting the Bluejays (6-4)
At 6-4, Creighton has secured a winning non-conference record for the first time since 2004-05 ... The Jays are 3-4 away from Omaha this year, with their only losses coming to Big East and Big 12 teams ... CU is coming off a 13-19 season, including an 8-10 sixth-place finish in the MVC and a spot in the Valley Tournament title game ... Senior Sara Cain leads the team with 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while sophomore Sam Schuett also averages 10.2 points and adds 5.1 rebounds per game ... Senior Ally Thrall has made 11 three-pointers in her last three games and tops the team with 18 treys on the year, while averaging 15 points per game in the same span ... Megan Neuvirth, the 2007 MVC Newcomer of the Year, tops the team with 1.9 steals per game ... The Bluejays are forcing 19.1 turnovers per game and averaging 8.5 steals ... CU averages 65.9 points per game and allows 64.2 and is 6-0 when shooing at least 40 percent from the field.

Scouting the Golden Eagles (7-3)
ORU, the preseason pick to win the Summit League, is 7-3 on the year, including 5-0 at home ... The Eagles defeated MVC foe Missouri State 96-79 in Tulsa on Dec. 15 ... ORU averages 68.3 points per game and shoots just 29.2 percent from 3-point range ... Jenny Hardin, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, leads the team with 15.3 ppg and adds 5.8 rpg ... Four starters average better than 31 minutes played and double figure point totals ... Janae Voelker leads the team with 7.0 rebounds 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 94-72 (.566). Prior to serving as CU's head coach, Flanery served as CU's top assistant for a decade. Flanery is 1-0 against Oral Roberts and 5-0 against the Summit League. Oral Roberts is coached by Jerry Finkbeiner (Southern Nazarene, 1980) in his 12th year with the Eagles. He is 184-148 (.554) at ORU and 383-182 in his 19th season as a head coach. He has guided ORU to four NCAA Tournament appearances and three 20-win seasons.

CU-ORU Series
Creighton is 6-1 all-time against Oral Roberts, including six straight wins in the series after losing the initial meetings between the schools in 1984. The Jays are 1-1 in Tulsa, winning 100-94 on Jan. 21, 1989 in their last trip to ORU. The last four meetings between the teams have been in Omaha, including a 72-64 Bluejay victory last year on Dec. 21.

Last Year Against Oral Roberts
Kristina Voss led Creighton with a career-high 15 points and topped the Jays with eight rebounds as CU defeated ORU 72-64 on Dec. 21 in Omaha. CU used a 17-0 first-half run to take control of the game, while leading 42-21 at halftime. The Jays forced 20 turnovers and had 11 steals, led by Sam Schuett's three swipes. Tyrai Bronson made three three-pointers for CU and Ally Thrall finished with 14 points and six assists. ORU's Elisha Turek topped all players with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while she accounted for 14 of ORU's 26 field goals. Jenny Hardin added 13 points for the Golden Eagles.

Top of the Summit
Creighton is 5-0 against the Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference) under Jim Flanery. The Jays are 3-0 against UMKC and have wins over Oral Roberts and Western Illinois. Only one of those five games has been on the road, a win at UMKC in 2003. (The Jays lost to North Dakota State in 2005 when the Bison were independent.)

Winning Non-Conference Record
With a win over Kansas State on Tuesday night, the Bluejays secured a winning non-conference record for the first time since going 6-3 in 2004-05 season. The Jays were 2-7 against non-conference foes in 2005-06 and went 3-8 out of conference last year. The Jays went 7-2 in the non-conference schedule before MVC play in the 2002-03 season.

Long Layoff
Creighton had an 11-day layoff between games earlier this season, but will follow tonight's game with a two-week break between games as it will not play again until opening MVC play against Wichita State on Jan. 4. CU's 14-day break will be its longest since a two-week break between games during the 1985-86 season.

This Trip is OK
The Bluejays have not played in Oklahoma since a 60-46 win at Tulsa on Nov. 24, 1999. Creighton is 16-6 all-time against teams from Oklahoma, including 10-1 against teams based in Tulsa (6-1 vs. ORU, 4-0 vs. Tulsa).

Strength of Schedule
Last year Creighton had the toughest non-conference schedule in the MVC, with a strength of schedule (SOS) of 45. This year, the Jays are again facing the toughest non-conference schedule in the league, ranking at 61 through games on Tuesday. Indiana State is next closest at 74, while the average SOS in the MVC is 142.9, with Bradley ranking last at 257.

