Huskers Focus on Ragin' Cajuns after Win Over No. 13 Ohio State

Lincoln - The Nebraska women's basketball team (6-1) will try to keep building momentum during its four-game home stand against the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday at 2:05 p.m.

The Huskers' game with Louisiana-Lafayette (3-2) 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 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.

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The Huskers notched their biggest win in more nearly two seasons with a 60-55 victory over No. 13 Ohio State at the Devaney Center on Friday night. Nebraska handed the Buckeyes (4-1) their first loss of the season by using a tenacious defense and a superb rebounding effort to keep the high-scoring Ohio State offense at bay.

Senior forward Alexa Johnson led a balanced Husker attack with 14 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Kiera Hardy added 10 points, including a career-high three three-pointers off the bench.

Senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson also supplied a strong all-around game by leading the Huskers with a game-high 11 rebounds, while tying a career-high with nine assists. She also scored six points.

Nebraska held Ohio State's offense to a season-low 55 points, after the Buckeyes entered the contest averaging 80 points per game and leading the nation in team field goal percentage (55.7 percent) and team three-point field goal percentage (52.9 percent). OSU shot just 22.2 percent (2-9) from three-point range against the Huskers, after averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per game through its first four games.

The Huskers and Ragin' Cajuns both enter Sunday's game on mini-winning streaks. Nebraska has strung together three wins in a row since dropping a narrow 69-66 decision to Mississippi at the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 28. The Ragin' Cajuns have won back-to-back road games at Centenary (Dec. 8) and Nicholls State on Friday night. ULL defeated Nicholls State on the strength of a monster effort from junior forward Anna Petrakova, who scored a career-high 29 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and added five blocked shots.

Huskers Out-Gun Nation's Top Shooting Team
Nebraska tied a school record by connecting on 10 three-pointers in its 60-55 victory over No. 13 Ohio State on Friday night. The Huskers' win over OSU was their first over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 25 Cincinnati, 65-55, at the Devaney Center on Dec. 15, 2002. OSU was also the highest ranked team NU has defeated since rolling past then-No. 11 Kansas State, 67-52, at the Devaney Center on Feb. 10, 2002.

The Huskers' 10 three-pointers against the Buckeyes marked the fourth time that an NU team has hit 10 three-pointers in a game, with the last time coming against Iowa State on Feb. 4, 2001. Nebraska entered the game averaging 5.0 made three-pointers per game, while Ohio State was averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per contest. Nebraska's stingy defense held the Buckeyes to just 2-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. NU is averaging 5.7 three-pointers per game this season, compared to just 3.4 threes per contest last season.

Scouting the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (3-2)
Louisiana-Lafayette comes to Lincoln for the first time with a 3-2 record after rolling past Nicholls State, 57-38, in Thibodaux, La., on Friday night. The Ragin' Cajuns and Coach J. Kelley Hall have not played a home game yet this season, but have produced a perfect 3-0 record in true road games.

Louisiana-Lafayette, which struggled to an 8-19 record with a 4-11 mark and a sixth-place finish in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference last season, has been bolstered the past week by the emergence of forward Tiffany Washington. A senior transfer from Oklahoma State, Washington opened her career for ULL by scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in a 74-60 victory over Centenary on Dec. 8. She added four points and 10 more rebounds against Nicholls State and enters the NU game averaging a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. Washington, who appeared in just two games for the Cowgirls during the 2001-02 season before transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette, played her first two collegiate seasons at New Mexico Junior College, averaging 15.8 points and 11 rebounds per game in her career. The 6-1 forward from Franklin, La., ranked eighth nationally in rebounding and 25th nationally in scoring during her sophomore season, and set the New Mexico JC single-season record with 65 blocks.

Washington gives the Ragin' Cajuns a formidable front line, joining 6-3 junior center Anna Petrakova, who erupted for 29 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots in the win at Nicholls State on Friday. The 6-3 junior center from Moscow, Russia, enters Sunday's game, averaging 14.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game. Ashley Blanche, a 5-4 sophomore guard, is the only player to join Petrakova in the starting lineup for all five games this season. Blanche is averaging 6.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Senior guard Sharee Glenn has averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest with four starts, after ranking as the Ragin' Cajuns top returning scorer from a year ago.

Alexandra Kotta, a 5-10 forward from Bangui, Central Africa, rounds out ULL's probable starting lineup, averaging 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She has started a pair of games for the Ragin' Cajuns, including the win over Nicholls State on Friday, when she scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds.

