Game 2 vs. Davidson • Sunday, Nov. 15 • 1:05 p.m.
Davidson Wildcats at Creighton Bluejays
Ryan Athletic Center & D.J. Sokol Arena • Omaha, Neb.
Radio: 1180 AM, www.koilam1180.com
Video: www.gocreighton.com
Series History: First Meeting
• The game can be heard on KOIL AM 1180 in Omaha and online at www.koilam1180.com. Brad Burwell and former Bluejay Ally Thrall will call the action.
• Live stats for this game and all home games can be found on the CU athletics website at www.gocreighton.com.
• Live video for all home games are available for an annual fee of $69.95 or a monthly fee of $11.95. More information is available at www.gocreighton.com.
• The Bluejays opened their new facility with a 77-54 win over Arkansas State Friday night.
• CU missed its first 18 shots of the game on Friday, but made 27-of-50 (.540) to close the game.
• The Jays drained 13 three-pointers on Friday night, six coming from Kelsey Woodard.
• Woodard’s first three came 5:08 into the game and marked the first basket and points for Creighton in their new home.
• CU’s game on Friday marked the first on-campus home game since March 7, 1992.
• Creighton has now played “home” games at 12 venues in the Omaha area, including three on-campus gyms, since its first women’s basketball season in 1973-74.
• CU and Davidson have never met before.
Scouting the Bluejays
The Bluejays are the preseason favorites in the MVC, earning 34 of 40 first-place votes in the official Valley poll ... Creighton returns seven letterwinners and four starters from last year’s team which finished 22-12 and 14-4 (2nd place) in the MVC ... The Jays advanced to the second round of the WNIT for the second straight season last year and played in the event for the fifth time in seven years ... The Jays return three of the top nine scorers in the MVC, including 2009-10 MVC Preseason Player of the Year, senior forward Megan Neuvirth ... Neuvirth, the reigning MVC Defensive Player of the Year, set a school record with 325 rebounds last year, leading the league in rebounds and steals per game, while also topping the team in assists, blocked shots and double-doubles ... Senior point guard Chevelle Herring led the team with 13 points per game last year and was tabbed second-team all-MVC ... Junior guard Kelsey Woodard topped the MVC in minutes per game (37.6) and three-pointers made (88) ... Junior forward Sam Schuett returns after a medical redshirt season in 2008-09.
Scouting the Wildcats
Davidson opened the year with an 86-62 loss at Nebraska on Friday night ... The Wildcats went 12-18 last year, including just 1-9 in non-conference games ... They are the preseason pick to finish fourth in the Southern Conference ... Ashley Lax (12.9 ppg last year) and Alex Thompson (11.7 ppg) were named preseason all-SoCon ... Thompson topped the team with 15 at NU, while Lax played just nine minutes off the bench due to an injury.
The Coaches
Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) is in his eighth season as head coach, where he has led his team to five WNIT postseason appearances and four 20-win seasons. He owns a career record of 131-92 (.587). In 2003 he became the winningest rookie coach in school and MVC history and led the Jays to the 2004 WNIT Championship. Prior to serving as CU’s head coach, Flanery served as CU’s top assistant for a decade. Annette Watts (East Tennessee State, 1981) is in her ninth season as head coach at Davidsion, where she is 130-107 (.549).
13 on the 13th
Creighton made 13 three-pointers in their debut at D.J. Sokol Arena on Friday night. Last season’s high for three-pointers in a game was 15. The 13 treys were the most by the Bluejays in a season-opener since sinking 14 of a school-record 37 attempts on Nov. 19, 2004 against Northwestern.
Season & Home Openers
Creighton improved 15-21 all-time in season openers, including 3-5 under head coach Jim Flanery. CU has now opened the season at home just seven times since 1987, going 4-3 in those contests. The Jays have now won their last four season openers played at home, including all three under Flanery. The Bluejays are 24-12 in their season debut at home, including wins in eight of their last 10 home openers. CU is 6-2 in home openers under Jim Flanery.
Welcome Home!
The season-opener marked the first regular-season home game on campus for Creighton since March 7, 1992 – an 81-69 win over Wyoming in the Vinardi Athletic Center (Old Gym). The 1991-92 team played four of its 14 home games at the Old Gym.
Home is Where the Wins Are
Creighton went 12-4 at home last year and is now 73-24 (.752) at home under Jim Flanery. The Jays are 67-20 (.770) all-time in regular-season games on-campus (26-12 at the Kiewit Fitness Center and 40-8 in the Vinardi Athletic Center). The Bluejays played 301 of their 429 recorded home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium where they posted a 213-88 (.708) record. Despite all of the moving, Creighton has managed to post a 312-117 (.727) recorded home record all-time at 12 different sites.
