Without a home, Mavs blazing a trail and making history.

Somewhere around Omaha, the Omaha Mavericks baseball team are making due with what they have. Cold and snow altered a big chunk of the start to the year.

Now, after six home games, the Mavs have played in three different ballparks around town, none of which are their usual Seymour Smith Park. They have made a home of Millard North High School, Creighton Prep High School, and Skutt Catholic High School.

But it has not stopped Omaha from rolling. The Mavericks have won ten straight, their longest winning streak since moving up to division 1, and highlighted it with a record-setting 26-0 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mavs potent offense has outscored their opponents 72-18 in that stretch.

The offense is highlighted by Parker Smejkal, who is batting .412 and recorded Omaha's first grand slam in over a year as part of the rout over Purdue Fort Wayne.

The starting rotation has been equally impressive, with multiple Mavs hurlers garnering Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors, but none has been more impressive than senior Payton Kinney. Kinney (5-0) has recorded a blistering ERA of 0.69 in 39 innings of work.

Omaha will hit the road after their much-needed home stretch, visiting Wichita State Tuesday. They will then return home for another 4-game home stand: a three game series against Western Illinois before a midweek game against Creighton. The games will be at another two venues; Seymour Smith and Werner Park, bringing the total number of home fields for Omaha to 5.

State of Nebraska Postpones Baseball's Opening Day

Today was supposed to be the Home Openers for Nebraska and Creighton, but with the forecasted weather, their games against Omaha and Northern Colorado were canceled over a week ago.

Today's high temperature in Omaha is 19 degrees. There is still more than 6 inches of snow covering all grass, with a forecast of 3-6 inches of snow between Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Here's how home games are faring in the Northern Midwest:


Kansas: Feb 20 vs Omaha (Canceled)
Kansas State: March 1 vs. San Francisco (Relocated to Fort Worth, TX)
Creighton: March 5 vs. Northern Colorado (Canceled)
Nebraska: March 5 vs. Omaha (Postponed)
Iowa: March 6 vs. Simpson College (Canceled)
Kansas State: March 8 vs. Old Dominion (As Scheduled)
Omaha: March 15 vs. North Dakota State (As Scheduled)
Michigan: March 15 vs. Manhattan (As Scheduled)


Other Notes:

• South Dakota State will play their first home game against Dakota State on April 3rd.

• North Dakota State will play their first home game against Purdue Fort Wayne on April 5th.

• Minnesota will play their first home game against Nebraska on March 29th

• After canceling their home opener against Omaha, Kansas will play their first home game against Baylor on March 29th.

• Michigan State will play their first home game against Central Michigan on March 20th.

End of Regular Season for Jays is Historic, Bittersweet

Creighton Coach Jim Flanery hugs senior Audrey Faber after their game Sunday

Creighton Stuns, Hangs On to Upset #13 Marquette

The Creighton Bluejays could not have asked for a better start to their weekend. Entering Friday, Creighton was sitting at 7-9 in conference, and on the wrong side of their postseason hopes. In front of them was Marquette, who had just clinched a share of the Big East championship, and was looking for their first outright championship since 2000.

That didn't stop Creighton from exploding to the tune of a 20-0 run across the 1st and 2nd quarters against the #13 team in the nation, on their way to a 71-65 victory in DJ Sokol Arena. The run was highlighted by a stretch in which the Jays hit their first 8 shots in the paint to offset the hot start that Marquette had, hitting their first 3 shots from long range.

"[Marquette] didn't help as much on the dribble, we were able to finish without that help coming," said Jim Flanery after the game.

That large cushion softened the impact of 16 second-half turnovers for Creighton, which allowed Marquette to fight back, bringing the final score to a 6-point victory for the Bluejays.

Marquette would end up playing without two key players: Erika Davenport is out for the season after suffering an injury against Butler, and Danielle King fell hard and awkward early in the 4th quarter, and was carried back to the locker room by a trainer.

Turnovers, DePaul Spoil Senior Day

The turnover troubles continued for Creighton into Sunday, when they committed another 21 turnovers and allowed DePaul to come back, despite holding a lead for the first 33 minutes, and leading by as many as 13 points in the 3rd quarter.

Creighton found creative ways to keep DePaul in the game, including traveling, carry, over and back, 3-seconds, and 5-seconds (twice).

Audrey Faber scored 20 points and recorded 5 assists in what will likely be her final game in Omaha. Temi Carda provided fire off the bench with 15 points and 7 rebounds.


