This Sunday, the fourteenth-seeded Creighton Bluejays’ women’s basketball team will make its first NCAA appearance in ten years, facing off against the third-seeded St. John’s Red Storm. Creighton won, 72-66, in these teams’ only prior meeting in 1997, but since then St. John’s has become one of the top programs in the illustrious BIG EAST conference. The Bluejays come into this game as a serious underdog, but in the past weeks Jim Flanery’s young team has proven themselves capable of defying the odds.
Unfortunately, Creighton will have to play a perfect game to have any chance of a first-round upset in Norman, OK. The Bluejay backcourt will struggle against Red Storm point guard Nadirah McKenith, and Creighton has nobody quick enough to shut down St. John’s star wing-woman Shenneika Smith. If the Jays’ offense stalled against the lowly Drake Bulldogs in the MVC final, Flanery’s squad will have one heck of a time trying to create opportunities against the Johnnies’ more athletic defenders. Meanwhile, most of the Red Storm’s points come in the paint thanks to all-BIG EASTers Smith and Da’Shena Stevens.
For the Bluejays to win this game, Carli Tritz will need another monumental performance. Creighton has to hold its own in the paint, meaning that Sarah Nelson will need to have the game of her life. The Jays’ backcourt will have to throw constant and unrelenting pressure at McKenith and Smith, while at the same time being on fire from three-point range.
Bottom line: Creighton was going to be an underdog no matter what, but St. John’s superb frontcourt makes this a horrible matchup for CU.
Team Data
Results
- 22-9 (13-3 Big East)
- Last Five Games: 4-1
- Last Ten Games: 9-1
- Vs Top 50: 9-6
- Vs Top 100: 14-7
- Marquee Wins (RPI 1-50): Temple 59-53, Howard 63-48, Louisville 72-64, Rutgers 62-57, at Rutgers 61-52, at UConn 57-56, West Virginia 63-54, Villanova 69-49, at Georgetown 54-45, Louisville 68-61
- Bad Losses: Marquette (RPI 125) 63-55, at Harvard (129) 63-56
Team Statistics
- Points per game: 61.4
- Points allowed: 55.1
- Scoring margin: +6.3
- FG percentage (St. John’s): .413
- FG percentage (opponents): .368
- 3PT percentage (St. John’s): .278
- 3PT percentage (opponents): .271
- 3PT-to-FG attempts: .14
- FT percentage: .681
- FT totals: 415/609
- Rebound margin: +0.5
- Turnover margin: +3.7
- Assist-to-turnover ratio: 0.8:1
NCAA Tournament History
- 4-6 (6 appearances)
- Best Finish: NCAA Second Round (1988, 2006, 2010, 2011)
- Most Recent Appearance: NCAA Second Round (2011)
Players
Nadirah McKenith, Starting Point Guard
- 5’7″, Junior, Newark, NJ
- 12 points/game
- 4.7 assists/game
- 2.4 steals/game
- 5.7 rebounds/game
- 77.9% free-throw shooter
- 27.0% three-point shooter (10-37)
- Third in the BIG EAST in assists and fifth in steals
- 2012 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection
- Mature and composed under heavy pressure
- Best game: 26 points/7 steals/4 assists, in win over La Salle
Eugeneia McPherson, Starting Off-Guard
- 5’8″, Junior, North Babylon, NY
- 11.8 points/game
- 1.9 assists/game
- 3.2 rebounds/game
- 67.8% free-throw shooter
- 30.1% three-point shooter (28-93)
- St. John’s’ toughest on-ball defender
- Extremely versatile shooting guard
- Best game: 23 points with 4 three-pointers in loss to national #1 Baylor
Shenneika Smith, Starting Forward
- 6’1″, Junior, Brooklyn, NY
- 12.6 points/game
- 1.5 assists/game
- 6.6 rebounds/game
- 1.2 blocks/game
- 69.3% free throw shooter
- 25.8% three-point shooter (8-31)
- Sometimes inconsistent, but one of the best wings in the country when she’s on her game
- Preseason All-BIG EAST for two years running, 2012 All-BIG EAST first team selection
- Best game: 18 points/21 (yes, twenty-one) rebounds/1 assist in win over Iowa
Da’Shena Stevens, Starting Forward
- 6’1″, Senior
- 11.0 points/game
- 6.1 rebounds/game
- 2.33 assists/game
- 70.8% free-throw shooter
- Missed all three of her three-pointer attempts this season
- Sat out the first two months rehabbing an off-season knee injury, but has been nearly unstoppable since her return
- Most decorated player in St. John’s program history
- Preseason All-BIG EAST for three years running
- 2011 and 2012 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection
- 2012 Early-Season Naismith Trophy Candidate for three years running
- Best game: 17 points/11 rebounds in win over South Florida
Amber Thompson, Starting Forward
- 6’2″, Freshman, Newark, NJ
- 6.2 points/game
- 0.2 assists/game (only 7 all season)
- 6.0 rebounds/game
- 0.6 blocks/game
- 51.6% free-throw shooter
- Did not attempt a three-pointer all season
- Great presence in the paint, both offensively and defensively
- Splits time with center Mary Nwachukwu
- Made 2012 BIG EAST All-Rookie team
- Enjoys watching The Weather Channel and has a future in meteorology
- Best game: 19 points/13 rebounds/2 assists in win over Hartford
This game’s winner will face the winner of #6 Oklahoma/#11 Michigan.