Huskers Hit Road for Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic

Lincoln - Huskers Hit Road for Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic After a successful opening weekend that featured a pair of victories at home, the Nebraska women's basketball team takes to the road for the first time this season when the Huskers travel to the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 28-29.

The Huskers (2-0) open the four-team tournament by tangling with the Mississippi Rebels (2-1) at The Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Friday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. Nebraska's game with Ole Miss will follow the tournament's opening contest, which pits the hosts from Memphis against Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m.

Nebraska's game with Mississippi 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. A live audio feed can also be heard on the official website of Nebraska Athletics - Huskers.com.

If the Huskers are able to get past Ole Miss in the opener, NU will play in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. The tournament's consolation game is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. NU's game on Saturday can be heard on Froggy 98.1 FM (KFGE) in Lincoln or on the internet at Huskers.com.

Nebraska opened the season with a 2-0 record for the fourth consecutive season by rolling past visiting Wofford, 104-46, on Nov. 21, before knocking off Princeton, 75-61, at the Devaney Center on Nov. 23.

The Huskers found their way into the record books in the opener, as the 58-point advantage tied for the seventh-largest margin of victory in school history. Nebraska's 104 points tied for the 13th-highest scoring output in school history and marked the first time that Nebraska had cracked the century mark since scoring 113 points against Georgia Southern on Nov. 19, 1999. The win over Wofford was also Nebraska's 23rd consecutive season-opening victory.

Morse, Cannon-Johnson Enjoy Successful Returns
Nebraska seniors Katie Morse and Keasha Cannon-Johnson both had solid weekends in their returns to the court for the Huskers. Morse, a 6-4 senior center who missed NU's final 21 games last season with a knee injury, unleashed a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the Huskers' win over Wofford. The native of Minden, Iowa, hit 4-of-6 shots from the field and 8-of-11 free throw attempts in her return after being injured in the second half of Nebraska's 65-55 win over then-No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2002.

Morse added nine points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in Nebraska's win over Princeton on Sunday. She closed the opening weekend by averaging 12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game to lead the Huskers in all three categories.

Cannon-Johnson scored 16 points of her own against Wofford and added six rebounds before leaving the opener early in the second half with a mild ankle sprain. She returned on Sunday and nearly got a double-double of her own with eight points and nine boards despite being somewhat limited by the injury. The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year as a junior in 2001-02, Cannon-Johnson redshirted last season. The 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., finished the weekend by averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

A Quick Look at the Mississippi Rebels (2-1)
The Huskers will hope to continue their early season success when they battle Mississippi in the opening round of the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m.

The Rebels head into the tournament with a 2-1 record after rolling to a 78-62 win over Belmont Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn. Ole Miss opened its season with an 83-58 win over Jackson State in the first round of the 2003 Preseason WNIT on Nov. 14, in Oxford, Miss., but was bounced from the tournament with a 65-50 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 16. Rutgers went on to the championship game before losing to Big 12 power Texas Tech, 73-45, in Lubbock, Texas, on Nov. 23.

First-year coach Carol Ross inherited a Mississippi team that finished 12-16 overall, but was just 1-13 to finish in a tie for 11th in the Southeastern Conference last season. Ross, who graduated from Ole Miss in 1982, returned to her alma mater after spending 12 seasons from 1990-91 to 2001-02 at Florida, where she led the Gators to a 247-121 record and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. Ross is assisted by former Texas A&M head coach Peggy Gillom, who graduated from Ole Miss in 1980.

Freshman guard Armintie Price has been explosive in her first three games, averaging a team-high 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, including 21 points and 13 rebounds off the bench in the win over Belmont. Junior guard Carletta Brown has played well, averaging 13.7 points and 4.0 assists per game, while senior guard Genice Terry has provided consistent leadership, averaging 13.3 points, and 3.3 steals per game. While the Rebel guards have combined to average 41.3 points and 13.0 rebounds in the first three games, their front-line starters Amber Watts and Tywanna Inmon have combined to supply just 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Mississippi's lack of production inside has led to a team field-goal percentage of just 34.9 percent.