Noteworthy

• Friday's victory was the first in Creighton's history over a top-15 team. Creighton was 0-18 against top-15 opponents going into the game.
• The team has come a long way since their 5-game losing streak, and the coach and players have displayed a noticeably different attitude recently.
• The attendance for Senior Day (1,148) was the highest since their game against in-state rival Nebraska (1,533), which was also a sibling rivalry between Brook and Taylor Kissinger.
• Creighton locked in the 6-seed for the Big East tournament, winning the tiebreaker over Providence.

Path to Summit Tournament Easier, Not Easy, Down the Stretch for Omaha

After a brutal start to conference play, which included a 9-game conference losing streak, a victory over Purdue Fort Wayne on Senior Day has reenergized the Mavericks going into their final stretch.

Behind them now are South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Western Illinois. The last three games are winnable against North Dakota State (6-19, 3-10 Summit), Oral Roberts (15-12, 8-6), and Denver (14-11, 7-5).

"We needed to [beat Fort Wayne] at home, it keeps the season alive as far as what we are playing for" said Omaha coach Brittany Lange after the game. The victory moved Omaha into a tie for the final spot in the Summit League Tournament. The last-placed team in the standings will not qualify for the 8-team postseason. North Dakota's addition to the Summit League created a 9-member conference this season.

"It was a must win."

Looking ahead, there are 3 teams fighting for the last two spots in the conference.



Omaha (8-18, 2-11)
The Mavericks have a tough but winnable stretch in front of them, but the biggest disadvantage when trying to qualify for the postseason is that all games are on the road.

Games Remaining:
@ North Dakota State (6-19, 3-10)

• The most winnable game remaining, and the best shot the Mavs have at moving up from 8th to 7th in league play, which is not nothing, but still a steep battle over either South Dakota or South Dakota State come conference play. A win would guarantee that Omaha owns the tiebreak over NDSU, all but securing a spot in the postseason.

@ Oral Roberts (15-12, 8-6)

• Oral Roberts has won 5 of their past 7, and will be coming off a 4-game road swing before hosting Omaha to end the regular season. Oral Roberts will be jockeying for position from 3-5 in the Conference Tournament over their final 2 games.

@ Denver (14-11, 7-5)

• In a similar boat with Oral Roberts, Denver is fighting to move up as high as #3 in the standings, with a home game against Western Illinois ahead of them. It's possible they leave it all on the floor against WIU and will be gassed against Omaha two days later.

Purdue Fort Wayne (6-19, 2-11)
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the back stretch with the easiest schedule of the bottom three, but may be running out of energy sitting on a 5 game losing streak under interim Head Coach Marcie Alberts while Niecee Nelson is on administrative leave.

Games Remaining:
@ South Dakota State (20-6, 12-1)

• A throwaway game in which Purdue Fort Wayne just hopes they can stay healthy enough to compete in the last two.

VS. North Dakota (10-16, 5-8)
VS. North Dakota State (6-19, 3-10)

• Two very winnable home games close out their season, but Fort Wayne will still need a tie-breaker to land in their favor, as they lost to North Dakota State by 16 to start conference play back in December. Fort Wayne is also catching North Dakota on a favorable date, a Thursday afternoon after an extended stay at home for UND, it will be the Fighting Hawks' first road game in 19 days.

North Dakota State
A win for North Dakota State against either Omaha OR Purdue Fort Wayne will gain invaluable separation from the bottom of the conference. As long as the team stays healthy through the South Dakota wood chipper, the Bison have to be satisfied with their spot; a 1-game lead and in complete control of their own destiny.

Games Remaining:
VS. Omaha (8-18, 2-11)
@ South Dakota (23-3, 11-1)
@ Purdue Fort Wayne (6-19, 2-11)

Record Crowd Highlights #EveryoneForOmaha

Omaha, NE - The buzz was noticeably different around Baxter Arena last night. Pulling up to the arena 45 minutes early, there was a line of cars never seen before for a basketball game at Baxter. Multiple police cruisers directed traffic to specific parking lots, where in other games it was simply first come, first serve no matter the direction you came in.

The concourse was loud, with fans mulling about in palpable anticipation for the game about to be put on display. This was not your everyday Mavericks game, and a far cry from their home opener in November; a glorified practice against Buena Vista due to road conditions preventing thousands of school children from making the trip.

