A great group of ladies.
That’s how I’ll remember the six student-athletes who will be honored following Creighton’s home finale against Butler on Tuesday night at D.J. Sokol Arena.
Sure this group of six won a lot of games (81 and counting), set records, won championships, played in two NCAA Tournaments and even won an NCAA Tournament game. But these six women are genuinely good people. It may sound cliché, but they are not only fantastic representatives of the basketball program and the athletic department, but they are great ambassadors for Creighton University.
As I sat down to write this, I started to think about all of the great student-athletes I had the pleasure of working with during my 11-plus years of employment at Creighton. It’s difficult and unfair to rank players and classes against one another, and while I only worked directly with this group during their freshman and sophomore seasons, I will tell you that they rank among my favorite classes.
I’m going to rattle off a bunch of statistics and facts that may impress and put perspective on what this six-member senior class has accomplished, but in the end, their personalities and character rank above these numbers in my book. Let’s get started, shall we?
WIN-LOSS
81-45 overall
50-21 in conference
44-9 at home
32-3 at home in conference
Notably: Of the nine home losses, three have come to nationally-ranked teams (Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Kansas) … They also defeated two nationally-ranked teams at home (Nebraska, St. John’s) … This group also topped No. 22 Syracuse in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament … Their NCAA Tournament game in 2012 was the program’s first tournament appearance since 2002 … The Bluejays have won their last 19 home conference games and with a win on Senior Night the Jays will put together consecutive conference unbeaten home seasons for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 teams did so … Their 25 wins last year were the second-most in school history … Their 2013 NCAA at-large bid was just the second in school history … Their MVC Tournament championship in 2012 was also the second in school history … Their MVC regular-season title in 2013 was the third in program history .. This class was the core of the first back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams (2012, 2013) in program history.
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Riley Norman: Unfortunately for Riley and the Bluejays, her collegiate career never left the bench. One too many knee injuries prevented Riley from ever contributing on the court for the Jays. I specifically say “on the court” because I know how much her presence at practice and games – and everywhere in between – has contributed to the program over the past four seasons. Riley did play seven minutes against Rockhurst in an exhibition game during her sophomore season – knowing that would be the final time she’d put on a uniform.
Alyssa Kamphaus: After averaging less than 10 minutes per game in her first two seasons, Kamphaus has started Creighton’s last 62 games at center. A “gentle giant” in the middle, Kamp has scored more than 10 points in a game eight times in her career, including a career-high 17 points at Bradley last year. The 6-foot-3 Seward, Neb., native had a career-high 12 rebounds in CU’s MVC tournament win last year against SIU. Her 80 career blocked shots are just two shy of the program’s top-10 list.
Jordan Garrison: Due to a stress fracture, Jordan waited 13 games into her freshman season to make her debut. She played limited minutes as a freshman, then made seven starts during her sophomore season and ranked second on the team with 33 three-pointers. Her best season came last year, playing off the bench in all 33 games, she averaged 5.4 points in 17 minutes per game. Garrison reached double figures in scoring six times last year, including a career-high 15 points on five three-pointers against South Florida. She enters this week with 94 career three-pointers made.
McKenzie Fujan: Fujan saved her best for last, posting a career-year as a senior. The Wahoo (Neb.) Bishop Neumann product scored a career-best 24 points against Syracuse last March to lead Creighton to its first NCAA Tournament win since 1994 and she’s followed with the most productive year of her career. She has career-highs in nearly every statistical category and with 920 points entering the regular-season finale, has a legitimate shot at becoming the 26th member of Creighton’s 1,000-point club – all the more impressive when considering she scored just 74 points as a freshman. The slashing guard is averaging a career-best 12.7 points per game this year – including 15.4 per game in Big East play. Fujan’s career-high 38-point outburst against DePaul in early January was the highest scoring performance by a Bluejay since 2002 and ranks as the sixth-highest single-game scoring total in school history (only CU Hall of Famers Connie Yori, Kathy Halligan and Christy Neneman scored more in a game). Fujan, who has started CU’s last 82 games, eclipsed 200 career assists and 100 career three-pointers in the Jays’ last game.