Friday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools. The last time Nebraska faced a team from the SEC, the Huskers fell to Auburn, 74-55, in the opening round of the San Juan Shootout on Dec. 18, 2000. The last time NU defeated a team from the SEC was 1997-98, when the Huskers knocked off Kentucky, 68-59, in the championship game of the CableVision Classic on Nov. 29, 1997. Earlier that season, the Huskers defeated Alabama, 74-66, in the second round of the Preseason WNIT.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Alexa Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F, Hacienda Heights, Calif. ? Alexa Johnson enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game after scoring a team-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting in Nebraska's win over Princeton on Nov. 23. In the opener against Wofford, Johnson just missed a double-double by scoring eight points and grabbing 11 rebounds. It was Johnson's sixth double-figure rebound game of her career.

Last season, Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors by ranking among the top players in the conference 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, while managing double figures in rebounds on five occasions.

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.

Katie Morse, 6-4, Sr., C, Minden, Iowa ? After missing Nebraska's final 21 games with a knee injury in 2002-03, Katie Morse has returned to provide an offensive and defensive force inside for the Huskers. Morse opened the season by scoring 16 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds for her fourth career double-double in the win over Wofford. She added nine points, six boards and three blocks in the win over Princeton and enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game to lead the Huskers in all three categories.

Morse had a promising junior season come to an end with a knee suffered in the second half of Nebraska’s 65-55 win over No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2002. 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.

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.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, 5-10, Sr., G, Kansas City, Kan. ? Keasha Cannon-Johnson has also enjoyed a solid return to the court after sitting out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt. Cannon-Johnson scored 16 points and pulled down six rebounds in just 17 minutes in Nebraska's season-opening win over Wofford. She suffered a mild ankle sprain early in the second half against the Lady Terriers, but returned to score eight points and grab nine rebounds in NU's win over Princeton. She enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

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 a win over No. 11 Kansas State on Feb. 10, 2002, while adding a career-best 16 boards against KSU as one of six double-doubles for Cannon-Johnson in 2001-02.

Margaret Richards, 5-9, Sr., G, Louisville, Ky. ? Margaret Richards was solid for the Huskers in their opening weekend, averaging 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Richards' numbers in the first two games were nearly identical to her season averages in 2002-03, when she ranked among the top 20 players in the Big 12 in both scoring and rebounding with 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists. 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.

Jina Johansen, 5-7, Jr., G, Dannebrog, Neb. ? Jina Johansen was solid in the opening weekend, averaging 7.0 points and 5.0 assists in just 24.5 minutes per game in wins over Wofford and Princeton. Johansen's workload comes in shocking contrast to last season, when she played fewer than 30 minutes on only two occasions. Johansen's 24 minutes played against Wofford marked her fewest minutes since seeing only 22 minutes in NU's final game of the 2001-02 season against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament. Last season, Johansen played 30 or more minutes in 26 of 28 games. She played a season-low 27 minutes at Texas, while playing 29 minutes against Texas Southern.

Johansen set a school record by playing 36.7 minutes per game in 2002-03, surpassing the previous school mark of 35.6 minutes per contest established by Amy Stephens in 1988-89. Johansen’s 1,028 minutes 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.

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’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 have a distinctly new look this season. Other than the five returning starters, no other active Husker had ever played a regular-season game before Nebraska's season-opening win over Wofford on Nov. 21.

All five of the freshmen who competed against Wofford found their way into the scoring column, as the group of newcomers combined for 47 points and 19 rebounds to support the Huskers' starting five. The freshmen provided similar support in exhibition wins over Nebraska-Omaha (40 points, 15 rebounds) and Nebraska-Kearney (39 points, 15 boards). The newcomers struggled a bit more in the win over Princeton, combining for just 24 points and 17 rebounds.