The announced crowd of 4,228 made their voices hear early and often, but the 2nd half reached another level of support.

South Dakota State got an early jump on the Mavs and ran out to an early lead thanks to 20 first half points from Mike Daum, whose ability to score from anywhere on the floor made defending him a challenge for Matt Pile and backup Brett Barney.

"Daum in the first half got the ball in all the sweet spots we talked about for the past 3 days," said Coach Derrin Hansen after the game. "The second half he got the ball a little bit farther away."

With the defense more focused on Daum in the 2nd half, South Dakota Stayed keyed on sophomore shooter David Jenkins to keep the Mavs at bay. Jenkins scored 25 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, and finished the day shooting 10-for-15 from long range.

But it was a full team effort that brought Omaha back in it. Four Mavericks scored in double figures in the 2nd half alone, led by Matt Pile and KJ Robinson, who each netted 13 points. An 18-0 run erased a 16-point deficit, and the Mavericks and Jackrabbits traded blows for the final 14 minutes of the game, seeing all of the game's 13 lead changes after that run.

Mike Daum drove and drew a foul with 5 seconds left, sinking both free throws to take an 84-83 lead before Mitch Hahn made his game winning drive.

"My first thought was to shoot a pull-up 3, then Matt [Pile] said 'we need to get to the rim.' Against South Dakota State in the championship game [2 years ago] we shot a deep three...we can't do the same thing twice. [Alex] Arians did a good job of cutting me off, the only thing he gave me was the shot I had to take."

After the game, students rushed the floor to congratulate the Mavs, who were all more than happy to high-five every last fan on their way to the locker room.

The Young and the Hopeless: Winless Teams in NCAAW

We are now two months deep into basketball season, and the non-conference chapter has all but closed. Sitting pretty at the moment are 3 undefeated teams: Louisville, NC State, and Ohio.

But we're not here to talk about them. Scroll down the list for a while and you will come to the other side of Division 1.

In the Division 1 basement are four winless teams: Coppin State (0-13), Tennessee State (0-14), Chicago State (0-14), and Seattle (0-15).

The dishonorable mentions are teams with wins ONLY over non-D1 opponents: Southern (3-9), Alabama State (1-11), Eastern Kentucky (2-11), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-5), Delaware State (2-10), McNeese (2-11), and Charleston Southern (3-9).

We will get an opportunity to look at all these teams in the Division 1 Basement.

Coppin State (0-13)

HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: 2013-14
Last D1 Win: January 29, 2018 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
Current D1 Losing Streak: 22 Games

Coppin State is an HBCU that is part of the University System of Maryland, which includes UMBC and Maryland, College Park. Nine of the Eagles' first 10 games were on the road, including Maryland, West Virginia, Mississippi State, and Minnesota.

Winnable Games Remaining:

January 7 @ Delaware State (2-10)
January 26 vs. Florida A&M (2-11)
February 2 vs. Morgan State (2-13)
February 25 vs. Delaware State (2-10)

Tennessee State (0-14)

HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: 2014-15
Last D1 Win: February 17, 2018 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Current D1 Losing Streak: 16 Games

Tennessee State has played moderately respectable considering their record, including scoring 73 points on the road against DePaul. Unfortunately, the Ohio Valley Conference looks to be halfway decent top to bottom, so wins will still be a struggle.

Winnable Games Remaining:
January 10 vs. Eastern Kentucky (2-11)
February 9 @ Eastern Kentucky

Chicago State (0-14)

HBCU: No
Last Winning Season: 2010-11
Last D1 Win: February 8 @ Utah Valley
Current D1 Losing Streak: 20 Games

Chicago State may not have the longest active losing streak, but they are about as low as Division 1 can possibly get. The Cougars have won just 1 game in their last 80 tries stretching back to the end of the 2015-16 season, which includes a 59-game losing streak from 2016 to 2018.

Winnable Games Remaining:

January 24 @ Seattle (0-15)
February 7 vs Cal Baptist (6-8)
February 23 vs Seattle

Seattle (0-15)

HBCU: No
Last Winning Season: 2017-18
Last D1 Win: March 10 vs. CSU Bakersfield
Current D1 Losing Streak: 16 Games

Seattle has fallen hard since their NCAA Tournament appearance last season, which was quite an upset in its own right. The Redhawks were forced to replace four of their top 6 players from last season, including their best two. A challenging slate including Arizona and Washington hasn't helped, either.