Junior guard Bernette Tolston started ULL's first four games and is averaging 8.6 points and 4.2 boards per game. Louisiana-Lafayette has managed 61.0 points per game, while holding opponents to 55.2 points per outing. The Ragin' Cajuns have been outrebounded 39.8-39.0, including a plus-nine rebounding margin in the win over Nicholls State.

ULL opened its season with a 57-43 victory over Southeastern Louisiana, before losing 60-57 to Maryland-Eastern Shore and Sacred Heart (75-60) at the University of Maryland's Thanksgiving tournament. The Ragin' Cajuns upended the Centenary Ladies, 74-60, on Monday in Shreveport, La.

Sunday's game will mark the first meeting in series history between Nebraska and Louisiana-Lafayette.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards, 5-9, Sr., G, Louisville, Ky. ? Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's leader through seven games, playing the best basketball of her career by averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Richards scored a game-high 18 points in Nebraska's win over Texas-Arlington and was the only Husker to score in double figures in all of Nebraska's first six games before being held to just three points and seven rebounds in the win over No. 13 Ohio State.

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 moved into sole possession of seventh on the NU charts with her 71st career three-pointer against Ohio State.

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 Louisiana-Lafayette game averaging 10.3 points and a team-leading 9.3 rebounds per game after nearly producing a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, a career-high tying nine assists and six points in Nebraska's win over No. 13 Ohio State. She notched 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 contributed 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. In the Big 12 stats released Dec. 8, Cannon-Johnson ranked fifth in the league in rebounding, 14th 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 Louisiana-Lafayette contest averaging 13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game after scoring 14 points and pulling down six boards in the win over No. 13 Ohio State. Nebraska's top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in each of the Huskers' last six 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 Louisiana-Lafayette game averaging 7.6 points, while ranking second on the team with 7.9 rebounds and owning a team-best 2.1 blocks per game. She ranks ninth on Nebraska's career list with 62 blocks and needs just one more to move into a tie for seventh with Karen Jennings and Pyra Aarden (63). Morse 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 3.7 points and a team-leading 5.1 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. Johansen hit a pair of big three-pointers to finish with six points and four assists in the win over No. 13 Ohio State. In the win over Washington State Dec. 4, she 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 seven games, the freshmen are contributing 26.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.

Heather Kephart, 5-8, Fr., G, Canute, Okla. ? Heather Kephart has provided a major contribution through seven games, averaging 8.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 16 three-pointers. Kephart, who is shooting 38.1 percent (16-42) 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 16 three-pointers in her first seven games, Kephart has already moved into a tie for fourth on the Nebraska freshman single-season list, and needs just eight more to climb into a tie for third.

Kephart, who has hit at least one three-pointer in six of the Huskers' seven games has produced double figures in scoring three times despite averaging just 16.0 minutes per contest.

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 energized the Huskers again against No. 13 Ohio State, pouring in 10 more points, while knocking down a career-high three three-pointers against the Buckeyes. She enters the Louisiana-Lafayette game averaging 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-leading 2.3 steals per game, despite averaging just 16.8 minutes per contest.

Hardy has become a dangerous weapon from long range in Nebraska's last two games, connecting on 5-of-7 three-pointers to improve to 6-of-13 on the season for a team-best 46.2 percent accuracy from beyond the arc.

Hardy, who has produced double-figure points in three of her first four games, 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., ranks second on the team with her 48.5 field-goal percentage (16-33), trailing only fellow freshman Jessica Gerhart's 52.2 percent (12-23).

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 nine rebounds against Mississippi. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, is averaging 5.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game through her first seven contests and leads the Huskers by shooting 52.2 percent (12-23) from the field.

Chelsea Aubry, 6-2, Fr., F, Kitchener, Ontario ? Chelsea Aubry is coming off a pair of strong performances in wins over Texas-Arlington and No. 13 Ohio State. 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. She added eight points and three rebounds in the win over Ohio State, including a crucial stretch where she scored six of Nebraska's eight points to close the first half. 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 5.6 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 1.3 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.0 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 Knock Off No. 13 Ohio State, 60-55
Nebraska used a tenacious defense and patient offense to knock off No. 13 Ohio State, 60-55, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night. With the win, the Huskers improved to 6-1 on the year and 4-0 at home, while Ohio State slipped to 4-1 on the season in its first road game of the year.

