Huskers Set for Battle with No. 13 Buckeyes

The Nebraska women’s basketball team (5-1) will play the second game of a four-game home stand against one of its toughest non-conference opponents of the season, when the Huskers battle the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

The Huskers’ game with Ohio State (4-0) can be heard live on 1400 KLIN in Lincoln and 1110 KFAB in Omaha, with Matt Coatney handling the play-by-play duties and Jeff Griesch adding color commentary. A live audio feed and stats can be found on the official website of Nebraska Athletics - Huskers.com, while a live video feed is available on HuskersNside through Huskers.com on a subscription basis.

The Huskers opened their home stand with a solid 81-59 victory over Texas-Arlington on Saturday at the Devaney Center. Six Huskers scored in double figures against the Lady Mavs, including Margaret Richards, who rolled for a game-high 18 points, and Keasha Cannon-Johnson, who notched her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Richards, a 5-9 senior guard from Louisville, Ky., leads a potent NU offense by averaging 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Senior forward Alexa Johnson has pitched in 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while Cannon-Johnson has contributed 11.0 points and a team-leading 8.7 boards per contest.

Nebraska’s offense ranks 27th nationally with 78.0 points per game through six contests, while the defense has held opponents to just 61.0 points per game to give the Huskers a plus-17.0 points per game scoring margin. Nebraska has also enjoyed a plus-12.5 rebound margin (48.7-36.2).

Ohio State comes to the Devaney Center with even more impressive numbers, as the Buckeyes rank 18th nationally in scoring with 80.0 points per game, while holding their opponents to just 49.0 points per contest for a plus-31.0 team scoring margin. Ohio State, which owns its highest national ranking since the 1993 season, has been remarkably consistent on offense, leading the nation by shooting 55.7 percent from the field, including a nation-leading 52.9 percent from three-point range.

Nebraska owns a 1-0 record in the all-time series against Ohio State, producing a 63-54 victory at Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 2, 1990.

Cannon-Johnson Asserting Herself for Huskers
Senior Keasha Cannon-Johnson is coming off her best performance of the season in Nebraska’s win over Texas-Arlington. The 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., unleashed her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win over the Lady Mavs, and she is beginning to re-establish herself as one of the top players in the Husker lineup after sitting out the entire 2002-03 season as a redshirt.

Through six games, Cannon-Johnson ranks third on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, while leading the club with 8.7 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 3.7 assists per game, while leading the team with 11 steals on the season. She has added four blocked shots to rank third on the team in that category. Cannon-Johnson has started all six games for the Huskers and is averaging 25.2 minutes per contest, while shooting 46.2 percent (30-65) from the field.

The 2002 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, Cannon-Johnson led Nebraska in nearly every statistical category in her first year as a junior by averaging 12.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Scouting the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes
The No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes come to Lincoln with a perfect 4-0 record after enjoying 11 days off since doubling up the score on IUPUI, 96-48, in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 1. The Buckeyes, who advanced to the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, have not been tested in their first four games, as only Florida A&M has played Ohio State within 15 points. The Buckeyes beat Florida A&M, 71-56, on Nov. 23, after opening the season with an 83-50 win over Ohio on Nov. 21. OSU also knocked off UNC Wilmington, 70-42, on Nov. 25 in Columbus.

Ohio State’s trip to the Devaney Center will mark the Buckeyes’ first trip away from Value City Arena this season. Last season, Ohio State finished with a 22-10 overall record, including a perfect 14-0 record at home, but managed just a 4-7 record in true away games and a 4-3 mark in games at neutral sites. The Buckeyes have won 20 consecutive home games overall. OSU finished in a tie for fourth in the Big Ten standings last season with a 10-6 league mark.

Junior Caity Matter leads a potent Buckeye offense. The 5-9 guard earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades last season and comes to Lincoln averaging 21.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Matter has been sizzling from outside, connecting on 21-of-42 (50 percent) of her three-point attempts, while hitting 5.3 three-pointers per game. Last season, Matter connected on a school-record 106 three-pointers while shooting 45.1 percent from long range.

