Creighton women’s basketball head coach Jim Flanery awoke at 2:20 a.m. Monday with worry that would not allow him to fall back asleep. Over five months of practices, a tough nonconference schedule and an overall record of 24-7 were on the line Monday when the NCAA selection committee announced the 64-team field for the 2013 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

A 64-61 overtime loss to Illinois State University Saturday ruined Creighton’s opportunity to control its own destiny and claim an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

Monday, the Bluejays could only sit in D.J. Sokol Arena with the Blue Crew, cheerleaders, pep band, family and fans and watch their fate be revealed. The Bluejays were projected to be among the final four teams in the field, but a bid into the NCAA Tournament is no guarantee without a conference tournament title.

The Norfolk, Spokane and Bridgeport regions were announced. No Bluejays.

The pairings in the top half of the Oklahoma City region were revealed. Still no Bluejays.

Only two pairings remained: a 7-10 and a 2-15 matchup to be played in Knoxville, Tenn.

“I knew we weren’t going to be a two- or a 15-[seed],” Flanery noted afterward.

In the most unpredictable of moments, Flanery’s prediction was spot on.

D.J. Sokol Arena burst in a mixture of overwhelming joy and intense relief when Creighton (24-7, 15-3 MVC) was announced as the last 10-seed in the second-to-last pairing with 7-seed Syracuse (24-7, 11-5 Big East). The game is scheduled to tipoff in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday at 10:20 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

Monday marked Creighton’s second at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Flanery credits earning the at-large bid to his aggressive approach of scheduling difficult nonconference opponents.

Creighton collected three victories this season against NCAA Tournament teams with wins against the University of Nebraska, the University South Florida and South Dakota State University. In all, the Bluejays played five NCAA Tournament teams in non conference play.

To compare, Wichita State University, receiving the Missouri Valley’s automatic bid, played two NCAA Tournament teams and lost to both.

“I feel like people doubted [Flanery],” junior forward Sarah Nelson said, “To see it payoff … is awesome.”

Flanery was relieved his approach to the nonconference schedule paid off in the end, too.

“I’ll sleep better tonight,” he said.