Creighton Opens WNIT at South Dakota

Omaha, Neb. -- The Creighton women's basketball will battle South Dakota in the opening round of the WNIT Tournament on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 in Vermillion, S.D.

3/16: - 7:00 pm: Creighton (17-17, 8-10 BIG EAST) at South Dakota (26-6, 15-1 SUMMIT)

Online (Free): http://www.goyotes.com/showcase

Stats (Free): http://www.sidearmstats.com/usd/wbball

Series History: Creighton leads 12-9
South Dakota won last meeting 68-58 on March 19, 2015.

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Bird Seeds

Creighton and South Dakota renew a rivalry that got a bit more heated last season when the Coyotes ended the Bluejays season in the opening round of the WNIT Tournament.
The winner of Wednesday's contest will face the victory of the battle between Milwaukee and Minnesota in the second round.
South Dakota and Creighton offer immense difference in experience in the starting five. The Coyotes will send four seniors out for what could be their final game. Creighton, meanwhile, has just one senior on its roster.

Scouting South Dakota (26-6, 15-1 Summit)
A veteran team that features four seniors in its starting five, the Coyotes are led by senior Nicole Seekamp (16.3 ppg). South Dakota is coached by former Husker, Amy Williams in her fourth season at the helm.

During Williams' tenure the Coyotes are a combined 47-6 at home, including 15-1 this season. South Dakota's lone home loss came to Washington, 77-64 on Dec. 12.

Keys to the Game w/South Dakota

Ball Security: South Dakota averages just under 10 steals per game and forces 14.5 turnovers per contest.
Adjust to the DakotaDome: The Coyotes home floor is inside the middle of a dome. As a result the sightlines are difficult for visiting teams to adjust to.
Slow Seekamp: In the loss last year in the WNIT, Creighton allowed Seekamp to go off for 21 points. While a player of her caliber will score, Creighton must slow her down.

We're Back
Creighton, the 2004 postseason WNIT Champion, is appearing in the WNIT for the 12th time.

The Bluejays have won their first game in the WNIT six times in their previous nine appearances and been one-and-done four times.

Creighton is 6-1 in home WNIT contests, while the Bluejays are 6-8 in true road WNIT games, losing their last five WNIT games on the road.

Creighton's Tenth Appearance Under Flanery
Since Jim Flanery took the helm of the Creighton Bluejays during the 2002-03 season, Creighton has appeared in the WNIT tournament 10 times.

That mark is the second most since 2003. The only team with more appearances is Charlotte as the 49ers have been in the WNIT 11 times since 2003.

BIG EAST Seats Three in WNIT
Creighton was one of three teams from the BIG EAST Conference to be selected for the WNIT Tournament. The other were Villanova and Georgetown.

This year's tournament features six teams from the Big Ten, five from the Mid-American Conference and four each from the ACC, C-USA and West Coast Conference. Four conferences each placed three teams – American, A-10, Big East and Colonial.

Other conferences represented include Big West (2), Horizon (2), Missouri Valley (2), Pac-12 (2), Summit (2), Sun Belt (2), America East (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Big 12 (1), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Ivy (1), MAAC (1), MEAC (1), Mountain West (1), Northeast (1), OVC (1), Patriot (1), SEC (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1) and WAC (1).

2016 WNIT Dates

Round #1 – March 16-18
Round #2 – March 19-22
Round #3 – March 23-25
Round #4 – March 26-28
Semifinals – March 30-31

Championship Game
Saturday, April 2, 3 p.m. ET

Bluejays Seeking a Little Vengeance
After seeing its season ended last year in the DakotaDome, the Creighton Bluejays have a chance to turn the tables this season, playing South Dakota once more in the opening round of the WNIT. The Coyotes, however, do not plan to go down quietly.

Lucky No. 7
Creighton has been the seven seed in its conference tournament twice in its history, 1999 and this season 2016. In each of those years the Bluejays advanced to the conference tournament final.

In 1999 the Bluejays advanced to the Missouri Valley Championship with back-to-back wins over Drake (73-62) and Indiana State (76-54). The Bluejays fell in the final to Evansville (72-75 in overtime).

This season the Bluejays bests No. 10 Providence (70-53), No. 2 Villanova (57-48), then No. 3 Seton Hall (77-56). Sadly Creighton run ended against No. 4 St. John's (50-37).

Prior to the run in Chicago earlier this month, the Bluejays had not played four games in four days.

McGrory Nabs Spot on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Junior MC McGrory was the epitomie of the Creighton's determined run to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship as the Minnesota native scored 20 and 23 points respectively to push the Bluejays into the title game. McGrory's performance in Chicago earned her a spot on the BIG EAST All-Tournament team.

Bluejays Soar Into Postseason
Although Creighton did not win the BIG EAST Championship, the Bluejays did accomplish its first goal: become
postseason eligible.

Creighton entered the BIG EAST Tournament 14-16 and needed to finish at or above .500 to be eligible for play beyond the conference tournament. The Bluejays accomplished their goal in three steps.

Step 1: Defeat 10th-seeded Providence
Step 2: Defeat second-seeded Villanova
Step 3: Defeat third-seeded Seton Hall

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Players Mentioned

MC McGrory