The Creighton women (1-1) return to the friendly confines of D.J. Sokol Arena to host Utah (1-0) in their 2014-15 home opener on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Bluejays’ lone home game of November follows a thrilling 88-81 win at South Dakota State on Tuesday night. The win not only secured a solid non-conference win over a preseason league favorite, but it snapped SDSU’s 22-game home winning streak. With three starters (Marissa Janning, Brianna Rollerson, Alexis Akin-Otiko) fouling out with more than three minutes to play, Creighton’s bench contributed 28 points as the Jays held off the Jackrabbits for their first win of the season.
The recently constructed confines inside the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center have indeed been friendly to the Bluejays, where they have posted a 57-13 (.814) record since the building opened in 2009. The Jays hope the familiar setting will provide comfort as they look to take a winning record to Connecticut where they will face the defending NCAA champion UConn Huskies in their home opener on Sunday.
The reigning Big East Player of the Year, Janning poured in a game-high 21 points on Tuesday, despite fouling out with more than five minutes to play. Janning has now fouled out of each of Creighton’s first two contests. The prolific scoring guard has picked up right where she left off during her POY campaign last year, leading the team with 19.5 points per game through two games. The junior has drained 8-of-12 three-pointers through two games, including 4-of-6 at SDSU Tuesday.
A pair of sophomore starters are averaging double figures through two games, as Rollerson has made 8-of-14 field goal attempts to start the year while averaging 12 points per game. MC McGrory is also chipping in 11.5 points per game, while leading the team with 12 free throw attempts.
While the faces change, Creighton head coach Jim Flanery’s offensive philosophy does not. After sinking 14-of-24 three-pointers on Tuesday, Creighton has now made 20-of-42 (.476) threes through two games.
As always, your attendance is strongly encouraged, so come be a part of a fun atmosphere and watch a great brand of basketball. If you cannot make it to campus, this is the first of three home contests which will air on the Big East Digital Network.
Rob’s Randomness
- Utah was 12-19 last year after finishing as WNIT runners-up in 2013. The Utes played the 2013-14 without two starters who missed the year due to injury. Two-time Pac-12 all-conference honoree Taryn Wicijowski and sophomore Paige Crozon both took medical redshirts last year. The duo from Saskatchewan both have playing experience with the Canadian National Team.
- After finishing 11th in the Pac-12 last year, the Utes were picked to finish 10th in the league this year.
- Utah lost an exhibition game to Division II Alaska-Anchorage, 67-61, thanks in part to 27 turnovers committed.
- The Utes opened the season with a 100-87 overtime win over San Jose State (potential Bluejay opponent at next week’s Cal Tournament) last Friday. Wicijowski had career-highs with 36 points and 19 rebounds on 15-of-23 shooting from the field in the win. She helped Utah out-rebound SJSU 63-32.
- Utah is the first Pac-12 program to play inside D.J. Sokol Arena and the first Pac-12 foe to come to Omaha since Oregon State in 2006. Flanery is 7-1 all-time against Pac-12 opponents (4-0 vs. Oregon State, 2-1 vs. Colorado, 1-0 vs. Washington).
- Creighton is in its second year in the Big East after spending 21 seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference (for women’s sports). Utah is in its fourth season in the Pac-12 after 12 seasons in the Mountain West Conference. Creighton and Utah were conference mates for five seasons between 1987-92, first in the High Country Athletic Conference, then in the Western Athletic Conference.
- Utah leads the all-time series with Creighton 7-5. The last time these teams met, Creighton topped Utah in the 1992 WAC Tournament title game. That proved to be Creighton’s final WAC contest, as it moved to the MVC the following season.
- Creighton’s only non-conference home loss last year came to Utah-based BYU.