Winnable Games Remaining:
January 24 vs. Chicago State (0-14)
January 26 vs. UMKC (7-7)
February 23 @ Chicago State
February 28 vs. Cal Baptist (6-8)


Winless Honorable Mention

Southern (3-9)
HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: 2017-18
Last D1 Win: March 9, 2018 vs. Prairie View A&M
Current D1 Losing Streak: 10 Games
Quick Note: Also lost to NAIA Dillard

Alabama State (1-11)
HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: 2015-16
Last D1 Win: February 17, 2018 vs. Southern
Current D1 Losing Streak: 17 Games

Eastern Kentucky (2-11)
HBCU: No
Last Winning Season: 2015-16
Last D1 Win: February 10, 2018 vs. Morehead State
Current D1 Losing Streak: 15 Games

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-5)
HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: Unknown, ESPN only goes back to 2002, UAPB website to 2011.
Last D1 Win: March 3, 2018 vs. Mississippi Valley State
Current D1 Losing Streak: 5 Games
Note: Also lost to NAIA Philander Smith

Delaware State (2-10)
HBCU: Yes
Last Winning Season: 2007-08
Last D1 Win: March 1, 2018 vs. Morgan State
Current D1 Losing Streak: 11 Games

McNeese (2-11)
HBCU: No
Last Winning Season: 2015-16
Last D1 Win: February 28, 2018 vs. Texas A&M-CC
Current D1 Losing Streak: 12 Games
Note: Also lost to NAIA LSU-Alexandria

Charleston Southern (3-9)
HBCU: No
Last Winning Season: 2016-17
Last D1 Win: March 8, 2018 vs. Longwood
Current D1 Losing Streak: 10 Games

Villanova Wins Slugfest over Creighton, 54-52

If this was a boxing match, it would be a split decision. The low-scoring battle meant points were at a premium for Villanova (10-3, 2-1 Big East) and Creighton (7-7, 1-2).

 Creighton opened up the game outscoring the Wildcats 18-11 on the back of Audrey Faber’s 12 points. Creighton was also the aggressor off the dribble, getting to the paint 12 times with 9 shots in the paint, compared to Villanova’s 8 and 4, respectively. That ability to attack the rim worked in tandem with the Bluejays’ outside shooting, as Creighton connected on 4 of 8 three-point attempts in the first period, hitting 3 of 5 when the shots came within their system. Villanova played flat for the entire first period, hitting just 1 of 8 from long range.

In the second round (quarter), Villanova and Creighton switched roles, with Villanova hitting their threes (3 of 5 in the 2^nd quarter) and doing a better job of getting to the paint (12 paint touches to CU’s 9, 9 shots in the paint to CU’s 4). With that effort, the Wildcats took a 30-29 lead into the break.

The 3^rd round saw Creighton come out of the locker room all out of sorts, with multiple bad passes early as the team failed to click. The Jays resettled and battled to a 13-12 lead in the quarter, tying the game up at 42 apiece heading into the decisive final round. Creighton left their hands down when Villanova guard Raven James had the ball, encouraging her to shoot from long range. James was able to connect once in the 2^nd, and once in the 3^rd to help keep Villanova in it.

The 4^th quarter was another back-and-forth round, with multiple errors from both teams coming in the last few minutes as Creighton tried to claw back, and Villanova tried to hold on. The ability for Villanova to score down low keyed the victory in the decisive 4^th. Creighton was held the just 3 baskets on 10 shots, while Villanova hit 5 shots and was able to kill clock with three offensive rebounds. A last second shot never transpired for Creighton as the buzzer sounded while they were still bringing the ball up the floor.

In the first half, Creighton was able to find the shots they were looking for, shooting 9 total three pointers that came in-system. In the second half, the shots they were looking for were much harder to come by, as they attempted just 4 three-pointers that came in system in the second half.

Creighton was led by Audrey Faber (20 points, 4 assists) and Temi Carda (10 points, 10 rebounds). Carda recorded her 2^nd career double-double, and first of the 2018-19 season.

Villanova saw three players reach double figures, and benefitted from solid bench play, as two starters finished the game with zero points. The Wildcats were led by Mary Gedaka (14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Adrianna Hahn (11 points, 6 rebounds).

Creighton returns to action on Sunday when they host Georgetown. Villanova will continue their road swing with a trip to Providence on Sunday.