Heather Kephart set her scoring standards high by erupting for 16 points in just 18 minutes in the season-opening win over Wofford. Kephart knocked down 4-of-8 three-pointers against the Lady Terriers, to help the Huskers hit 7-of-17 long-range attempts. Kephart's 16-point outburst against Wofford tied for the fifth-highest scoring total by a freshman in a career-opening game in Husker history. Every other former Husker freshman that scored 16 or more points in a career-opening performance went on to score 1,000 or more points in their Nebraska careers. Kephart added six points on a pair of three-pointers against Princeton. With six three-pointers in her first two games, Kephart needs just nine more this season to crack NU's top five single-season list for three-pointers made by a freshman. Kephart enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 11.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game to lead the freshmen.

Freshman Kiera Hardy produced a pair of solid games to open the season. After scoring nine points and snagging a team-leading four steals against Wofford, Hardy added 12 points, six rebounds and three more steals in the win over Princeton. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., leads the Huskers with 3.5 steals per game on the season and ranks second among the freshmen with 10.5 points per game. She also earned a second-half start in the opener against Wofford.

Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, had been the most consistent freshman before the Princeton game, scoring 11 points in each of Nebraska's exhibition victories and the season-opening win over Wofford. However, Aubry was held scoreless in 22 minutes against Princeton. She enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Jessica Gerhart knocked on the door of a double-double in her regular-season debut by scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds in the Huskers' win over Wofford. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, added four points and three rebounds in the win over Princeton and enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic averaging 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Omaha Marian graduate Andrea Lightfoot found the scoring column with a pair of free throws in the win over Wofford and hit her first career field goal in the victory over Princeton. The 5-8 freshman guard has averaged 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Huskers Work Their Way Past Princeton, 75-61
Nebraska used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to turn a 20-20 tie into a 33-20 lead, before cruising to a 75-61 win over Princeton at the Devaney Center on Nov. 23. The Huskers, who improved to 2-0, held Princeton to just two field goals over the final 10:44 of the first half to build a 42-26 halftime lead.

Alexa Johnson led three Huskers in double figures by scoring 15 points, including 11 in the first half. Johnson scored five points during Nebraska's decisive 13-0 run in the first half, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson added four points, and Kiera Hardy and Margaret Richards each scored two points during the spurt.

Hardy, a 5-6 freshman guard from Kansas City, Mo., came off the bench to score 12 points, grab six rebounds and make three steals, while Richards contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Cannon-Johnson, who was playing with a mildly sprained ankle suffered in the opener, just missed a double-double with eight points and nine boards.

Nebraska enjoyed a comfortable lead throughout the second half, extending its advantage to as many as 23 points on Andrea Lightfoot's jumper with 8:45 remaining. But the Tigers, who hit 7-of-11 three-pointers on the afternoon, cut the gap back to 12 points at 73-61 with 1:42 remaining in the game, before Cannon-Johnson scored the game's final basket.

Huskers Open Season with 104-46 Win over Wofford
Katie Morse made a successful return to the court by scoring 16 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds, as Nebraska opened the season with an impressive 104-46 victory over Wofford at the Devaney Center on Nov. 21.

Morse, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last December, showed the form that made her one of the Big 12's most improved players last season, hitting 4-of-6 shots from the field and 8-of-11 attempts from the free throw line. She also topped her previous career best of 10 rebounds set on three occasions. The 6-4 senior center from Minden, Iowa, who had back-to-back double-doubles in her final two games before suffering the injury in a 65-55 win over No. 25 Cincinnati last Dec. 15, also had three steals in just 24 minutes of action in posting her fourth career double-double.

Morse's successful return to the court was one of many highlights for the Huskers, who placed five players in double figures while topping the 100-point mark for the first time since scoring 113 points against Georgia Southern on Nov. 19, 1999. The 104-point effort marked the 23rd time in school history that Nebraska had scored 100 or more points in a game, while the 58-point margin of victory was NU's largest since a 69-point rout of Nicholls State in 1995-96.

