2 - Creighton University Bluejays

®
WNIT Teams
2003-04 Creighton Bluejays 2004-05 Creighton Bluejays
Back Row: Lucy Lapito, Deanna Castro, Codi Walker, Brandy Bush, Christy
Neneman, Laura Spanheimer, Dayna Finch, Sarah Vrbicky.
Front Row: Jen Rochelle, Amy Hoffman, Angie Janis, Christy Erickson, Sara
Hildebrand, Kristi Woodard.
2004 WNIT Champions
24-9 Overall • 15-3 MVC (2nd)
Creighton capped its 2003-04 season with a five-game winning streak in the WNIT
to claim the first national postseason tournament title by any athletic program in
school history. The 73-52 throttling of UNLV in front of a rowdy Civic Auditorium
crowd concluded one of the most successful seasons in school history. The Jays
finished with a 24-9 record for the second straight year, while becoming the first
team in Missouri Valley Conference history to win at least 24 games in three consecutive
campaigns. Head Coach Jim Flanery improved his record to 48-18, tying
the best two-year start by a coach in league history. The Jays went 12-1 at home,
while their 28-game home winning streak in conference play came to an end as the
second-longest such streak in MVC history. The amazing run in the WNIT was led
by tournament MVP Christy Neneman. The senior closed her career by averaging
15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per tournament game. Dayna Finch and
Laura Spanheimer joined Neneman on the all-tournament team. Finch led the
team with 17.0 points per WNIT game, sinking 14 three-pointers in the five wins.
Spanheimer averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per WNIT contest.
The Jays made 44 three-point field goals and shot 89.9 percent (71-79) at the freethrow
line during its five-game championship run. Creighton opened the WNIT on
the road with wins at Colorado State and Washington before returning home for the
final three rounds of the tournament. The Jays rallied for a come-from-behind win
over Oregon State in the quarterfinals, built a 72-51 lead over Richmond in their 81-
72 semifinal victory and then cruised past UNLV in the championship game.
Neneman and Spanheimer each earned first-team all-MVC recognition, while
Finch was tabbed to the honorable-mention squad. Spanheimer was also named
the MVC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and earned
all-defensive team honors for the third time. Finch and Spanheimer repeated on
the MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team and Finch was tabbed the MVC Scholar-
Athlete of the Year. For the third consecutive season, the Bluejays set a school
record for three-pointers made with 260 treys. They ranked third in the NCAA in
three-pointers per game and ranked among the NCAA elite in fewest turnovers per
game (11th) and steals per game (29th). Finch finished seventh in the NCAA in
three-pointers per game and established MVC records with 294 career three-pointers
on 766 career attempts. Spanheimer became just the second Bluejay player
to record 100 steals in a season. Kristi Woodard set a school record and led the
MVC by shooting 89.2 percent (66-74) from the free-throw line. Four different
Bluejays earned MVC Player of the Week recognition during the season; Finch,
Neneman, Spanheimer and Woodard. The Jays were rewarded for their championship
season with a reception on April 18 as Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey proclaimed
the day “2004 Women’s National Invitation Tournament Champion
Creighton Women’s Basketball Day”. Nebraska State Senator John Synowiecki
also recognized each player and coach for their achievement.
Back Row: Sara Cain, Codi Walker, Christy Erickson, Amy Hoffman, Angie
Janis, Jen Rochelle, Brandy Bush.
Front Row: Kristi Woodard, Laura Spanheimer, Tyrai Bronson, Ally Thrall,
Sarah Vrbicky, Lucy Lapito, Deanna Castro.
19-10 Overall • 13-5 MVC (T-2nd)
The Bluejays continued CU’s record run on the national postseason scene, appearing
in their third straight WNIT. The Jays jumped out to their best start since the
1993-94 season, opening the year 12-3, while their 6-0 conference start was their
best since that same 1994 squad. Creighton had won eight straight games after a
4-3 start, but had their longest winning streak under head coach Jim Flanery
snapped at Missouri State on Jan. 23. In that game, the Jays lost starting forward
Christy Erickson to injury for the rest of the season. The Bluejays were once again
powerful at home, going 12-3 at the Civic. After an 8-1 run through the first half of
conference play, which included four wins by five-points or less, they limped to a 5-
4 Valley finish and lost in the quarterfinals of the MVC tournament for the second
straight season. The Bluejays’ season ended at Iowa in the first round of the WNIT.