While Matter has led the Buckeyes on the perimeter, 6-5 freshman center Jessica Davenport has guided OSU inside, averaging 14.0 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds per game. She is also averaging 2.5 blocks per contest and shooting 66.7 percent from the field. The Buckeyes have also been bolstered inside by the return of fifth-year senior LaToya Turner, who made her first appearance of the season in the win over IUPUI. Turner, who has averaged 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game despite numerous injuries throughout her career, scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 12 minutes in the win over IUPUI. As a sophomore in 2000-01, Turner scored a career-high 37 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds in a win over Cleveland State.

True freshman Brandie Hoskins (11.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and sophomore Kim Wilburn (7.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg) have joined Matter and Davenport in the starting lineup in all four games this season, while freshman forward Stephanie Blanton (4.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and sophomore Michelle Munoz (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) have split time in the Buckeye starting lineup.

Coach Jim Foster is in his second season of leading Ohio State. Foster, who spent 11 years at Vanderbilt before taking the reins at Ohio State, owns a 530-235 career record, including 13 seasons as the head coach at St. Joseph’s. He has guided his 25 teams to 17 NCAA tournaments, including eight Sweet 16 appearances, five Elite Eight appearances and the 1993 NCAA Final Four.

Nebraska is 1-0 all-time against Ohio State, with the Huskers posting a 63-54 victory at Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 2, 1990. Nebraska Coach Connie Yori has never faced a Jim Foster-coached team, and has never taken on an Ohio State squad.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards, 5-9, Sr., G, Louisville, Ky. ? Margaret Richards has been Nebraska’s leader through six games, playing the best basketball of her career by averaging 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal per game. Richards is coming off a game-high 18-point effort in Nebraska’s win over Texas-Arlington and is the only Husker to score in double figures in all six of NU’s games so far this season. Richards ranks ninth in the Big 12 in scoring and 12th in the league in rebounding.

Richards produced a pair of strong performances in two games at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., where she averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. In NU’s 78-75 win over Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 29, Richards scored a season-high 23 points while pulling down a season-high 10 boards for her fourth career double-double. She also tied a school record with 18 free throw attempts against Eastern Kentucky and set the NU record for the most free throw attempts in back-to-back games by hitting 25-of-32 shots at the line against Mississippi and Eastern Kentucky at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic.

Last season, Richards 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 per game. 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 ranks eighth on the NU charts with 68 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 has enjoyed a solid return to the court after sitting out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt. She enters the Ohio State game averaging 11.0 points and a team-leading 8.7 rebounds per game after producing her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Texas-Arlington. A talented all-around player, Cannon-Johnson has also pitched in 3.7 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game. In the Big 12 stats released Dec. 8, Cannon-Johnson ranked fifth in the league in rebounding, 14th in the Big 12 in assists and 27th in scoring.

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 rpg), 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.

Alexa Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F, Hacienda Heights, Calif. ? Alexa Johnson enters the Ohio State contest averaging 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Nebraska’s top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in each of the Huskers’ last five games. Johnson played well in two games at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 28-29, scoring a season-high 20 points in just 21 minutes, while pulling down six rebounds in the Huskers’ opening-round loss to Mississippi. She came back for 17 points, including 15 points in the first half, to go along with six rebounds in NU’s win over Eastern Kentucky.

In the Big 12 Conference statistics released Dec. 8, Johnson was ranked 16th in the league in scoring average. Last season, Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors by ranking among the top players in the league in 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 a solid offensive and defensive presence 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 rebounds and three blocks in the win over Princeton. In NU’s win over Eastern Kentucky, Morse scored six points, grabbed nine rebounds and tied a school record with six blocked shots.