In addition to Morse, senior Keasha Cannon-Johnson and freshman Heather Kephart tied for the team-high with 16 points each. Cannon-Johnson, who sat out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt, was 6-of-9 from the field, while pulling down six rebounds. She added three assists and a pair of steals in just 17 minutes, before leaving the game with a mild ankle sprain in the second half. Kephart hit 5-of-10 shots from the field, including 4-of-8 three-pointers, in 18 minutes of action.

The Huskers took any suspense out of the contest with a 33-5 run, turning a two-point lead into a 39-9 cushion with six minutes remaining in the first half. Nebraska shot 56 percent from the field in the first half to build a 51-25 halftime lead - the best first-half point total since scoring 54 points against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Dec. 19, 2000.

Making Their Points: Huskers Scoring Big Early
Nebraska's 104-point explosion to open the season against Wofford was Nebraska's highest-scoring game since running to 113 points in a 36-point win over Georgia Southern on Nov. 19, 1999. It was Nebraska's 23rd 100-point game in school history, and just the fifth in the last 10 seasons.

The Huskers have not managed a pair of 100-point games in the same season since 1993-94, but after scoring 104 points in the season opener, 99 points in the exhibition finale against Nebraska-Kearney and 94 points in the exhibition opener against Nebraska-Omaha, the Huskers could be threatening the century mark regularly in 2003-04.

Nebraska's offensive outburst comes in shocking contrast to the Huskers' scoring ability in 2002-03. Last season, the Huskers averaged just 57.2 points per game and did not score 80 points at any point during the season. NU managed its highest output with 78 points in a win over Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 11, 2002, but failed to reach 70 points in 23 of 28 games. In fact, Nebraska's 53-point second half against Wofford equaled or surpassed its game total in eight contests last season.

While Nebraska scored 90 or more points the first three times it took the floor this season (including exhibition play), no Husker team had produced back-to-back 90-point efforts since the 1997-98 squad scored 101 points against Oklahoma on Feb. 14, 1998, and 96 points against Missouri on Feb. 17, 1998. That NU squad produced one of the best seasons in Husker history by finishing the year 23-10 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The last time a Nebraska team scored 90 or more points in three regular-season games came in 1988, when NU defeated St. Louis, 91-55, on Jan. 9, UMKC, 93-82, on Jan. 11, and Iowa State, 91-87, on Jan. 14. That Husker squad went on to win the Big Eight title and advance to the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, while averaging 82.4 points per game.

Notable Numbers in Nebraska's Season-Opening Win
Nebraska's 104 points against Wofford tied for the 13th-highest single-game total in school history, and marked the 23rd time in NU history that a team had scored 100 or more points.

The Huskers' 58-point margin of victory tied for the seventh-largest victory margin in school history.

NU's 60 rebounds tied for the seventh-highest total in school history. The Huskers held a plus-34 rebound margin against the Lady Terriers.

Katie Morse notched her fourth double-double in her last eight games with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Heather Kephart's 16-point effort against Wofford tied for the fifth-best opening-game scoring performance by a freshman in school history. Anna DeForge opened her career with 22 points against Gonzaga on Nov. 24, 1995, for the best opening night by a freshman, while Deb Powell scored 19 points against Pacific Christian on Nov. 20, 1981. All-American Karen Jennings scored 18 points against St. Louis on Nov. 24, 1989, and Angie Miller added 18 points against South Florida on Nov. 25, 1983. Stacy Imming contributed 16 points against South Florida on Nov. 25, 1983, while Amy Stephens hit for 16 points against Washburn on Nov. 23, 1985. All six of those players rank among Nebraska's top-20 career scorers with 1,000 or more points in their careers.

Scouting the Memphis Lady Tigers
Memphis enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic with a 2-0 record after opening the season with an 89-63 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore at home on Nov. 21, before knocking off Tennessee Tech, 71-50, at Cookeville, Tenn., on Nov. 24.

