Every week, White & Blue Review will take a look at the week ahead in Creighton sports. It is What’s On Tap, presented by Brazen Head Irish Pub.
Thursday, November 19
Women’s basketball at Marquette
7:00 p.m., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jim Flanery’s team, 2-0 for just the second time in the past nine seasons, heads north to visit one of Creighton’s Jesuit brethren.
Unlike the men’s teams, which have played 76 times since 1923, the CU and MU women’s teams have only 5 previous meetings. The Bluejays have won 4 of those, with the only loss coming two seasons ago in the WNIT in Milwaukee.
This game is one of more than 90 games highlighted by the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight project, which uses Jesuit basketball to raise awareness of Jesuit institutions. Interestingly, despite not playing each other since the NIT in 1998, these two schools’ men’s teams might play next week in the second round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando.
Friday, November 20
Volleyball at Northern Iowa
7:00 p.m., Cedar Falls, Iowa
It is time to play spoiler.
Creighton hits the road for the final two regular season matches of the season, which couldn’t be against two more different teams. The first opponent of the Bluejays’ weekend is Northern Iowa.
The Panthers have been nearly unbeatable in 2009. A 26-2 record, 24 straight wins, and an undefeated record so far in MVC play has earned them a #21 national ranking and the #1 seed in next week’s MVC Tournament. Creighton can spoil UNI’s first match of Senior Weekend with a win.
The Bluejays have clinched a spot in the six-team tournament, which takes place at Sokol Arena. At 9-7 in conference play, they are battling Drake (same record) for seeding. The Bulldogs and Bluejays play the same opponents this weekend, and will most likely cross paths on the vast stretches of interstate between Cedar Falls and Peoria.
Saturday, November 21
Volleyball at Bradley
7:00 p.m., Peoria, Illinois
Since 2003, Creighton is 12-1 against the Braves. And that lone loss came in Omaha. So, six straight wins in Peoria for the Bluejays, and a seventh straight would ruin BU’s Senior Night. Either way, Saturday’s match marks the end of the 2009 season for Bradley, which after an 8-4 start has lost 17 of 18 matches.
Needless to say, a CU loss in this match would be an upset, and not exactly the kind of match that would instill momentum for the Bluejays heading into their host duties for the MVC Tournament during Thanksgiving week.
Sunday, November 22
Men’s basketball vs. Arkansas-Little Rock
2:00 p.m., Qwest Center Omaha
We were duped. Bluejays fans thought that after two beat downs of UALR since 2003, our team could just meander through a return game in Little Rock. Wrong. Very wrong.
The Bluejays opened a double digit lead in last year’s game, and led from the 18:00 mark of the first half until the 2:10 mark of the second half. After getting blasted on the boards (46-26. Seriously.), the Jays still had a chance to win. They went 2-4 from the free throw line in the last two minutes, but then Booker Woodfox seemingly saved them with a game-tying 3-pointer with about 40 seconds left. OK, let’s take it to overtime, fans watching the game on KM3 told themselves.
But they never got the chance. Rebounding killed them in the most obvious way possible: after forcing UALR to miss a long 3-pointer, big ol’ Mike Smith corralled the carom and put it back with 5 seconds to play. And that was it. Game over.
If the following scene, or anything close, plays out on Sunday, about 15,000 people in downtown Omaha will have one big nervous breakdown. Can we get back to beating the Trojans by about 20 points, please?
Monday, November 23
Women’s basketball vs. Kansas State
7:00 p.m., Sokol Arena
Look at Creighton’s non-conference schedule, and you might think the Bluejays are applying to be new members of the Big 12 or something. Jim Flanery’s team will play one-third of the BCS conference’s teams, starting with the Wildcats on Sunday.
Last year, in Manhattan, the Bluejays fell to #25 KSU 64-55. But two years ago, in Omaha, Creighton posted a 69-62 win. Chevelle Herring missed that win due to an injury, but last year in the CU loss she led the Bluejays with 23 points. It was part of a remarkable stretch for the guard from Bellevue against Big 12 competition: in consecutive games against Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Kansas, she scored 16, 23, and 31 points, respectively.
Herring’s been lights out so far this season, too. I’m sure she and the rest of her teammates are looking forward to hosting the Purple and Silver Monday evening.