The Jays played close games all season, setting a school record by playing in four
overtime games. The team set a school record with 130 blocked shots and a 75.3
free-throw percentage. They ranked in the NCAA top 25 in free-throw percentage
(16th), fewest turnovers per game (20th), three-point field goals per game (21st)
and points per game (22nd). Laura Spanheimer and Angie Janis both earned firstteam
all-MVC and first-team academic all-MVC honors. Spanheimer was also
named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and set the school and MVC career
record with 369 steals and became the first player in league history to earn alldefensive
team honors four times. Janis led the team with 19.1 points per game,
just the fifth Bluejay player to average better than 19 points in a season.
®
2004 Postseason Women’s
National Invitation Tournament
March 17-19 March 17-19
March 19-22
March 19-22
Pepperdine 59
March 24-25
March 24-25
59 Idaho State
at Washington Washington 69
71 Iowa State
at Iowa State
7:30pm 3/19
March 26-28
March 26-28
6:00pm 3/17
Washington 71 at Washington Creighton 74
66 Iowa State at Iowa State 72 Iowa State
3:00pm 3/21
7:00pm Fri. 3/19
Creighton 79
March 30- April 2
77 Miami (Ohio)
at Colorado State Creighton 74
57 Miami (Ohio)
at Xavier
7:00pm 3/19
7:00pm 3/17
Creighton 81
59 Iowa State
at Creighton
Colorado State 68
7:00pm 3/24
at Iowa State
65 Xavier
Thur. 3/25 TBD
Drake 60
56 George Mason
at Nebraska Nebraska 67
Creighton
Creighton,
72
73
61 Seton Hall
at Seton Hall
7:05pm 3/18
7:00pm 3/18
Nebraska 73 at Nebraska Oregon State 64
58 Saint Joseph’s
61 Seton Hall
7:05pm 3/22
at Saint Joseph’s
3/21
Gonzaga 64
51 Kent State
at Oregon State Oregon State 75
68 ot Saint Joseph’s at Saint Joseph’s
7:00pm 3/19
at Creighton
Creighton
7:00pm 3/19
1:00pm 3/27
Oregon State 69
CHAMPION
at Iowa State
61 Saint Joseph’s
Sun. 3/28 2pm
W. Michigan 63
at Creighton
78 Cincinnati
at Louisville W. Michigan 85 ot
7:00pm 3/30
104 W. Kentucky
at W. Kentucky
7:00pm 3/18
7:00pm 3/19
Louisville 61 at W. Michigan W. Michigan 57
UNLV, 53 UNLV 52 75 W. Kentucky
80 ot W. Kentucky
at W. Kentucky
6:00pm Sun. 3/21
1:30pm 3/21
Charlotte 78
64 Tulsa
at Clemson
Charlotte 83
87 Memphis
at Memphis
7:00pm 3/17
Richmond 72
65 UNLV
7:00pm 3/18
Clemson 71
at W. Michigan
at UNLV
66 Memphis
7:00pm 3/24
7:30pm 3/24
S. Florida 55
All game times are according to host
59 Rice
at Richmond Richmond 84
school’s time zone.
66 Rice at Arkansas State
7:00pm 3/18
7:00pm 3/18
Richmond 63
Richmond 63
at Richmond
78 UNLV
52 Arkansas State
2:00pm Sun. 3/21
at UNLV
TBD Sun. 3/21
Florida State 67
47 Arizona State
at S. Alabama Florida State 77
68 UNLV
at UNLV
7:00pm 3/17
7:30pm 3/18
S. Alabama 61
50 UNLV
92