Carli Tritz: I’ve found myself watching this year’s team and thinking about how good they are and then thinking about how good they would be if Tritz was playing this season. Imagine having another scoring option and playmaker on the court to compliment this year’s core trio of Nelson, Fujan and sophomore Marissa Janning. But that wasn’t the hand Carli and the Bluejays were dealt, and both have handled it admirably. Tritz’s three-year numbers are better than those of most four-year players. Tritz set an MVC record by earning Newcomer of the Week honors nine times during her MVC Freshman of the Year campaign in 2010-11. She followed by earning first-team all-MVC and winning the MVC Tournament MVP as a sophomore. The preseason MVC Player of the Year last year, she played through an enormous amount of knee pain – the same pain that cut her career short – and still led the team with a career-best 122 assists. She’s one of 25 players in school history to reach career 1,000 points and despite playing only three seasons. Tritz is one of 10 players in program history to surpass 1,000 points, 300 assists and 150 steals in their career.
Sarah Nelson: Let’s begin with a story from Sarah’s senior year of high school. When she signed her letter of intent to play with the Bluejays, her older sister Kellie became a prophet. Kellie, who was a Bluejay center from 2007-11, was giving an interview and told the interviewer “Mark my words, my sister will be one of the best players in school history.” At the time, I thought it was just proud, older sister rhetoric being spewed from Kellie, but fast forward four years later and the elder Nelson was exactly right. Sarah Nelson has etched her name all over the Creighton record book, in a variety of categories, displaying what a truly outstanding all-around game she possesses.
Nelson is the ONLY player in school history to score more than 1,000 points and also have 800 rebounds and 300 assists. She enters her final regular-season game just two blocked shots shy of Amy Hoffman’s school record (152) and four rebounds shy of moving into third place in school history in rebounding. Her 877 career rebounds put her within striking distance of Megan Neuvirth’s career-record of 929 and even closer to becoming just the third player in CU history to reach 900 boards.
The Omaha Westside product was a first-team all-MVC performer last year and some argued (me, I argued it right here on this website) that she could have been the MVC Player of the Year. A pre-season all-Big East selection this year, she’s lived up to the hype while extending her consecutive games started streak to 95. A member of the MVC All-Tournament team following CU’s championship run as a sophomore, her career numbers are staggering. In addition to her rebounding and block numbers, she ranks 10th in school history in field goals (528) and 11th in scoring with 1,396 points. Great numbers for a post player, but add the following numbers to her résumé and you see what a unique and gifted player she is. Nelson (remember, a forward) ranks 10th in school history with 342 assists (nearly 100 more than her number of turnovers), 114 steals and 103 three-pointers made. Her assist numbers and assist-turnover ratio are something head coach Jim Flanery has raved about during her career and it’s those numbers that jump off the page at me. She has surpassed 100 assists in each of the last two seasons, that’s more assists than CU’s starting point guards have recorded in five of the previous nine seasons
I could go on, but I should probably limit my word count on Nelson below the number of career field goals she’s made. Simply put – you were right Kellie – Sarah is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in school history.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Game #1, Nov. 12, 2010, vs. Liberty: The collegiate debut for this group was not pretty. In fact, as a personal witness to it, it was one of the ugliest games I’ve covered. With that said, at least it was a win. The Bluejays topped Liberty 40-35 in Raleigh, N.C., at the Wolfpack Invitational hosted by NC State. The trio of Sarah Nelson, Carli Tritz and McKenzie Fujan all made their collegiate debut at the same time – coming off the bench at the first media timeout. Fujan made the first basket of the season for Creighton – a three-pointer, just nine seconds into her debut. Nelson, who has now scored more career points than any of her classmates, was held scoreless in her first game, Tritz led the rookies with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals and Alyssa Kamphaus debuted with one minute of action. (Nelson followed with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double the next day vs. NC State)
Game #5, Nov. 28, 2010, vs. Marquette: The Bluejays topped Wyoming 60-49 in their home opener on Nov. 20 and then returned from Thanksgiving break to welcome Big East foe Marquette to D.J. Sokol Arena. Tritz sank a pair of free throws with 14.3 seconds on the clock and the Bluejays topped the Golden Eagles 63-61, overcoming a nine-point second half deficit. In a game which featured 13 lead changes, Tritz finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists, while fellow freshman reserve Nelson added 11 points.