Morse heads into the Ohio State game averaging 7.8 points, while ranking second on the team with 8.0 rebounds and owning a team-best 2.0 blocks per game. She ranks ninth on Nebraska’s career list with 59 blocks and needs just four more to move into a tie for seventh with Karen Jennings and Pyra Aarden (63). She is tied for sixth in the Big 12 in blocks per game, while ranking seventh in the league in rebounding.

Morse had a promising junior season come to an end with a knee injury 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.

Jina Johansen, 5-7, Jr., G, Dannebrog, Neb. ? Jina Johansen has provided a steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.3 points and a team-leading 5.3 assists per game, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. In Nebraska’s win over Texas-Arlington, Johansen tied her season high by dishing out eight assists. In the win over Washington State Dec. 4, Johansen hit four consecutive free throws in the final minute to seal the Huskers’ 64-56 win over the Cougars.

Last season, 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. She played 30 or more minutes in 26 of 28 games, while playing a season-low 27 minutes at Texas and 29 minutes against Texas Southern.

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 Making Solid Contributions
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. Through six games, the freshman are contributing 26.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

Heather Kephart, 5-8, Fr., G, Canute, Okla. ? Heather Kephart has provided the biggest contribution by a freshman through six games, averaging 9.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 15 three-pointers. Kephart, who is shooting 42.9 percent (15-35) from long range, 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 who scored 16 or more points in a career-opening performance went on to score 1,000 or more points in their careers.

Kephart added a sizzling 15-point outburst off the bench in the win over Washington State, including a career-high five three-pointers with four straight trifectas in the second half to turn a four-point NU deficit into a five-point Husker lead. With 15 three-pointers in her first six games, Kephart has already cracked NU’s top five single-season list for three-pointers made by a freshman. She needs just one more three-pointer to move into a tie for fourth on the freshman list, and nine more to climb into a tie for third.

Kephart, who hit at least two three-pointers in each of Nebraska’s first five games, has produced double figures in scoring three of her first six games despite averaging just 17.0 minutes per contest. Kephart ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.5 three-pointers made per game, while ranking seventh in three-point field goal percentage.

Kiera Hardy, 5-6, Fr., G, Kansas City, Mo. ? Kiera Hardy produced a pair of solid games to open the season, before sitting out the Huskers’ next three contests because of illness. Hardy returned against Texas-Arlington and provided a spark by scoring 10 points and dishing out three assists in just nine minutes of action. She enters the Ohio State game averaging 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-leading 2.3 steals per game, despite averaging just 16.3 minutes per contest.

Hardy opened her career by scoring nine points and snagging a team-leading four steals against Wofford, when she also earned a second-half start. She added 12 points, six rebounds and three more steals in the win over Princeton. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is tied with fellow freshman Jessica Gerhart for the team lead with her 50.0 field-goal percentage (13-26).

Jessica Gerhart, 6-2, Fr., F, Fenton, Iowa ? 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, and got even closer with a career-high 10 points and eight rebounds against Mississippi. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, is averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game through her first six contests and is tied with Kiera Hardy for the team lead in field goal shooting at 50 percent (11-22).

Chelsea Aubry, 6-2, Fr., F, Kitchener, Ontario ? Chelsea Aubry is coming off the best performance of her young Husker career. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down a career-best nine rebounds, just missing her first career double-double, in the Huskers’ win over Texas-Arlington on Dec. 6. Aubry, who opened the season with 11 points and five rebounds in the win over Wofford, scored just eight points and pulled down six rebounds combined over the next four games. Nebraska’s first-ever Canadian basketball player, Aubry is averaging 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Andrea Lightfoot, 5-8, Fr., G, Omaha, Neb. ? Omaha Marian graduate Andrea Lightfoot has continued to improve in all phases of the game and is averaging 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She is a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and hit her first career three-pointer in Nebraska’s win over Washington State.

