Huskers Head West to Clash with Washington State

Lincoln - The Nebraska women's basketball team (3-1) concludes its three-game road swing by traveling to Pullman, Wash., to clash with the Washington State Cougars (3-1) on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 9 p.m. Central time.

Nebraska's game with Washington State 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.

The Huskers head to Washington State after splitting a pair of games at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 28-29. Nebraska rebounded from a 69-66 opening-round loss to Mississippi on Nov. 28, with a 78-75 win over Eastern Kentucky to claim third place in the four-team tournament.

Senior Margaret Richards enjoyed two of the best games of her career in Memphis, posting her fourth career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the win over EKU. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., opened the tournament with a 19-point, nine-rebound performance against Ole Miss to earn a spot on the all-tournament team.

Richards heads to Washington as Nebraska's leading scorer, averaging 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Senior Alexa Johnson also produced a solid tournament in Memphis, averaging 18.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, including her first 20-point performance of the season with 20 points in the loss to Mississippi. The 6-1 forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., ranks second on the team with 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.

The Cougars opened the season with three straight wins to surpass their victory total from the entire 2002-03 season, when WSU went 2-26 and 1-17 in the Pac-10 Conference. Washington State suffered its first loss with a 76-39 setback at Baylor on Nov. 29. The Huskers have never faced Washington State.

Richards Rises to Occasion in Tournament Play
Senior Margaret Richards erupted for one of the best games of her career with her 23-point, 10-rebound effort in Nebraska's win over Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 29. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., fell just two points shy of her career high and just one rebound short of her all-time mark in that category on her way to her fourth career double-double.

Richards' effort against the Colonels came just 24 hours after scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds against Mississippi. She averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the tournament to earn a spot on the all-tournament team in the four-team Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic hosted by the University of Memphis.

Richards' placement on the all-tournament squad marked the third time in her career that she was named one of the top players in a regular-season tournament. Last season, Richards earned a spot on the Surf & Slam Hoop Classic All-Tournament Team on the strength of a 20-point, 11-rebound performance against the hosts from San Diego in the opening round. She also claimed a spot on the Time Warner Cable Classic All-Tournament Team in her first season on the court in 2000. Richards earned most valuable player honors at the Huskers' home tournament that season.

A Quick Look at Washington State (3-1)
Nebraska will take to the road for its first true road game of the season when the Huskers battle the Washington State Cougars at Friel Court (12,058) in Pullman, Wash., on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 9 p.m. Central time.

The Cougars head into the contest with a 3-1 overall record after suffering a 76-39 loss at Baylor on Nov. 29 in Waco, Texas. The loss ended Washington State's three-game winning streak to open the season, but the Cougars have already passed their victory total from all of last season. Washington State finished 2002-03 with a 2-26 overall record and a 1-17 Pac-10 Conference finish.

Second-year coach Sherri Murrell has the Cougars' confidence on the rise. Senior forward Bianca McCall has been the leader for the Cougars this season, averaging 11.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The 6-1 native of Santa Rosa, Calif., is WSU's top returning scorer from last season when she averaged 13.1 points and 8.1 boards per game.

Freshman forward Kate Benz has given the Cougars a boost inside, averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 boards per game.

While the Cougars have received solid point production inside, their guards have struggled to score, as their starting backcourt of Lindsey Egeland, Jessica Perry and Adriane Ferguson have combined to score just 16.3 points per game.

As a team, Washington State is averaging 56.5 points per contest, while allowing the opposition to score 58.8 points for a minus-2.3 scoring margin. WSU is hitting just 39.1 percent from the field, including just 25.7 percent from three-point range. Washington State's opponents are hitting 42.2 percent of their field goal attempts, including 27.8 percent of their three-point attempts.

Washington State has also lost the battle of the boards with the opposition, owning a plus-8.0 rebound margin. The Cougars have also committed an average of 21 turnovers per game.

Thursday's game will be the first meeting between Washington State and Nebraska. The last time Nebraska played in the state of Washington was Dec. 6, 2000, when the Huskers fell to the University of Washington, 69-57, in Seattle.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Alexa Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F, Hacienda Heights, Calif. ? Alexa Johnson heads to Washington State averaging 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game after a solid performance in two games at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 28-29. Johnson scored 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. For the season, Johnson has been one of Nebraska's top shooters from the field, hitting 48.9 percent (23-47) of her field goal attempts, including 42.9 percent (3-7) from three-point range.

In the Big 12 Conference statistics released Dec. 1, Johnson was tied for ninth in the league in scoring average, while tying for 15th in rebounding.

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 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 Washington State game averaging 8.0 points, a team-leading 8.3 rebounds and a team-best 2.8 blocks per game. She ranks ninth on Nebraska's career list with 58 blocks and needs just five more to move into a tie for seventh with Karen Jennings and Pyra Aarden (63). She leads the Big 12 in blocks per game, while ranking in a tie for sixth with Keasha Cannon-Johnson 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.

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. She enters the Washington State game averaging 10.3 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds per game. She has also pitched in 4.3 assists per game. In the Big 12 Conference statistices (Dec. 1), Cannon-Johnson was tied for sixth in the league in rebounding with teammate Katie Morse, while ranking eighth in the conference in assists. Cannon-Johnson opened the year by scoring a season-high 16 points in the win over Wofford.

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 is coming off a strong performance 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. Richards heads to Washington State averaging a team-best 16.0 points per game, while ranking third on the team with 7.8 boards per game. 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.

In the Dec. 1 Big 12 Conference statistics, Richards ranked sixth in the league in scoring and 10th in rebounding. 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. 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.