Year-End Summary
At 6-4 this season, the Bluejays will close out the 2007 calendar with a winning record, as they enter their final game of the year with a 16-13 mark since January. The last time CU recorded a winning record during a calendar year was 2005 when it was 16-14.

Thrall For Three (x 5)
Ally Thrall established a career-high by making five three-pointers against Kansas State (Dec. 18). She was perfect from long range, making all five of her attempts in the first half. It marked the best three-point shooting day by a Bluejay since CU's all-time leading scorer and three-point specialist Kathy Halligan went 5-for-5 from long range on Feb. 20, 1992 against BYU. Below are the best three-point shooting games since that Halligan game.

Perfect 3-Point Games Since 1991-92
(at least four attempts)
Name 3FG-A Opponent, Date
Ally Thrall 5-5 Kansas St., 12/18/07
Laura Spanheimer 4-4 Bradley, 1/30/05
Laura Spanheimer 4-4 Oregon St., 12/2/04
Jenny Burns 4-4 Drake, 2/23/03
Laura Spanheimer 4-4 Iowa, 12/8/02
Dayna Finch 4-4 Northwestern, 12/10/00
Missy Miller 4-4 Wyoming, 12/7/92
Kathy Halligan 4-4 Wyoming, 3/3/92
Kathy Halligan 5-5 BYU, 2/20/92

Not Half Bad
Creighton shot better than 50 percent from the field and from three-point range in its win over Kansas State (Dec. 18), the first time the Jays have topped both numbers in the same game since topping Memphis 89-79 on Dec. 6, 2006.

50-50
CU shot 51.1 percent from the field against Kansas State (Dec. 18), marking the 13th time since 2002-03 the Jays have made at least half of their shots. The Jays are 12-1 when making 50 percent of their shots or better under Jim Flanery. CU shot 57.1 percent from three-point range, the 12th game under Flanery the Jays have made at least half of their long range shots, improving to 9-3 in such games.

Cheaper by the Dozen
Creighton made a season-high 12 three-pointers in its win over Kansas State (Dec. 18). It marked the most threes by the Bluejays since making 12 against Missouri State on Feb. 2, 2006. It was the 10th game in the Jim Flanery era (since 2002-03) the Jays have made at least a dozen treys in a game, moving to 7-3 in such games.

Now I'm ... Three Fallin
Creighton exploded for a season-high 12 three-pointers against Kansas State (Dec. 18), the most threes in a game by the Jays since Feb. 2006. The Jays have now made at least nine three-pointers in a game four times this season. CU is now shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range on the year. In the four games the Jays have made at least nine treys, they are shooting 46.6 percent (41-88) from beyond the arc. In the six games they have not made nine trifectas, the Jays are shooting just 26.0 percent (32-123) from beyond the arc.

Ten Straight Makes
Creighton shot a season-high 51.1 percent from the field in its win over Kansas State (Dec. 18). Helping the cause was a span in the second half when the Bluejays made 10 straight field goals without a miss. Sara Cain and Kristina Voss had three straight baskets each during the run that put CU up by 20 with 7:27 left in the game.

Candy Cain
Senior Sara Cain had attempted one three-point field goal during her first three years on campus. She made her first two career three-pointers at Rutgers (Nov. 16) and then drained a career-best three trifectas in a win over Kansas State (Dec. 18). On the season she is now 9-for-21 (.429) from beyond the arc.

Game-Ending Droughts
After Creighton drained 10 straight field goals against Kansas State (Dec. 18), the Jays failed to make a field goal over the final 7:27 of the game. It marked the second straight game in which the Bluejays ended the game with an extended field goal drought. At Iowa State (Dec. 16), the Bluejays led 47-37 with 9:35 remaining in the game, but did not make another field goal for the duration of the game. ISU closed on a 23-5 run and topped CU 60-52.

Battling the Big 12
Creighton's win over Kansas State (Dec. 18) snapped a nine-game losing streak to Big 12 opponents, including three losses to Big 12 teams this year. The Bluejays had not defeated a Big 12 foe since a win over Colorado on Dec. 3, 2005. The Jays are now 7-13 against the Big 12 under Jim Flanery.

Woodard Named Newcomer of the Week
For the second time in the first six weeks of the season, freshman Kelsey Woodard has been named the MVC Newcomer of the Week. The rookie led a near-upset for the Bluejays at Iowa State on Sunday. Woodard scored the final eight points of the first half to cap an 18-3 CU run, giving the Jays a 28-22 lead. She finished with a team-high 12 points, making 3-of-4 field goals and 2-of-3 three-pointers, while adding a pair of assists and rebounds.