Game #13, Jan. 6, 2011, at Evansville: Jordan Garrison finally makes her collegiate debut after missing Creighton’s first 12 games with a stress fracture in her left leg. The three-point specialist broke into the scoring column with her first collegiate three-ball in the second half. Kamphaus had a career-day as well, matching Garrison with what still stands as the lone three-pointer of the center’s career, while finishing with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting in just seven minutes of play. Creighton cruised to an 81-55 win.
Game #26, Feb. 19, 2011, vs. Illinois State: Sarah Nelson helps the Bluejays crush the Redbirds on older sister Kellie’s Senior Day. The younger Nelson led the Jays with 15 points off the bench, as the Jays beat ISU 71-44.
Game #35, Nov. 22, 2011, vs. South Dakota: In a rare non-conference home loss to a team outside of a power conference, Sarah Nelson grabs a career-high 17 rebounds. In the first six games of her sophomore season she grabbed three double-doubles and averaged 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds, capturing MVC Player of the Week honors twice in the first three weeks of the season.
Game #62, March 10, 2012, vs. Missouri State: Carli Tritz out-scores Missouri State by herself in the second half, pouring in a career-high 29 points in Creighton’s MVC Tournament semifinal victory over the Lady Bears. She scored 27 after halftime, including 17 straight for the Bluejays, in one of the greatest individual performances in Valley Tournament history. The regular-season champs, MSU was held to a season-low 47 points, including 24 in the second half.
Game #63, March 11, 2012, vs. Drake: Playing in their fourth MVC Tournament title game in six years, the Bluejays finally break through to reward Jim Flanery with his first MVC tourney crown. Tritz again put the team on her back, scoring 15 of her game-high 19 points in the second half. Tritz was named tournament MVP and she was joined by Sarah Nelson on the all-tourney team. Nelson and Fujan each scored 12 points in the title game, as the 2014 senior class scored 48 of CU’s 53 points in the victory.
Game #64, March 18, 2012, vs. #14 St. John’s: In the program’s first NCAA Tournament game in a decade, Nadirah McKenith’s basket with one-tenth of a second left on the clock handed the Bluejays a gut-wrenching 69-67 loss to the third-seeded Red Storm. Tritz had 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, while making all seven of her free throws in the narrow defeat.
Game #70, Dec. 5, 2012, vs. #25 Nebraska: Sarah Nelson holds Husker All-American Jordan Hooper scoreless as the Bluejays snapped a seven-game losing streak against their in-state rivals. Fujan led her classmates with 13 points, while Garrison added nine points off the bench in CU’s 66-57 win over the 25th-ranked Huskers.
Game #93, March 9, 2013, vs. Southern Illinois: In what proved to be Creighton’s final MVC regular-season game, the Bluejays closed out conference play with their seventh straight win to clinch a share of the Valley title with Wichita State. Alyssa Kamphaus logged one of the most productive games of her career, with 10 points and seven rebounds in the 61-42 win.
Game #96, March 23, 2013, vs. #22 Syracuse: Led by a McKenzie Fujan scoring outburst, Creighton captures its first NCAA tournament win since 1994 with a 61-56 victory over nationally-ranked Syracuse. Fujan scored 17 of CU’s 24 first-half points and finished with a then career-best 24 points. Nelson chipped in 17 points in the win over the seventh-seeded Orange.
Game #110, Dec. 28, 2013, vs. Villanova: Creighton begins the Big East era with a come-from-behind 65-58 win over Villanova. Fujan leads the class with 17 points and Nelson adds 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Game #112, Jan. 4, 2014, vs. DePaul: McKenzie Fujan’s historic 38-point performance helped the Bluejays move to 3-0 in league play, by defeating the pre-season favorite Blue Demons, 86-78. It marked the first 30-point game by a Bluejay in five seasons and is the sixth-highest single-game scoring performance in school history. Nelson finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Garrison scored 11 points off the bench in the win.
Game #127, March 4, 2014, vs. Butler: Creighton honors a six-member senior class following its final home game. The Bulldogs handed Creighton one of its five conference losses, so you can be sure the 2014 senior class will not only be looking to close out their home careers in style, but will be aiming to exact revenge. Tip at D.J. Sokol Arena is set for 7:05 p.m., make sure you’re there to say thanks to this special group.