Omaha Downs North Dakota State, 90-77

North Dakota State was hot in the 2nd half during a late run, but it was far too little, far too late as the Omaha Mavericks (8-8, 2-1 Summit) coasted to a 90-77 win over the Bison (6-10, 1-2).

“That was a good old-fashioned butt-whooping” said NDSU Head Coach David Richman after the game, as Omaha reached out to a 26 point lead at one point in the second half. “We have some youth going through their first road experience, and we played like that.” NDSU junior forward Deng Geu came off the bench and had a big offensive impact, scoring 14 points in 16 minutes and collecting three offensive rebounds. “[Deng] was good from a scoring standpoint, but too many turnovers. When you turn the ball over against a team like Omaha, that really compounds itself since they’re so electric on the open floor.”

“I’m very proud of our guys from their bounce back [from a close loss to Oral Roberts]…I really thought our guys refocused tonight,” said Omaha Head Coach Derrin Hansen. The Mavericks struggled against Oral Roberts on the glass, recording just 5 first-half rebounds in their last game.

One-Two Punch

Omaha’s Mitch Hahn exploded out of the gate, netting 10 points in the first four minutes of action, to the delight of a sizeable section of Fremont High School students in the crowd supporting one of their former stars. The senior finished the day with 20 points.

Silenced over the first 18 minutes action, sophomore Matt Pile scored all 19 of his points in his final 17 minutes on the floor, owning the offensive glass (7 total offensive rebounds) on the way to his 5th double-double of the season. Hahn and Pile are tied atop the list of active Mavs players with 6 career double-doubles each.

Ball Control

Omaha’s 7 turnovers matches their season-low, and marks 7 of their past 8 games with fewer than 10 turnovers.

Coaching Stats

Here are the stats that I kept track of that don’t show up in a box score.

* Settled 3s: Three Point attempts not in-system. Settled Looks
* Rhythm 3s: Three Point Attempts in-system, either from a pass or a good pull-up.

In the 2nd half, Omaha extended their lead by getting to the paint, finishing at the rim, and drawing fouls. Omaha shot 14 free throws in the 2nd half, compared to NDSU's 4. The Mavs drew 11 fouls in the 2nd half, and finished with 30 points in the paint. This made the difference when North Dakota State really started to heat up from long range, giving Omaha a big cushion to survive easily.

Preview: Omaha hosts Bradley on Kids Day at Sapp Fieldhouse

Game time: 12 PM CT

Location: Sapp Fieldhouse, Omaha, NE

Watch: Live Stream

HuskerGeek Rankings:
Omaha: 312
Bradley: 121

Scouting Omaha

Omaha comes into the game with a 5-4 record, with most wins coming over the bottom of the Division 1 pool. Their defense, and ability to slow the game down, look to be their strong suits.

Omaha ranks 42nd nationally allowing just 55.8 PPG. Conversely, they rank 264th nationally averaging just 59.9 PPG themselves. Omaha is led in scoring by junior guard Rayanna Carter (10.2 PPG), but look for sophomore guard Claire Killian to try to find as many open looks from long distance as possible. Killian is shooting a team-low 20% from beyond the arc, but is leading the team in attempts from long range.

Freshmen power duo Elena Pilakouta and Josie Filer lead the team in rebounding, but a total team effort in attacking the glass contributes to Omaha's +5.4 rebounding margin. Seven players on the roster average 2.9+ rebounds per game.

Omaha is a point-by-committee roster, with six players recording more than 10 assists so far this season, led by forward Elena Pilakouta's 22. Additionally, everyone is contributing in the paint, with four players recording 5+ blocks so far this season.

Look for Omaha to hope this game stays in the 50's in order to come out on top.

Scouting Bradley

Bradley enters today's game as one of 18 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division 1. The Braves find their success at a much faster pace than Omaha, ranking 59th nationally at 75.6 PPG.

They are led by an impressive duo of freshman Lasha Petree (16.7 PPG) and sophomore Gabi Haack (16.4 PPG). The two account for 36 of Bradley's 42 made 3-pointers this season. The Braves will try to play up tempo and get Omaha's bigs either in foul trouble, or off the floor for a breather.

Bradley's strength of schedule has been weak so far, and Omaha is not exactly an exception.

How to Win

Omaha MUST slow the game down. They do not have the transition speed to keep up with Bradley. Extended possessions, offensive rebounds, and limiting the damage from long range will keep Omaha in this game. Second chance points are a must.

