Huskers Open Regular Season with Wofford

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens its 2003-04 regular season when the Huskers take on the Wofford Lady Terriers at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:05 p.m.

Nebraska’s game with Wofford can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network on 1400 KLIN in Lincoln with Matt Coatney handling the play-by-play duties and Jeff Griesch adding color commentary. Friday's game can also be watched on NU's subscriber website - HuskersNside (go to Huskers.com for more details).

The Huskers enter Friday’s game after strong exhibition efforts with wins over Nebraska-Omaha (94-47) on Nov. 9, and Nebraska-Kearney (99-80) on Nov. 13.

Nebraska’s win over UNK in the exhibition finale proved that the Huskers’ offensive outburst in their opening win over UNO was no fluke. In fact, NU’s 99-point effort was its highest total since scoring 99 against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Dec. 19, 2000. The Huskers’ 61-point second half against the Lopers, who were ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division II Preseason Poll, actually surpassed their point total from 18 of 28 games last season.

Senior Margaret Richards led the Huskers with a game-high 26 points, including 18 points in the second half to spark NU’s comeback from a 47-38 halftime deficit against the Lopers. Senior Keasha Cannon-Johnson added 19 points, including 13 in the second half, to help the Huskers. True freshman Heather Kephart also had a big night for NU, knocking down four three-pointers, including a first-half buzzer beater, to finish with 17 points in just 17 minutes.

Cannon-Johnson, a 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., who sat out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt, averaged a team-high 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists during exhibition play for the Huskers, including a 14-point, 15-rebound effort against UNO. Richards, a 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., matched Cannon-Johnson with 16.5 points per game, while adding five rebounds and 3.5 assists. Senior center Katie Morse averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks, while true freshman Chelsea Aubry added 11.0 points and 7.5 boards per game.

A Quick Look at Wofford
The Wofford Lady Terriers will meet Nebraska for the first time in women’s basketball when both teams open their season on Friday night. First-year Coach Samantha Young brings the Lady Terriers to Lincoln after Wofford struggled to a 4-24 overall record, including a 1-17 mark in Southern Conference action to finish 11th in the league last season. The Lady Terriers are the preseason pick to finish 10th in the league this season.

Junior guard Ricaye Harris returns to lead Wofford, after averaging 14.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season. Another junior guard, Brie Bradshaw, added 10.0 points and 4.8 boards per game for the Spartanburg, S.C., school last season. Sophomore swing player Nakia Mister pitched in 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game a year ago for the Lady Terriers, who did not win a game on the road all season, finishing with an 0-12 mark away from home. Wofford returns just one starter and five letterwinners from last year’s club.

With an enrollment of just 1,100 students, Wofford is the smallest school on Nebraska’s schedule this season.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Alexa Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F, Hacienda Heights, Calif. ? Alexa Johnson produced a solid first game in Nebraska's exhibition opener against Nebraska-Omaha, hitting for a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards in just 20 minutes of work. She did not play in NU's exhibition finale against Nebraska-Kearney. Last season, Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors by ranking among the top players in the league in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She scored 415 points and grabbed 189 rebounds in 2002-03, more than doubling her 204 points and 92 rebounds as a sophomore, when she started seven games and averaged 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Johnson produced 24 double-figure scoring efforts as a junior, including 18 games with 15 or more points and six games with 20 or more points. She added a team-high four double-doubles.

In NU’s win over then-No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 15, she scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Johnson was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 16. She also earned second-team academic All-Big 12 accolades in 2003, after claiming first-team honors in 2002. She represented Nebraska on the Big 12 All-Star Team that played at the 2003 World University Games in Korea in August.

Margaret Richards, 5-9, Sr., G, Louisville, Ky. ? Margaret Richards is coming off an explosive performance in Nebraska's exhibition finale, when she scored a game-high 26 points, including 18 points in the second half of the Huskers' 99-80 win over Nebraska-Kearney. Richards averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in NU's exhibition wins. Last season, Richards ranked among the top 20 players in the league in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 2002-03. Richards’ rebounding average was the second-highest average by a Big 12 guard last season.

The Louisville, Ky., native produced a career-high 25 points in a win at Oklahoma State on Feb. 1, which marked one of 19 double-figure efforts last season. She added 20 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds in NU's win at San Diego on Dec. 28. She also hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to earn a spot on the Surf & Slam Hoop Classic All-Tournament team. She led NU with 38 steals (1.4 spg), while ranking second on the team with 11.4 points and 2.7 assists per game. Richards produced three double-doubles and led NU with 32 three-pointers. She is tied for eighth on the NU charts with 67 career three-pointers.

Richards is playing her senior season with her degree in hand after earning a bachelor's degree in communication studies in August of 2003.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, 5-10, Sr., G, Kansas City, Kan. ? Keasha Cannon-Johnson enjoyed a stellar return to the court in Nebraska's exhibition-opening win over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 9. Cannon-Johnson, who sat out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt, scored a game-high 14 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, while dishing out three assists in 23 minutes of action. She was solid again in NU's exhibition finale, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half, while adding six rebounds in the 99-80 win over Nebraska-Kearney. In Nebraska's two exhibition games, Cannon-Johnson averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

The 2002 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Cannon-Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades as a junior in 2001-02. She led the Huskers in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (8.4 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (2.1 spg) in her first season after transferring from Penn Valley Community College. A two-time NJCAA Division II All-American, Cannon-Johnson was a three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and earned a spot on the Kansas City Star Big 12 All-Defense Team in 2002.

Cannon-Johnson ranked 17th in the Big 12 in scoring, fourth in rebounding, 11th in assists and eighth in steals. She scored a career-high 27 points in NU’s win over No. 11 Kansas State on Feb. 10, 2002, while pulling down a career-best 16 boards against the Wildcats. It was one of six double-doubles for Cannon-Johnson in 2001-02.