Victoria Crawford has led the Lady Tigers off the bench by averaging 19.5 points per game while hitting on 10-of-13 field goals, including both of her three-point attempts, while connecting on 17-of-21 free throws. Crawford, a 5-7 junior forward from Birmingham, Ala., has sparked strong play from the Lady Tigers' bench, as the Memphis reserves have combined for 86 points and 36 rebounds, while the starters have totaled 74 points and 42 boards.

Tamika Butler has been Memphis' most consistent starter, averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, including a game-high 18 points in the win over Tennessee Tech. The Lady Tigers return four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad, including their leading returning scorer Princess Swilley, who averaged 10.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game a year ago.

Coach Joye Lee-McNelis led the Lady Tigers to a 13-15 overall record and an eighth-place Conference USA finish with a 6-8 league mark last season. McNelis owns a 210-146 career record in her 13th season at Memphis.

Memphis leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 1-0, but the two teams have not met since the Lady Tigers' 82-55 win over NU on Jan. 14, 1978, at the Jenney's Classic in Warrensburg, Mo. Nebraska Coach Connie Yori has never faced Memphis in her coaching career, but does own a 1-0 career mark against Conference USA schools with a 65-55 win over then-No. 25 Cincinnati in Lincoln on Dec. 15, 2002.

Scouting the Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky enters the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic with a 1-1 record after losing to Miami, 90-81, in the championship game of the Morehead State Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 23.

Leigh Carr led the Colonels at the two-game tournament, as the 6-0 senior forward averaged 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game off the bench for EKU. Laura Shelton, a 5-5 sophomore guard added 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds, while 5-6 senior guard Katie Kelly added 13.0 points per contest. Miranda Eckerle, a 6-0 junior center, pitched in 10.5 points and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds per game to give the Colonels four players averaging in double figures to open the season.

The Colonels are averaging 75.0 points per game, but allowing 74.5 points per contest through two games. EKU shot just 35.0 percent in its season-opening weekend, while the opposition connected on 45.1 percent of its field goal attempts.

Coach Larry Joe Inman is in his 16th season at the Richmond, Ky., school and will be seeking his 250th career win at EKU, as he enters the tournament with a 249-170 mark. In 24 seasons as a head coach overall, Inman carries a 410-243 record.

The Colonels return four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team that finished with an 18-11 overall record, including a 10-6 league mark to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference race.

Aubry Shines for Canada at World University Games
Chelsea Aubry may only be a freshman, but the 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, has already gained worldly experience on the basketball court. Aubry, who is the first Canadian in Nebraska women's basketball history, earned a spot on the Canadian Under-20 National Team and represented her home country at the 2003 World University Games in Korea in August.

Aubry was one of Canada's top players at the tournament, averaging 11.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in nearly 28 minutes per game. Her tournament performance was highlighted by a 16-point, 16-rebound effort against Korea and a 14-point, 17-board outburst against Thailand.

Aubry also played for Canada at the World Under-20 Women's Qualifying Tournament in Brazil in July of 2002. She started Canada's opening game in the tournament and helped Canada to a 2-2 record.

Nebraska senior forward Alexa Johnson also represented the United States at the 2003 World University games as part of the Big 12 All-Star team that played as Team USA in the tournament.

Huskers Face Solid Regular-Season Schedule
The Huskers will face a challenging 2003-04 schedule that features 12 games against nine teams that qualified for postseason play in 2003. Nebraska will play eight games against six teams that advanced to the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and will add four games against three squads that made it to the final eight in the Women's National Invitation Tournament last season.

Nebraska's home schedule at the Bob Devaney Sports Center will feature four NCAA Tournament teams, including Ohio State (Dec. 12), Kansas State (Jan. 24), Texas (Jan. 28) and Colorado (March 3), while adding a pair of WNIT qualifiers in Creighton (Dec. 21) and Missouri (Feb. 25).