Welcome Back Woodard
Kelsey Woodard was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 26. In the three games following, the rookie went just 1-for-17 from the field and was 0-for-10 from three-point range. The guard snapped out of her mini-shooting slump by scoring eight straight points for the Bluejays at Iowa State (Dec. 16) and finishing with 12 points on the game. She has now gone 2-for-3 from three-point range in each of CU's last two outings.

Streak Stops With Broken Record
Sam Schuett set a school record earlier this year by making her first 22 free-throw attempts of the season. Just one game after Schuett's streak ended, Kelsey Woodard surpassed Schuett and made her 23rd straight freebie to start the season, before missing her final two free-throw attempts at Iowa State (Dec. 16). Woodard also established the school record for consecutive free-throw makes to start a career.

More Free-Throw Information
Creighton leads the MVC and ranked14th in the NCAA to start the week, shooting 76.7 percent from the free-throw line as a team this season. Sam Schuett ranks fifth in the country, making 23-of-24 for 95.8 percent and Kelsey Woodard ranks 11th, having made 89.7 percent (26-29).

Half and Half
For the first time this year, the Bluejays lost when leading at halftime at Iowa State (Dec. 16). The Jays led 28-22 at the break in the 60-52 loss. A rarity in the Jim Flanery era, CU is now 76-16 when leading at halftime since 2002-03. The 22 points scored by ISU in the opening half were the fewest points scored by a Bluejay opponent in a half this year.

40-40 Club
A defining number has popped up in Creighton's first nine games this year - 40. When the Bluejays shoot 40 percent or better from the field, they are 5-0 on the season. When they shoot below 40 percent, they are winless. In fact, in CU losses, the Jays are shooting just 30.4 percent, including 30 percent from three-point range. In their five wins, the Jays are shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 34.0 percent from long range.

Helping Hands
Creighton ranks second in the MVC with 14.2 assists per game, with Ally Thrall leading the way with 2.9 per contest. At Denver (Dec. 5), the Bluejays dished 12 assists on their 12 first half field goals and finished with 20 assists on 24 field goals. Both Sam Schuett (6) and Kelsey Crites (5) established career-highs for assists at Denver, while Sara Cain (4) had a season-high and was just one shy of her career-best effort.

Schuett is Player of the Week, Dec. 10
Sam Schuett became the first Bluejay to be named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week since current graduate manager Kristi Woodard earned the honor Jan. 9, 2006. Schuett earned the honor after putting up 16 points, eight rebounds, career-high six assists, three steals and a blocked shot at Denver (Dec. 5). The Omaha native is the first CU sophomore to earn the honor since Woodard did so on Jan. 12, 2004.

Holy Schuett
With a career-high 30 points at Nebraska (Nov. 30), sophomore Sam Schuett became the first Bluejay to score 30 points since Angie Janis scored 30 against Bradley on March 2, 2006. Schuett made a career-high 11 field goals in the game, including the first 10 she attempted. Her 11 field goals in the game are the most by a player in the MVC this season. She was the first Bluejay to score 30 on the road and against a non-conference opponent since Laura Spanheimer had 31 at Oregon State on Dec. 2, 2004. No CU sophomore had scored 30 points since Christy Neneman poured in 39 against Drake on March 9, 2002 in the MVC Tournament title game.

Double Your Pleasure
As if exploding for a career-best 30 points in a game wasn't enough, Sam Schuett added a game-high 10 rebounds for her first, and the team's first, double-double of the year at Nebraska (Nov. 30). It was Schuett's fourth career double-dime.

Woodard Newcomer of the Week - Part 1
Kelsey Woodard was tabbed the MVC Newcomer of the Week (Nov. 26) after helping CU to three wins in the previous week. She averaged 11.3 points in the three wins, while shooting 5-of-9 from three-point range. Against Memphis (Nov. 19), she led the team with 14 points and against Kent State (Nov. 23) she topped the team with 13 points and career-best six assists.

Kelsey x 2
While freshman Kelsey Woodard has had a solid start to her career, sophomore Kelsey Crites has returned to form after redshirting because of a torn ACL last year. Crites is averaging 14.4 minutes per game, while scoring 4.7 points per game. She dished a career-best five assists in her first start of the season at Denver (Dec. 5). The lefty unloaded a career-best 14 shots at Nebraska (Nov. 30), while she pulled down a career-high seven rebounds and tied her career-high with three steals against the Huskers. Against Memphis (Nov. 19), Crites tied her career-high with 11 points.