Huskers Master Lady Mavs in 81-59 Victory
Margaret Richards scored a game-high 18 points and Keasha Cannon-Johnson produced her first double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 16 boards to lead the Huskers to an 81-59 win over Texas-Arlington at the Devaney Center on Dec. 6.

Richards and Cannon-Johnson led six Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska improved to 5-1 on the year to match their best start since the 1996-97 season. Freshman forward Chelsea Aubry added the best performance of her young career, just missing a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while freshman guard Kiera Hardy added 10 points and three assists in just nine minutes of action.

Senior forward Alexa Johnson contributed 11 points and senior center Katie Morse added 10 points and six rebounds to help the Huskers.

Nebraska and Texas-Arlington battled back and forth through the first 18 minutes, until the Huskers erupted for a 10-0 run to end the first half and carry a 45-33 lead into the locker room. Nebraska continued to roll after the break, racing to an 18-point lead at 53-35 with 17:14 remaining after back-to-back jumpers by Morse.

But the Lady Mavs responded with a 13-0 run to cut the NU lead to 53-48 with 12:06 left in the game. After that, it was all Huskers. Richards answered for the Huskers by scoring nine of NU’s next 16 points over the next seven minutes, starting with a three-pointer, before adding four free throws and a jumper to push the Husker lead to 16 points at 69-53. Nebraska’s lead grew to 24 points at 81-57 before Texas-Arlington hit a jumper with three seconds left to make the final margin.

Krystal Buchanan led the Lady Mavs with 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while Sheena Johnson added 11 points. Texas-Arlington slipped to 2-4 on the season.

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. It is also the highest point total produced by a Big 12 Conference team this season.

Through six games, Nebraska is averaging 78.0 points per game and has scored 75 or more points in four of its six contests. Nebraska’s offensive production has come in sharp 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.

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.

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.

Nebraska’s Notable Numbers
Nebraska’s 48.7 rebounds per game lead the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers’ +12.5 rebounding margin ranks third in the league.

The Huskers rank third in the Big 12 with 18.8 assists per game, while ranking sixth in the conference with 4.8 blocked shots per game.

Nebraska’s 104 points in the season-opening win over Wofford tied for the 13th-highest single-game total in school history, and marked the 23rd time an NU team had scored 100 or more points.

The Huskers’ 58-point margin of victory (104-46) against Wofford tied for the seventh-largest victory margin in school history.

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

Katie Morse tied a Nebraska school record with six blocked shots in the Huskers’ 78-75 win over Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 29 at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Margaret Richards tied a Nebraska record with 18 free throw attempts in the Huskers’ win over Eastern Kentucky. Richards, who hit 14-of-18 attempts from the line against the Colonels, connected on 11-of-14 attempts the previous night against Mississippi. Richards’ 32 free throw attempts in consecutive games are the most in school history. Richards is averaging 8.5 free throw attempts per game to put her on pace to match the school single-season record of 196 free throw attempts in the 23rd game this season.

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.

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 defeated Texas-Arlington (81-59) on Dec. 6, and will tangle with Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 14) and St. Bonaventure (Jan. 3) in other non-conference matchups.

Nebraska faced tough road tests in non-league play at the Memphis Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 28-29), where the Huskers lost to Mississippi and defeated Eastern Kentucky. NU also won at Washington State (Dec. 4) before closing its non-conference road schedule at 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 Nov. 30, the women’s basketball team was solidly in first place with 1,682 points and extended its lead to 547 points over the second-place Nebraska volleyball team (1,135). The women’s track and field team was in third with 1,125 points, while the football team was in fourth with 1,118 points. The women’s gymnastics program rounded out the top five with 1,111 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 5-1 record to improve Yori’s career record to 208-161 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 also features 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 Nov. 30, the women’s basketball team had earned 1,682 points to lead the volleyball team by 547 points. The Husker women’s track and field program was in third with 1,125 points, while the football team (1,118) and women’s gymnastics teams (1,111) 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 267-96 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 94-60 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 3-0 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.