Bradley will win if they get to 65 points. Any pace will prevent Omaha's young players from getting settled into defense, creating open looks from long range as well as lanes to the basket. In two fewer games, Bradley has attempted 27 more free throws, and is shooting significantly better from the field.

Prediction: Bradley 72-58

Mavericks Sweep Jackrabbits, prepare for Coyotes

A balanced attack helped lead the Omaha Mavericks past the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 25-21, 25-18, 25-21 Friday night at the Sapp Fieldhouse.

"It's been a trademark of ours this entire year to have multiple hitters that are doing well and we try to spread the love as much as possible," said Coach Shires after the game. "I think that needs to continue for us to be successful."

Sophomores Isabella Sade and Anna Blaschko hit an identical .571 with 9 kills on 14 swings. Freshman Sadie Limback led the Mavericks with 13 kills hitting .524 on 21 swings. Freshman setter Sydney Case had her hand in 42 total points, recording two assisted blocks and a kill to go along with her game-high 39 assists.

Freshman Sadie Limback paced the Mavs with 13 kills.

South Dakota State (4-21, 1-11) never let Omaha pull away, and had a three point lead late in the third set. The Jacks were led by junior Makenzie Hennen, who recorded a game-high 14 kills on 31 swings, troubling Omaha all night.

"[South Dakota State] hasn't won a lot of games, but they're a team that comes at you and comes at you. I don't think that there was one time where I felt that they were giving in. We just had to stay mentally tough."

Makenzie Hennen led both teams with 14 kills.

Due to the Mavericks hockey game being played at the usual home, Baxter Arena, the volleyball match was moved to the much more intimate Sapp Fieldhouse. Despite a below-average attendance of 355, the packed-in crowd was on top of the game all evening.

"It is tremendous home court advantage playing at the Sapp." -Omaha Head Coach Rose Shires

"I love playing at the Sapp. Baxter is a phenomenal facility, but the crowd is so involved, right on top of the court, and it is a tremendous home court advantage playing at the Sapp."


Freshmen are Key

The Freshmen duo of setter Sydney Case and OH Sadie Limback are absolutely dynamic. In the front row they connected with each other about 20 times, and their serving styles complement each other perfectly. Case prefers methodical location to potentially pull a setter out of system; Limback prefers to hammer the ball as hard as physically possible and force serve-receive to react appropriately.

A for Effort

South Dakota State brought a very small bench to the game. While Omaha has 17 total players on their roster, SDSU brought just 16 people to Omaha in total, including 12 players and 4 coaches. Three of the six players on the SDSU bench were assigned to holding clipboards.

Despite the numbers, SDSU fought hard all match, and Omaha was never able to completely pull away in any set.

Looking Ahead

The Mavericks are set to host the South Dakota Coyotes Sunday afternoon, in a match up that will have important seeding implications for the Summit League tournament in Denver. Both teams are tied at 10-3 overall in the conference with just 3 games remaining.

"South Dakota is really playing well. [Second place in the standings] is very important to us, and we're going to have to block very well."

The match for Omaha's senior day Sunday afternoon is set for 1 PM Central Time in Baxter Arena.

Reporting on Creighton, October 27, 2018

Approximately 30 games populate my list of college basketball games to cover this season. This past Saturday, while being only the second of the year, may just be the biggest.

The Creighton men's basketball program ranked 5th nationally in attendance last season, behind Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. For that reason I never even considered requesting media credentials last year, but seeing as my personal schedule was open for the evening, I decided to give this exhibition a shot.

I've covered local teams plenty now: Creighton women's basketball, Omaha Mavericks men's and women's basketball, Omaha volleyball, and NAIA College of Saint Mary women's basketball. I hoped that having covered Creighton before may help.

On game day, I had to sprint from a basketball game I was coaching to get to the arena in time for the game. I've been to the CHI Health Center a hundred times, but never underneath, so I had no clue where I was going. I had to ask staff every hundred feet or so if my pass was supposed to let me go this direction.

I found my way to the media room and grabbed a few slices of pizza and a soda and got to work on the Live Blog on Reddit.

I also walked out to the arena floor, trying to look casual while seeing if I was given a spot at the media table. Fortunately they gave me one.

The atmosphere on the floor is just something else. I'm used to sitting a decent distance up and looking down on the players in the CHI Health Center, but looking up at the crowd (listed favorably as 15,804) was quite spectacular.

The location of the post-game press conference is in a different location, down a different hallway from the media room.