Jina Johansen, 5-7, Jr., G, Dannebrog, Neb. ? Jina Johansen has provided a steadying play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.5 points and a team-leading 5.5 assists per game, which ranks third in the Big 12 Conference. Johansen, who is shooting 45.5 percent (5-11) from the field, including 50 percent (2-4) from three-point range, also ranks second on the team with 30.3 minutes per game.

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 four games, the freshman are contributing 22.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Heather Kephart, 5-8, Fr., G, Canute, Okla. ? Heather Kephart has provided the biggest contribution by a freshman through four games, averaging 9.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 10 three-pointers. Kephart, who is shooting 40 percent (10-25) 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 that scored 16 or more points in a career-opening performance went on to score 1,000 or more points in their Nebraska careers. With 10 three-pointers in her first four games, Kephart needs just five more this season to crack NU's top five single-season list for three-pointers made by a freshman.

Kiera Hardy, 5-6, Fr., G, Kansas City, Mo. ? 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 leads the freshmen with 10.5 points per game. She also earned a second-half start in the opener against Wofford. Unfortunately, Hardy did not make the trip to Memphis for the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic because of illness.

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 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game through her first four contests and is shooting a team-best 52.6 percent (10-19) from the field.

Chelsea Aubry, 6-2, Fr., F, Kitchener, Ontario ? Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, has added 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, including an 11-point, five-rebound performance in Nebraska's season-opening victory over Wofford.

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, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. She is a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Huskers Take Third at Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic
Margaret Richards produced one of the best games of her career by scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead Nebraska to a 78-75 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the consolation game of the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic at The Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday.

Richards' 23 points were just two shy of her career high, while her 10 boards were just one short of her career mark in that category. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., connected on 14-of-18 free throws and helped force 32 EKU fouls to help the Huskers improve to 3-1 on the year. Her performance also earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.

Alexa Johnson added 17 points, including 15 points in the first half, to help the Huskers against the Colonels. Johnson's effort followed on the heels of a 20-point, six-rebound performance in Nebraska's opening-round 69-66 loss to Mississippi on Friday. Johnson nearly sent the game to overtime against the Rebels, but her three-pointer from the corner at the buzzer rattled in and out. Richards added 19 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Ole Miss, while freshman forward Jessica Gerhart scored a career-high 10 points and tied her career-best with eight rebounds against the Rebels.

In the win over Eastern Kentucky, Keasha Cannon-Johnson enjoyed a solid performance by scoring 13 points, pulling down nine rebounds, dishing out five assists and grabbing two steals. Heather Kephart added 11 points, including a pair of three-pointers, for her second career double-figure scoring effort.

Nebraska did a solid job on the boards in both games of the tournament, producing a 52-38 rebound margin in the loss to Ole Miss, before finishing with a 44-34 edge on the glass against Eastern Kentucky. On the flip side, the Huskers committed 41 turnovers in the tournament, while forcing just 23 turnovers by their opponents.

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 four games, Nebraska is averaging 80.8 points per game and has scored 75 or more points in three of its four 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 51.2 rebounds per game leads the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +15.8 rebounding margin ranks third in the league.

The Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with 19.75 assists per game, while ranking third in the conference with 5.5 blocked shots per game.

Nebraska is one of only four Big 12 teams averaging 80 points or more per game, as NU ranks fourth in the league with 80.8 points per contest.

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 in NU history that a 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.

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.

Looking Ahead: Scouting Texas-Arlington
After Nebraska takes on Washington State on Thursday, the Huskers will have a short turnaround to prepare for the University of Texas-Arlington Lady Mavs, who roll into the Devaney Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. Texas-Arlington heads into the week with a 2-2 record before tangling with No. 21 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m.

The Lady Mavs opened the season with a 2-0 record after notching an 87-50 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 22, and a 74-71 victory over Oral Roberts on Nov. 25. But UTA dropped back-to-back losses at SMU (74-71) and against Michigan (68-51) in the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic Nov. 28-29.

Rola Ogunoye, a 6-0 junior forward, has led the Lady Mavs in scoring and rebounding despite coming off the bench in UTA's first four games. The two-time second-team All-Southland Conference pick is averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per contest, while hitting 47.9 percent (23-48) of her field goal attempts, including her only three-pointer.

Terra Wallace, a 5-7 freshman guard who has joined Ogunoye in coming off the bench in all four games, ranks second on the team with 9.8 points and 2.3 assists per game. Tojjinay Thompson, a 5-9 freshman forward, has been UTA's most effective starter, averaging 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while 5-8 senior guard LaToya Lewis has contributed 8.3 points and 2.0 boards per contest. Temeckia Brown (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), a 6-0 senior forward, and Tamesha Graves (2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg), a 5-10 junior forward, have also appeared in the starting lineup in each of the Lady Mavs' first four games.

Krystal Buchanan, a 5-7 junior guard who leads the team with 4.8 assists per game while adding 5.3 points per game, has made three starts, while 5-4 sophomore guard KaShayla Hawkins (5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) has also earned one start for the Lady Mavs.

Texas-Arlington entered the week averaging 70.8 points per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field, including a stellar 41.4 percent (29-70) from three-point range. The Lady Mavs also own a 38.0-36.0 rebound margin, and hold a plus-4.5 team turnover margin. However, opponents have managed 65.8 points per game on UTA by shooting 45.8 percent from the field, including a solid 34.4 percent (22-64) from three-point range. The Lady Mavs have also been outscored at the free throw line, 57-46.

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 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 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 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 3-1 record to improve Yori's career record to 206-161 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 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.