Senior forward Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 14 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Kiera Hardy sparked Nebraska off the bench with 10 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson added a stellar all-around game with a game-high 11 rebounds, while tying a career-high with nine assists. She also contributed six points in the victory.

Cannon-Johnson’s work on the glass helped Nebraska produce a 42-32 rebounding margin, while holding the Buckeyes to just seven offensive rebounds on the night.

Second-year Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said rebounding and defense were the keys to the victory.

"It was a great win for our program tonight, and our kids really played hard," Yori said. "The plus-10 rebound margin for the game was huge, and we played good, solid defense. We also committed just four turnovers in the second half, which gave us a chance to win."

Trailing 55-54 with 2:32 left in the game, Nebraska shut out the high-scoring Buckeyes the rest of the way to finish the game with a 6-0 run. Cannon-Johnson gave Nebraska the lead with her third three-pointer of the season and her only field goal of the night with 2:07 remaining to give NU a 57-55 edge. Senior center Katie Morse, who finished with six points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, hit one of two free throws to push the lead to 58-55 with 1:20 left, before Johnson sealed the win on her jumper with 25 seconds remaining.

Ohio State, which entered the game averaging 80 points per game as the nation’s top shooting team by connecting on 55.7 percent of its field goals, including 52.9 percent accuracy from three-point range, was held to just 42.9 percent (24-56) shooting, including a dismal 22.2 percent (2-9) from three-point range. The Buckeyes’ two three-pointers were a season low for a squad that was averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per game entering the contest.

Senior guard Caity Matter, who was the top three-point shooter in the nation with 106 three-pointers last season and entered the contest with 21 three-pointers in just four games this season, connected on just 2-of-4 three-pointers against the Huskers. Matter still managed 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, which was seven points below her season average.

"They played aggressive all night," Matter said. "They were aggressive fighting through our screens, and they were out in our faces all night and played great defense. Nebraska deserves a lot of credit."

While Matter led the Buckeyes outside, senior forward LaToya Turner kept Ohio State close by scoring 16 points and grabbing three rebounds inside. Freshman center Jessica Davenport added 10 points and six boards, but hit just 5-of-15 shots from the field thanks to a strong defensive effort from Morse.

While the Huskers shut down the Buckeyes from long range, Nebraska was firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc. NU tied a school record by hitting 10 three-pointers, including a trio of trifectas from Hardy and two each from Johnson and Jina Johansen. Six Huskers hit three-pointers against Ohio State’s zone defense in a 10-for-27 (37 percent) shooting night from long range.

In a tight game for the full 40 minutes, the biggest lead for either team was just five points. The Buckeyes bolted to a quick 7-2 lead, as Turner scored OSU’s first five points. The Huskers answered to tie the score at 7-7 on a Margaret Richards three-pointer with 14:44 left in the first half. The Buckeyes pushed the lead back to five points at 23-18 with 3:43 left, before freshman Chelsea Aubry caught fire. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored six of Nebraska’s final eight points of the half, and the NU defense held Ohio State scoreless for the final 3:43 of the half, as the Huskers took a 24-23 halftime lead.

Davenport scored OSU’s first four points of the second half to give the Buckeyes a 27-24 edge with 19:05 left, before Nebraska answered with a 10-2 run on the strength of back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson and Johansen and back-to-back field goals by Morse.

Nebraska led 34-29 with 15:56 left, but Ohio State responded with a 9-0 run to take a 38-34 lead with 12:53 remaining in the game. OSU carried the five-point margin at 51-46 with 7:21 remaining, before Johnson responded with back-to-back jumpers, including a three-pointer to tie the score at 51 with 5:30 left. Ohio State regained the lead at 55-54 with 2:32 remaining but much like the end of the first half, the Husker defense stiffened and shut out the Buckeyes the rest of the way.

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 seven games, Nebraska is averaging 75.4 points per game and has scored 75 or more points in four of its seven 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 time 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.

Nebraska's Notable Numbers
Nebraska's 47.7 rebounds per game lead the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +12.1 rebounding margin ranks third in the league.

The Huskers rank third in the Big 12 with 18.7 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.

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 features four NCAA Tournament teams, including the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes, whom the Huskers defeated, 60-55, on 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, highlighted 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.

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 6-1 record to improve Yori's career record to 209-161 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 268-96 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 94-60 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 4-0 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.