In any sport, coaches are looking for the teams to peak at the right time. You don’t want to get too hot too early, but you do not want to run through a bad stretch as you wind down to the end of the season. The Creighton women’s basketball team may actually be peaking at the right time.
Jim Flanery’s Bluejays (17-12) won five of their final six games of the season. Despite losing at Drake last Saturday on the Bulldogs’ senior day, Creighton could be the team to beat in the MVC Tournament. The Jays proved during that 5-1 stretch they could play well away from home, going 2-1 in a three-game road trip to end the season.
Creighton left Omaha for St. Charles, Missouri, the site of this weekend’s MVC Tournament at the Family Arena. Affectionately known as Chuck Madness, the tournament starts for #4 Creighton with a game against #5 Northern Iowa (16-13), a team CU has defeated twice this season.
UNI received a blow before the season even started when the returning MVC Player of the Year Jacque Klein injured her knee and was declared out for the season. The Panthers have been up and down adjusting to the loss. Against the Bluejays, they lost by 15 in Omaha and then by 26 points in Cedar Falls.
It is tough to defeat the same team three times in one season. For Creighton to entertain any thoughts of joining the men’s team in the NCAA Tournament, though, they’ll have to beat the Panthers again. Things start with the defense. The Bluejays led the Valley this season holding opponents to just under 58 points a game. In the first two meetings against the Panthers, Northern Iowa only managed to average 49 points.
With a win on Friday afternoon, the Bluejays will likely face Missouri State on Saturday. The Bluejays lost both meetings against the Bears this season, but they were close games — CU lost by 10 in Springfield and by 8 in Omaha.
To make it to the championship game on Sunday would be a great achievement for a young Bluejay team. However, the MVC Tournament has not been nice to Flanery during his tenure as Creighton’s head coach. The Bluejays won their only MVC Tournament title 10 years ago, in 2002. The Jays have appeared in three of the last five MVC title games, but did not walk away with a win or a bid to the NCAA Tournament. To add insult to injury, the average margin of defeat in Creighton’s last five MVC Tournament losses is less than 4 points. Maybe this is the year for the Bluejays for a little karma.
It will take a total team effort like it has been all season for the Bluejays. Carli Tritz and Sarah Nelson lead the way averaging double-figures in scoring. McKenzie Fujan has had more success driving to the rim on offense, while Ally Jensen, Jordan Garrison, and Taylor Johnson can all drain it from three. Then you have the leadership of the lone senior DaNae Moore. If the Bluejays can get some offensive production to go with their usually stout defense, Creighton could make some noise this weekend at Chuck Madness.
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All-MVC Honors
Nelson should have been on the MVC Second Team (Spomer/WBR)
The MVC announced its All-Conference teams on Wednesday. League media, sports information directors, and head coaches voted for the teams.
Creighton guard Carli Tritz earned first team All-MVC honors. Tritz started the season a little slow after suffering a minor knee injury at the beginning of the season, but has come on strong in conference play. She finished the season leading the Bluejays in scoring (13.9), assists (104), and steals (54) while posting 21 games in double-figures.
But CU forward Sarah Nelson got snubbed. She was an Honorable Mention All-MVC by the league, but she easily could have been second team All-Valley. You couldn’t tell by her recent Tuesdays with the Bluejays blog post, but you’d have to think she’s fired up with some individual motivation to prove voters wrong while at the MVC Tournament.
The sophomore had ten double-doubles this season, the most by a Bluejay since 1987-88. She led the team in rebounding, field goal percentage, blocks, and free throws. Just like Antoine Young being left off of the men’s side from being on the first team All-MVC, this is an opportunity for Nelson to lead the Jays to victory.
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Media Menu
- All Creighton games can be heard on 1180 KOIL AM.
- Live Stats provided by the MVC for Friday’s 2:30 p.m. game.
- Live Stats provided by the MVC for for Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. game.
- Live Stats provided by the MVC for Sunday’s 2:00 p.m. championship game.
- The quarterfinal game on Friday can be seen online through Valley Live.
- The semifinal and championship games will be on Fox Sports Net, Ch. 47 or 1047 on Cox in Omaha. The games are available on satellite providers DirecTV channel 671, Dish Network channel 418 and for those with AT&T U-Verse, Channel 748
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Other Notes
- The Jays are just 2-5 while playing as the #4 seed.
- In the nine games Creighton has played at The Family Arena (5-4), the Bluejays are shooting just 35.8% from the field and 26.8% from three-point range, averaging 56.6 points per game at the venue.
- If Creighton is not able to secure the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this weekend, they will still likely have some postseason asperations. As of Tuesday, the Bluejays are projected to be in the postseason again in the WNIT according to Omni Rankings. They are projecting the Bluejays will be an 8 seed taking on Seattle in Omaha. This could change as the weekend goes along.