After the conference I had to walk out through the crowd of Winona State parents and fans greeting their players, which offered me an opportunity to say hi to a player I know personally who is from Omaha.

Also, here is an additional picture of me and my dad with Coach Greg McDermott on their trip to North Texas while I was a graduate manager there. UNT won 62-58 to start a nine game losing streak for the Blue Jays.

Cold Shooting, Sydney Mortensen Conspire to Sink Flames

A hot start by Kansas Wesleyan deflated the College of Saint Mary Flames early, and the Coyotes cruised to a 79-63 win at the Lied Fitness Center Friday afternoon.

A stifling press and an effective inside-out game caught the Flames off guard early and put them in a whole from which they could not recover. KWU senior Sydney Mortensen shot a red hot 4 of 6 from long range in the first half as the Coyotes built a commanding 42-22 lead, despite committing more turnovers in the half (11 to CSM's 8).

Freshman Veronica Kobza was the lone bright spot in the first half for the Flames, leading the team at the break with 10 points and providing respite from free throw woes, hitting all 3 of her freebies.

The tide turned a bit coming out of half time, with the Flames pushing tempo, and junior Lynsey Curran igniting her offense with 9 points in a span of just a few minutes. Curran finished the day leading the Flames in points with 14, all of which came in the second half. At several points throughout the 3rd period, the lead was cut to just twelve, breathing life into the bench and the crowd, but KWU's Sydney Mortensen was there to kill runs every step of the way.

CSM's Lynsey Curran scored all 14 of her points in the 2nd half

Mortensen finished the day with 23 points thanks to 7-for-11 shooting from long range.

I See You

Flames Freshman Veronica Kobza provided some much needed depth, recording 26 minutes off the bench for a team that is almost exclusively run by the senior class.

Sydney Mortensen was left open most of the day, contributing to her 23 point effort.

KWU's Sydney Mortensen led all scorers with 23 points

Injury Report

Flames junior Alleigh Gates fell hard in the 3rd quarter, landing on her head. She did not return to the game after that.


Up Next

CSM takes a short road trip to face Bellevue University just a few miles south of campus on Monday.

KWU will have their first home game of the season on Tuesday as they host #13 Hasting College.

College of Saint Mary to host Kansas Wesleyan Friday Afternoon

Game Info

Where: Lied Fitness Center, Omaha, NE
When: 2 PM CT, Friday, October 26
Watch: Live Stream available at tip-off

The College of Saint Mary Flames hit the ground running to start their NAIA season, the first under new head coach Kirk Walker. Friday's game against Kansas Wesleyan will be the Flames' second game in as many days, having dropped their season opener to Bethany College Thursday evening.

The Flames have four games scheduled in the first 7 days of the season as the get themselves prepared for a long year in the GPAC. Twelve games scheduled this year are against GPAC opponents ranked in the top 16 nationally at the NAIA Division 2 level, with four contests total against the top two: Concordia (NE) and Dakota Wesleyan. The 22-game conference slate begins November 7 at #11 Morningside.

Thursday's game was a tough battle that ended in a 64-59 loss to Bethany.

Scouting CSM

The Flames are absolutely loaded with experience. Nine seniors, four juniors, and a single freshman make up the CSM roster. There is certainly hope that CSM can capitalize on that experience this season and see more success than their 5-25 2017-18 campaign.

It was a team effort that kept the game close against (Received Votes) Bethany College; Ashley Nelson led the team with 4 steals, Corryne Millet led the team with 15 points, and the Flames forced 27 total turnovers on the day to make up for being out-rebounded 37-23.

Scouting KWU

The Coyotes dropped a 67-55 decision to perennial GPAC cellar-dweller Doane Thursday night in Crete, NE. The victory for Doane snapped a seven game losing streak dating back to last season. The Coyotes sport a 25-player roster, and it is too early to tell how many make the trip to Omaha.

Accepting the Challenge

College of Saint Mary has an absolutely brutal schedule this year. Along with 12 conference games against ranked foes, the Flames will play (RV) Bethany College, (RV) Bellevue University, NCAA Division 2 Northwest Missouri State, NCAA Division 1 South Dakota, and NCAA Division 2 Nebraska Wesleyan.

Seventeen of the 31 games on their schedule are against either ranked, receiving votes, or NCAA programs, with the only true respite coming on Halloween against NCCAA foe Nebraska Christian, whom the Flames crushed 78-41 last season.