Katie Morse, 6-4, Sr., C, Minden, Iowa ? Katie Morse also enjoyed a triumphant return to the court against Nebraska-Omaha, matching Keasha Cannon-Johnson's game-high 14 points, while pitching in eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots for the Huskers. She added 12 points and eight boards in Nebraska's win over Nebraska-Kearney to average 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocked shots per game in exhibition play this season.

Morse had a promising junior season come to an end with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her knee suffered in the second half of Nebraska’s 65-55 win over No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 15. Morse, who started NU’s first seven games, was averaging 12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game before the injury. She was also coming off the two best games of her career with back-to-back double-doubles in wins over Texas Southern and Cal State Fullerton.

Against Texas Southern on Dec. 9, Morse erupted for a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. She followed that performance with 18 points, 10 boards and a career-best five blocks against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 11. She added her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s season-opening win over Grambling State on Nov. 22.

Despite playing just 25 percent of Nebraska’s scheduled games, Morse still finished the season ranked third on the team with 15 blocked shots.

Jina Johansen, 5-7, Jr., G, Dannebrog, Neb. ? Jina Johansen was solid in her season debut against Nebraska-Omaha, scoring nine points and distributing eight assists while snagging three steals to help lead the Huskers to a lopsided victory. She added three points, seven assists and four steals in the win over Nebraska-Kearney.

Last season, Johansen tied for second in the Big 12 with 5.5 assists per game, while averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest in 2002-03. She also ranked third on the team with 1.2 steals per contest in 2002-03. Johansen set a school record by playing 36.7 minutes per game, surpassing the previous school mark of 35.6 minutes per contest established by Amy Stephens in 1988-89. Johansen’s 1,028 minutes played ranked as the fifth-highest total in school history and one of just seven 1,000-minute seasons in school history. Johansen played the full 40 minutes on 10 occasions as a sophomore, while playing nearly 92 percent of NU’s possible minutes.

Johansen’s 153 assists also ranked as the second-best single-season total by a sophomore in school history, while ranking eighth overall on NU’s season assist chart. She scored a career-high 15 points and tied a career best with nine assists in the win over Rice. She set another career high with seven steals against Grambling State. She grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at Iowa State on March 1.

A standout in the classroom, Johansen was a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 2003.

Husker Newcomers Make Strong Impression in Debuts
Although Nebraska returns five seasoned veterans to its starting lineup for 2003-04, the Huskers will have a distinctly new look this season. Other than the five returning starters, no other active Husker had ever played a game against collegiate competition until Nebraska’s exhibition win over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 9.

All five of the freshmen who competed against UNO looked comfortable, as the group of newcomers combined for 40 points and 15 rebounds to support the Huskers’ starting five. The freshman provided similar support in the win over Nebraska-Kearney, combining for 39 points and 15 boards.

Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, was the most consistent freshman in exhibition play. Aubry opened with 11 points and seven rebounds to go along with a pair of blocked shots in 22 minutes against UNO, before adding 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes against UNK.

Heather Kephart produced the best single-game production among the freshmen with her 17-point outburst against Nebraska-Kearney. The 5-8 shooting guard from Canute, Okla., connected on four three-pointers to finish with 17 points in just 17 minutes of action against the Lopers. She opened with a five-point, four-rebound effort against UNO.

Freshman Kiera Hardy may have produced Nebraska’s most exciting debut by scoring 11 points, snagging three steals and dishing out two assists in just 15 minutes of action. Along with her point production, the 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., played aggressive defense on and off the ball, but picked up five quick fouls to limit her playing time. Hardy was scoreless in seven minutes of action against UNK.

Jessica Gerhart played big minutes early in the win over Nebraska-Kearney. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, finished with 11 points and five rebounds to help the Huskers compensate for Katie Morse’s absence with early foul trouble. Gerhart played 16 minutes against UNK, after opening with five points in 13 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha.

Omaha Marian graduate Andrea Lightfoot provided a spark from long range for the Huskers in a steady all-around performance against UNO. The 5-8 freshman guard scored eight points and pulled down three rebounds in 13 minutes. She also connected on 2-of-3 three-point attempts to help the Huskers to an 8-for-19 shooting effort from beyond the arc. Lightfoot did not score in eight minutes of action against UNK.

Huskers Close Opening Weekend Against Princeton
The Huskers hope to complete a successful opening weekend of the regular season when they tangle with the Princeton Tigers at the Devaney Center on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Sunday’s game should provide a stark contrast between the two teams. Nebraska is expected to start five seasoned veterans, including four seniors and junior Jina Johansen, while Princeton’s probable starting lineup includes three freshmen who will be playing their first collegiate games, alongside a pair of sophomores.

Sophomore center Becky Brown is easily the most experienced Tiger, starting 25 of 28 games for Princeton as a freshman last season. The 6-2 Brown averaged 14.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She shot a stellar 54.9 percent from the field, but connected on just 50.7 percent of her free throws.

Guard Katy O’Brien appeared in 17 games with eight starts last year, averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

Princeton only lists two seniors, Mary Cate Opila and Maureen McCracken, and one junior, Karen Bolster, on its entire roster, while listing six freshmen and four sophomores, making the Tigers one of the youngest teams in NCAA Division I basketball.

Last season, the Tigers produced a 9-19 overall record and a 4-10 mark in the Ivy League, which was good for a fifth-place finish. Princeton lost three starters and 10 letterwinners off last year’s club, including four of its top six scorers.

While Princeton’s lineup will be peppered with inexperienced players, Nebraska will feature senior guards Keasha Cannon-Johnson and Margaret Richards, senior center Katie Morse and senior forward Alexa Johnson.