About the New Facility
Creighton will play all of its home games at the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center and D.J. Sokol Arena this year, a 75,600 square-foot facility which seats approximately 2,950 fans. In addition to the arena, the facility also includes a locker room, weight room and training room for the student-athletes and houses coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, athletic staff offices, a media work room and much more. More information can be found on the facility in the first four pages of the 2009-10 Women’s Basketball Media Guide.
The First Since Our Last
Creighton’s exhibition with UNO on Nov. 5 was the Bluejays’ first game played on campus since a 100-48 exhibition victory over a Lithuanian team on Nov. 7, 2001 in the Vinardi Athletic Center (Old Gym).
Preseason Picks
The Bluejays have been picked as the preseason favorites in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by league coaches, media and sports information directors. CU received 34 of a possible 40 first-place votes and 393 of 400 points in the poll. This marks just the third time in 18 seasons as MVC members that the Jays are preseason favorites. CU was picked to win the title in 2002-03 and would go on to share the regular-season crown that year. The 1994-95 team was also picked first, but would finish fourth.
The 20-20-20 Precedent
Creighton has won at least 20 games in each of its previous two seasons. Taking a look at CU history, every time the Jays have won 20 games in a season, it has come in groups of at least three – winning at least 20 in three straight years (1985-87), four straight years (1991-94), three straight years (2002-04) and now two straight (2008-09) – setting a standard for this year’s team to live up to.
Statistically Speaking
Creighton led the MVC and ranked eighth in the NCAA with just 13.5 turnovers per game last year. CU’s 56 points allowed per game were fewest in the MVC, ranked 31st in the NCAA and marked the Jays’ best team defense since the 1977-78 team. The Jays also led the MVC with 226 three-pointers and a plus-1.6 turnover margin last year.
They’re Back
The Bluejays return seven letterwinners and four starters, while losing just one major contributor from last season’s team. Senior Chevelle Herring, senior Megan Neuvirth and junior Kelsey Woodard started all 34 games for the Bluejays last year, while senior Kelsey Crites (11) and sophomore DaNae Moore (18) split starting duties at guard, with Crites closing the year in the starting line up. Kristina Voss started 31 of the 34 games and is the only major loss from last year’s team.
Sam I Am
The Jays also return starting forward Sam Schuett who missed all of last season after suffering an ankle injury in practice on Oct. 31. The redshirt junior led the Jays and ranked fourth in the MVC in rebounding with 6.8 boards per game as a sophomore in 2007-08. Schuett, a member of the MVC All-Freshman team in 2006-07 averages 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in her career.
Playing the Percentages
The Bluejays return 83.9 percent of their scoring from last year, including three of the MVC’s top-nine scorers from 2008-09. They return 84.0 percent of their rebounding from last year – and will also welcome 2007-08 leading rebounder Sam Schuett back to the line up after a medical redshirt season. They also bring back 88.2 percent of their assists from last year.
Exhibition Summary
Creighton played just one exhibition game for the third time in the last four years, but also played a closed door scrimmage at Iowa on Nov. 1. The Bluejays defeated Nebraska-Omaha, 80-57, on Nov. 5 at D.J. Sokol Arena. Kelsey Woodard’s 17 points led five Bluejays in double figures, as all 10 CU players played at least 12 minutes in the game. Megan Neuvirth led the team with seven rebounds and six steals, while Kelsey Crites came off the bench to lead the Jays with five assists.
Recent Exhibition History
The Bluejays are 20-1 in their last 21 exhibition contests, dating back to 1998.
Exhibition Results
11-04-98 Creighton 76, Lithuania 57
11-10-98 Creighton 86, Neb. All Stars 67
11-03-99 Creighton 89, Neb. All Stars 73
11-09-99 Creighton 89, Latvia 67
11-07-00 Latvia 70, Creighton 55
11-12-00 Creighton 75, Nebraska-Omaha 63
11-04-01 Creighton 85, Nebraska-Omaha 57
11-07-01 Creighton 100, Lithuania 48
11-04-02 Creighton 86, Team Concept 64
11-10-02 Creighton 98, Nebraska-Omaha 61
11-01-03 Creighton 64, South Dakota 54
11-09-03 Creighton 82, Nebraska-Kearney 75
11-01-04 Creighton 80, South Dakota 54
11-06-04 Creighton 87, Nebraska-Kearney 57
11-06-05 Creighton 82, Central Missouri 74
11-12-05 Creighton 81, South Dakota 48
11-05-06 Creighton 83, South Dakota 74
11-01-07 Creighton 88, Central Missouri 48
11-04-08 Creighton 93, Nebraska-Omaha 68
11-08-08 Creighton 78, Central Missouri 56
11-05-09 Creighton 80, Nebraska-Omaha 57
Welcome to Creighton
The Bluejays welcome two freshmen to the team this season. Jasmin Corbin is a Omaha Millard West product, where the 5-foot-6 guard played for one season alongside redshirt junior Sam Schuett. Corbin had 10 points, making 3-of-6 three-pointers in CU’s exhibition. Ally Jensen, from Ames, Iowa, attended Ballard High School, where the 5-foot-7 guard owns school records for career three-pointers (220) and steals (261).
