Once again, White & Blue Review caught up with some of the talented broadcasters that bring Creighton athletics into your cars, homes, and offices via local media. For women’s basketball, that means learning about the Bluejays’ season through the eyes of Brad Burwell and Sara Cizek Going, who call CU games for KOIL 1180 AM (www.koilam1180.com).
WBR talked with Cizek Going about the Bluejays’ past week of action, which started with a home loss to Bradley but rebounded with two home wins against Northern Iowa and Drake at Sokol Arena.
White & Blue Review: It was a busy week at Sokol Arena, where the Bluejays went 2-1 against Bradley, Northern Iowa, and Drake. The homestand started rather rocky, however, with Jim Flanery’s team dropping an ugly 63-57 game to the Braves. How frustrating was that game to watch as a Jays fan, to see them shoot 23% from the field? How about as a broadcaster, with the Jays (48) and Braves (26) combining to shoot more than 70 free throws?
Sara Cizek Going: The Bradley game was one of the Jays’ worst performances this year. For a team that normally plays well at home, it was frustrating to see them fall into an early hole and have to play from behind. It was also unusual to watch them struggle to make shots, particularly from 3-point range (3-23), and only make an unprecedented 10 field goals for the game. The fouls and free throws really disrupted the Jays and prevented them from getting into any sort of offensive flow, but that’s part of the game, and when you know the officials are going to call it tight, you have to adjust. I think Brad Burwell and I had everyone’s free throw percentages memorized by the end of the game because we had recited them so many times!
WBR: Things didn’t seem to be any better for most of the game versus Northern Iowa. The Panthers jumped out to a double-digit lead quickly in that contest, and then coasted for what seemed to be an eternity. How did the Bluejays whittle away at UNI’s lead, and then have the focus and determination to finish the comeback and win?
SCG: You’re right. The Jays started the game lacking the passion and intensity needed to beat UNI. Again, they were playing from behind, a position that had doomed the Jays in their previous two games. UNI was in control of the game for about the first 32 minutes, until Megan Neuvirth decided to put the team on her back and finish the game. Neuvirth scored 15 of her 20 points after half, and Chevelle Herring had her first double-digit scoring performance in 11 games, scoring all 12 of her points during the comeback in the second half. It was really an amazing comeback, but is certainly not a position the Jays want to find themselves again this season!
WBR: Herring has struggled a bit recently, but hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds left against Northern Iowa, regaining her starting spot for Friday night’s televised game against Drake. How did she play against the Bulldogs in Creighton’s 74-61 win?
SCG: Chevy definitely contributed to the Jays’ victory over the Bulldogs. Most memorable for me was toward the end of the game when one of the Drake players was driving down the lane and Chevy stepped in and blocked the shot! You don’t see that happen much from your 5-4 guard, so it’s always exciting, particularly because it was a serious rejection!
WBR: How did Herring handle coming off the bench for a few of those recent games? What does she need to do to get her game back to where she has had it at other times in her long CU career?
SCG: It sounds like Chevy viewed it as an opportunity to improve her game, which is what a team player does. It’s difficult to be in that position — starting 50 consecutive games and then relinquishing your spot to a freshman — but this team is unique in that all of the players have a genuinely unselfish mentality, and she is no exception. Coming off the bench for the UNI game seemed to be the spark that she needed, as she scored 12 points during the comeback. It’s difficult to say what the solution is for Chevy. She is a great player, and over the years, we have seen some incredible performances from her. She always plays well against really good teams, especially against the Big XII. She has the quickest crossover of anyone in the league, and 1-on-1 she can beat anyone to the basket. If the Jays plan to go to the NCAA Tournament this year, they’re going to need some big performances from Chevy during the stretch run.
WBR: After seeing this team three times in the past week, and having watched them closely all season, how has this team evolved since the beginning of the year?
SCG: Well, that’s an interesting question, because the Jays played well in the non-conference season, and especially the beginning of the conference season, winning 4 really important road games. But, when they returned home, they had forgettable performances against Missouri State and Bradley (losing both), and almost dropped a home game against UNI. I think they’re finding out that they can’t be complacent if they expect to win the Valley. It’s a long season, and each player has to come out ready to play every game. I think the Drake win was a signal that the Jays are back on track.
WBR: The Bluejays display amazing balance offensively, with four Jays averaging between 10.5 and 12.8 points per game. As a former player, how important is it for the overall offensive strategy to have a multitude of players who have proven they can score consistently?
SCG: Well, it always helps! Some teams are lucky to have the star player who they count on to score 25 points per game. But, as anyone who has played the game knows, you can’t do that every game for a 30-game season. You’re bound to face defenses that can stop the leading scorer, so it is essential to have other offensive threats. The Jays’ balance of scoring is nice because all of those players — Neuvirth, Sam Schuett, Kellie Nelson, and Kelsey Woodard — (and Chevy too!) have the potential to score into the 20s, and it creates problems for opposing teams in deciding who to guard. Along with the balance, the versatility of the players causes problems as well. How do you guard Schuett and Neuvirth, who shoot well from 3-point range but can also dribble penetrate and post up a smaller defender?
WBR: I mentioned Herring’s heroics against Northern Iowa. If you had to choose someone from the Bluejays to take the shot in that kind of situation — Creighton down 2 points, shot clock running down, less than 30 seconds to play — who would it be, and why?
SCG: Wow, tough one. I always enjoy seeing what Flan comes up with for these types of plays. During my playing days, I was always impressed with how fast he drew up last-second shots. I think he has an entire playbook of them stored in memory. Anyway, it would probably depend on who’s had the hot hand during the game, but I always like to see the ball in Chevy’s hands, because she has come up with clutch shots in so many situations, and generally performs very well under pressure. That being said, any of the Jays are capable of making big plays, and we’ve seen them a number of times from Woodard, Neuvirth, and Schuett as well.
WBR: Next up for the Bluejays: Missouri State and Wichita State, on the road. Burwell mentioned in one of our previous Behind the Mic segments that this is his favorite road trip during the Valley’s regular season. It will prove difficult for Flan’s team, however. How can the Bluejays enact some revenge for the home loss they suffered against the Bears? How can the Jays avoid an upset on the road against the Shockers?
SCG: I suspect that this is Brad’s favorite road trip because he gets to drive through St. Louis, his old stomping grounds! I think the Jays will want to redeem themselves after a dismal performance against the Bears in Omaha. That was a game in which they had 17 turnovers, shot 34% from the field, and 23% from 3-point range. They also had a very difficult time getting back in transition and let MSU score 20 fast break points. It’s always more difficult to win on the road and Missouri State has gone 7-3 at home this year, so the Jays will have their work cut out for them. As I see it, the game can only be an improvement from the loss in Omaha, but keys to the victory will be to get off to a good start, limit the high-scoring runs and turnovers, and dribble penetrate to get more offensive versatility and open up the 3. The game against Wichita State is a must win for the Jays. The Shockers are sitting in the middle of the Valley, but are probably better than the way they played in Omaha, where CU won by 41 points. Let’s hope they can come back with 2 road wins!