The Buckeyes, who advanced to the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament after earning a spot in the Big Ten title game, highlight the Huskers' non-conference schedule. Ohio State finished with a 22-10 overall record and 10-6 mark for a fourth-place finish in Coach Jim Foster's first season at OSU.

Along with Ohio State, the Huskers also feature their traditional in-state showdown with Creighton at the Devaney Center. The Bluejays finished with a 24-9 overall record and advanced to the WNIT semifinals in 2003. The Huskers opened regular-season play with wins over Wofford (104-46) on Nov. 21, and Princeton (75-61) on Nov. 23. Nebraska's other non-conference home games will come against Texas-Arlington (Dec. 6), Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 14) and St. Bonaventure (Jan. 3).

Nebraska will face tough road tests in non-league play at the Memphis Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 28-29), where the Huskers will face Mississippi and either Memphis or Eastern Kentucky. NU also travels to Washington State (Dec. 4) and Rice (Dec. 30).

The Big 12 Conference could feature the toughest field from top to bottom in the eight-year history of the league. NU opens league play at Oklahoma on Jan. 7. The Sooners, who qualified for the 2003 NCAA Tournament after advancing to the NCAA title game in 2002, will be the Huskers' first of seven conference games against 2003 NCAA qualifiers.

The Huskers open home conference competition against Iowa State on Jan. 10, before traveling to 2003 WNIT quarterfinalist Missouri (Jan. 14). NU returns home to tangle with Texas A&M (Jan. 17), before heading to 2003 NCAA Elite Eight participant Texas Tech to begin a treacherous five-game stretch. The Huskers return to the Devaney Center for back-to-back games against 2003 NCAA second-round participant Kansas State (Jan. 24) and NCAA Final Four participant Texas (Jan. 28). NU then travels to WNIT runner-up Baylor (Jan. 31) and NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Colorado (Feb. 4).

Nebraska returns to the Devaney Center to take on Kansas (Feb. 7) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 11), before taking the road again for a pair of tests at Kansas State (Feb. 14) and Iowa State (Feb. 21). After playing host to Missouri (Feb. 25) and traveling to Kansas (Feb. 28), the Huskers conclude the regular season at home with Senior Night against Colorado (March 3).

The Huskers travel to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, March 9-13, and the NCAA Tournament begins March 20, concluding with the NCAA Women's Final Four at New Orleans Arena, April 4-6.

Huskers Leading Life Skills Team Competition
Along with showing gains on the court during the 2003-04 season, members of the Nebraska women's basketball team are also focused on improving themselves in the classroom and in the community.

During the 2003-04 academic year, the Nebraska Athletic Department has initiated a new Life Skills Award of Excellence Team Competition, which is designed to promote student-athlete involvement in campus-wide programming, community service and leadership opportunities, while enhancing student-athletes' preparation for life after sports.

The Husker women's basketball team has embraced the new program and made winning the inaugural title one of its goals. As of Oct. 31, the women's basketball team was solidly in first place with 1,266 points and held a 208-point lead over the second-place Nebraska football team (1,058). The volleyball team was in third with 987 points, while the women's track and field team was in fourth with 956 points. The women's gymnastics program rounded out the top five with 869 points.

All 21 of Nebraska's teams are participating in the program, which assigns points to individual and team efforts in a variety of Life Skills categories, including team enhancement, outreach, athletes supporting athletes, personal enhancement, leadership and team GPA. Other points can be earned by going above and beyond the traditional categories and communicating with the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and Husker Outreach Council.

Texas Earns Preseason Picks from Coaches, Media
Texas is the favorite to repeat as Big 12 regular-season champion in 2003-04 in votes by both league coaches and the media during preseason balloting. The Longhorns were nearly a unanimous choice to win the league, earning 10 of 11 first-place votes from the league coaches and 17 of the 18 votes cast by media members from around the Big 12.