Rocky Mountain High
Creighton's game at Denver (Dec. 5) was its third in Colorado this season. The Jays are now 3-0 after defeating Denver and winning a tournament hosted by Colorado State over Thanksgiving weekend. Under Jim Flanery, the Bluejays are now 5-0 in Colorado and 5-0 against teams from the state (2-0 against Colorado, 2-0 against Colorado State and 1-0 against Denver). The Jays have won seven straight games in the state, dating to an 86-73 loss to CSU on Jan. 27, 1990.

Bench Warmers
Creighton's bench is averaging 30.6 points per game this year, scoring at least 43 points off the bench three times this season. Creighton's reserves didn't keep the bench warm in the Bluejays 90-57 win over Memphis on Nov. 19, 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 29.1 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

Family Tradition
Freshman Kelsey Woodard appears poised to chase a record set by her sister, Kristi, during her Creighton career. The rookie made the first 23 free-throws of her career and is 11th in the NCAA at 89.7 percent from the line. Kristi has the top two single-season free-throw shooting percentages in school history, making 89.2 percent in 2003-04 and 86.2 percent in 2004-05. The elder Woodard also owns the CU career free-throw shooting percentage record, making 86.2 percent in her career from 2002-06.

No Fun in the 90s
For the second straight season, a Big 12 opponent hung 90 points on the Bluejays on the road, as Kansas topped the Jays 91-56 (Nov. 27). Kansas State scored 94 on the Jays in a romp last year, the only time CU surrendered 90 points in a game last season. While the Jays are 6-0 when scoring 90 under Jim Flanery, they dropped to 0-6 when allowing 90 during Flanery's tenure. The Jays have allowed a 90-point game to an opponent once in each of Flanery's six years.

Start Me Up
Creighton opened the year 4-1 this season, its best five-game start since 2000. Last year the Bluejays started 0-7 and did not capture their fourth win of the season until Jan. 6. CU went 4-3 this November, its most wins in November since 1985.

Tournament Champions
Creighton captured the tournament title at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins, Colo. (Nov. 23-24). The Bluejays topped Kent State 71-57 and host Colorado State 78-56 to win the event. Sara Cain averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game to earn tournament MVP honors, while Sam Schuett added 11.5 points per game to earn all-tourney recognition. It was CU's first in-season tournament title since winning the InnSuites Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1998.

We'll Take That
The Bluejays forced a season-high 29 turnovers against Memphis (Nov. 19) and followed by forcing 25 turnovers against Kent State (Nov. 23). The 54 turnovers in a two-game span are the most under Jim Flanery and the most since the 1999 team swiped a combined 55 in a two-game span against USC and Wyoming.

Out of Action
The Jays have lost two players for the season due knee injuries, marking the third straight season knee problems have forced a Bluejay to miss the season. This year, junior Chevelle Herring and freshman Abby Henry are both out for the year due to injuries. Herring had surgery on an injured knee in early November, while Henry suffered a torn ACL in preseason practice. Last year Kelsey Crites went down with a torn ACL in the sixth game of the year and earned a medical redshirt. In 2005-06, Megan Neuvirth suffered a knee injury in the first official practice of the fall and missed the season. Herring and Henry will apply for medical redshirts at the end of the year.

Large Margins
Creighton topped Memphis 90-57 (Nov. 19) 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, 88-54, in 2002. All of CU's wins have come by at least 13 points this year for an average 20.5 point margin of victory. Last year CU's largest margin of victory was 12 on two occasions.

90 for 90
Creighton scored 90 points against Memphis (Nov. 19) 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.

More High Water Marks
In addition to being the largest margin of victory (33) and the most points scored by the Bluejay bench (50) in the Flanery era, the 48 points CU scored in the paint against Memphis on Nov. 19 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.

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.

Shooting Woes at Rutgers
The Bluejays lost 62-43 at No. 6 Rutgers (Nov. 16). CU shot just 22 percent in the loss, its worst shooting performance since shooting 19.7 percent at Northwestern on Nov. 21, 2003.

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 120 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 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.

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).

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.

Welcome to Creighton
CU's three freshmen are all from the Omaha 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.

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.

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.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Tyrai Bronson

Sara Cain

Kelsey Crites

Katie Frank

Abby Henry

Chevelle Herring

Michelle Kaus

Jess Lammers

Kellie Nelson

Megan Neuvirth

Sam Schuett

Ally Thrall

Kristina Voss

Kelsey Woodard

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