Nebraska Natives
Seven of Creighton’s 10 players on this year’s roster are from Nebraska, including all five in the projected starting line up. Bellevue natives Chevelle Herring (East) and Kelsey Woodard (West), Omaha products Jasmin Corbin (Millard West) Kellie Nelson (Westside) and Sam Schuett (Millard West), along with Katie Frank (South Sioux City) and Megan Neuvirth (West Point Central Catholic).
More on Megan
Senior Megan Neuvirth, the MVC Preseason Player of the Year, was named the 2008-09 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MVC First Team, MVC All-Defensive Team and MVC All-Tournament Team after leading the MVC in both steals (83) and rebounds (325).
• Her 325 boards established a school record (by 65) and ranked eighth in single-season history in the MVC.
• She was one of five players in the NCAA to rank in the top-50 in steals and rebounds per game last year.
• In addition to leading the team in steals and rebounds, Neuvirth also topped the team in assists (96), blocked shots (34) and double-doubles (9) – the most double-dimes by a Bluejay since the 1990-91 season.
• She enters her senior season ranked sixth in school history with 211 career steals and seventh with 714 career rebounds – both are tops among active MVC players.
Trio For 1,000?
Chevelle Herring (441), Megan Neuvirth (438) and Kelsey Woodard (438) accounted for 64.5 percent of Creighton’s scoring last year (1,317 of 2,040 points). Each member of the trio enters 2009-10 on pace to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. Neuvirth leads the way with 847 career points, followed by Herring’s 831 and Woodard’s 780. No Bluejay trio has ever surpassed the 1,000 point plateau in the same season.
Chevy Keeps Rolling
Senior Chevelle Herring was honored on the All-MVC Second Team last year after leading the team and ranking sixth in the MVC with 13 points per game. Chevy ranked second on the team in three-pointers made (64), assists (93), steals (45) and free-throw percentage (72.6).
Kelsey Can Shoot
Junior Kelsey Woodard was named honorable-mention All-MVC and to the MVC All-Tournament Team last year after leading the conference with 88 three-pointers made and 37.6 minutes played per game. Her 88 treys were the fourth most in school history and ranked fifth in single-season MVC history. Woodard’s 2.6 threes per game ranked 21st in the NCAA and her 140 career treys already ranks eighth in school history. Her 84.6 free-throw percentage last year led the team and was the fifth-best percentage in school history.
MVC Single-Season 3FG Made
No. Player, School Season
1. 104 Melody Howard, MSU 1993-94
2. 98 Dayna Finch, CU 2003-04
3. 91 Dayna Finch, CU 2001-02
4. 90 Kiersten Miller, Drake 1996-97
5. 88 Kelsey Woodard, CU 2008-09
Another Tough Schedule
Creighton again plays one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MVC, facing four Big 12 teams, a Big East squad and an Atlantic-10 foe. The Jays play host to 2009 Final Four participant Oklahoma on Dec. 20 – the third Bluejay opponent to come to Omaha this decade following a Final Four run the previous season (2001 Final Four - Missouri State, 2004 Final Four - Minnesota).
Neuvirth Sets Rebounding Record
Senior Megan Neuvirth crushed the Creighton rebounding record last year, logging 325 boards – far surpassing Janet Ensign’s former mark of 260 set in 1986-87.
Her 325 caroms tied for eighth in a season in MVC history, becoming just the 10th player in league history with 300 boards in a season. Neuvirth’s 9.6 rebounding average was the highest rebounding average by a Bluejay since Cathy Tryon’s 9.6 per game in 1979-80.
MVC Single-Season Rebounds
No. Player, School Season
1. 534 Wanda Ford, Drake 1984-85
2. 506 Wanda Ford, Drake 1985-86
3. 408 Wanda Ford, Drake 1983-84
4. 367 Wanda Ford, Drake 1982-83
5. 366 Angela Buckner, WSU 2001-02
6. 341 Alex Cook, UNI 2001-02
341 Angela Buckner, WSU 2000-01
8. 325 Megan Neuvirth, CU 2008-09
325 Amy Rackers, SIU 1989-90
10. 320 Roshonda Reed, MSU 1998-99