Kansas State was the only other school to claim any first-place votes to finish second in the preseason balloting. Texas Tech captured the No. 3 spot, while Oklahoma enters the season picked to finish fourth. Colorado, Baylor, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State were picked in descending order to finish in the No. 5 to No. 10 spots, while Nebraska was predicted to finish 11th by the coaches and 12th by the media, while Texas A&M took the No. 11 spot in the media poll and the 12th position in the coaches poll.

Kansas State's Nicole Ohlde (Player of the Year), Oklahoma State's Elizangela Gomes (Newcomer of the Year) and Texas' Tiffany Jackson (Freshman of the Year) were the preseason picks for the league's top three individual honors. Ohlde was joined on the preseason All-Big 12 team by teammate Kendra Wecker, UT's Heather Schreiber and Stacy Stephens and Texas Tech's Jia Perkins.

Yori Working to Establish Foundation at Nebraska
Second-year Nebraska coach Connie Yori spent her first season at Nebraska trying to lay the cornerstones of a successful basketball program. The Huskers have opened the season with a 2-0 record to improve Yori's career record to 205-160 in her 14th season as a collegiate coach.

Although the Huskers struggled to an 8-20 overall record and a 1-15 Big 12 mark last season, the Huskers accepted the principles of hard work and conditioning and showed major strides throughout the season. Despite carrying a roster of just five or six scholarship players throughout last season, Nebraska returns five experienced starters for 2003-04.

The Huskers will also feature some depth this season, a luxury they lacked a year ago. Nebraska has added five freshmen to its roster this season, and all five have seen significant playing time.

Nebraska is also making strides in the classroom and the community. Along with Jina Johansen, Laura Pilakowski, Greichaly Cepero and Alexa Johnson earning academic All-Big 12 honors last season, Margaret Richards earned her degree in August of 2003. The Huskers' cumulative team GPA is also on the rise.

Off the court, the women's basketball team is leading the Athletic Department's Life Skills Award of Excellence Team Competition, which is designed to promote athletic excellence, academic support, personal development, career development and community service. Through Oct. 31, the women's basketball team had earned 1,266 points to lead the football team by 208 points. The Husker volleyball program was in third with 987 points, while the women's track and field team (956) and women's gymnastics teams (869) rounded out the top five in the competition.

The 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Yori led the Bluejays to a 24-7 overall mark and a 16-2 MVC record in 2002-03 to capture the league’s regular-season and tournament titles. Yori’s success at CU in 2002-03 capped a 170-115 career mark at Creighton. Her teams made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 2002. Before taking over the top job with the Bluejays, Yori led NCAA Division III Loras College to a 25-25 record in two seasons from 1990 to 1992. She also served as an assistant coach at Creighton from 1986 to 1989.

Yori was one of the top players in Creighton history, and she still owns the school record for career scoring average at 20.3 points per game. She ranks as CU’s No. 3 all-time leading scorer with 2,010 points, and she had her No. 25 jersey retired. She was inducted into the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.

A native of Ankeny, Iowa, the 40-year-old Yori is married to Kirk Helms.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 266-96 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 94-60 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 2-0 at home in 2003-04.

Attendance is a big part of the Huskers’ success. Over the past five seasons, Nebraska has averaged more than 4,200 fans per game and ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in average home attendance each season. The Huskers were 6-10 at home in 2002-03 and averaged 2,625 fans per game in 16 contests. NU drew a season-high 6,077 fans in the loss to No. 4 Kansas State on Jan. 19.

In 2001-02, Nebraska averaged 3,473 fans per game over 14 home contests, including a season-high 6,066 fans at the Devaney Center for the Kansas State game on Feb. 10. The Huskers attracted an average of 4,204 fans per game in 2000-01. NU averaged 4,772 fans per game in 1999-2000 to rank 14th nationally, trailing only the 5,000 fans per game (15th nationally) in 1998-99 for the best average attendance in school history. In 1999-2000, Nebraska set a school record with a crowd of 13,226 in the final home game against Kansas State on Feb. 26.