Huskers Return Home After Successful Road Trip

The Nebraska women's basketball team (4-1) returns to the Bob Devaney Sports Center after a successful three-game road trip to take on the University of Texas-Arlington Lady Mavs on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

The Huskers' game with Texas-Arlington (2-3) 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 live stats can also 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 come home after running to a 2-1 road record, including a 64-56 win over Washington State in Pullman, Wash., on Thursday night.

Freshman Heather Kephart shot the Huskers to victory by knocking down five three-pointers to finish with a game-high 15 points. Kephart hit four consecutive three-pointers midway through the second half to help the Huskers come back from a seven-point second-half deficit.

Senior guard Margaret Richards played another solid game at Washington State, scoring 13 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists in the win. Richards, who leads the Huskers with 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic, by averaging 21.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in two tournament contests.

Senior Alexa Johnson has continued to provide a consistent scoring threat for the Huskers after notching 11 points in Pullman. The 6-1 forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., ranks second on the team with 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.

Texas-Arlington comes to Lincoln for the first time in school history after suffering three consecutive defeats, including a 73-43 loss at No. 21 TCU on Tuesday. The Lady Mavs, who own a 2-3 overall record, are led by junior forward Rola Ogunoye who earned Southland Conference Player-of-the-Week honors on Monday. Ogunoye is averaging 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for Coach Donna Capps and the Lady Mavs.

Kephart Keeps Connecting from Long Range
Freshman Heather Kephart hit a career-high five three-pointers, including four in the second half to shoot the Huskers to victory at Washington State. Kephart, who ranks among the Big 12 leaders with 3.0 made three-pointers per game, has already earned a spot in the NU record books this season.

The 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., has hit 15 three-pointers in her first five games to tie for fifth among freshmen on the Nebraska single-season charts. Kephart's five three-pointers against Washington State tied for eighth overall on the Nebraska single-game list.

Kephart has hit at least one three-pointer in each of her first five games, including four trifectas in a career-opening 16-point performance in Nebraska's win over Wofford on Nov. 21. Kephart's 16-point effort against Wofford tied for the fifth-best total by a freshman in a career-opening performance.

The all-time scoring leader in the history of Oklahoma high school basketball, Kephart produced 2,747 points in her four-year prep career. Through her first five games at Nebraska, Kephart ranks third among the Huskers with 10.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.

Scouting the Texas-Arlington Lady Mavs

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 7:05 p.m. Texas-Arlington comes to Lincoln with a 2-3 record after falling to No. 21 TCU, 73-43, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday.

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. She earned her first start of the season in the loss to TCU, and has started 52 games in her career. The two-time second-team All-Southland Conference pick is averaging 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per contest, while hitting 46.4 percent (26-56) 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, ranks third on the team with 8.2 points and 2.0 assists per game. LaToya Lewis, a 5-8 senior guard, has been UTA's most effective starter, averaging 8.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Tojjinay Thompson, a 5-9 freshman forward, has added 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 2.2 steals per game. Temeckia Brown (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg), a 6-0 senior forward, and Tamesha Graves (2.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg), a 5-10 junior forward, have also been regular starters in UTA's lineup.

Krystal Buchanan, a 5-7 junior guard who leads the team with 4.0 assists per game while adding 4.2 points per game, has made four starts, while 5-4 sophomore guard KaShayla Hawkins (6.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg) has also earned one start for the Lady Mavs.

Texas-Arlington is averaging 65.2 points per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the field, including a solid 39.3 percent (35-89) from three-point range. The Lady Mavs have been outrebounded 36.6-34.4 per game, but hold a plus-2.6 team turnover margin. However, opponents have managed 67.2 points per game on UTA by shooting 44.6 percent from the field, including a solid 34.2 percent (27-79) from three-point range. The Lady Mavs have also been outscored at the free throw line, 77-59.

Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between Nebraska and Texas-Arlington in women's basketball.

Huskers Help Toys for Tots
The U.S. Marines will be collecting unwrapped Christmas gifts and cash donations at the entrances of the Bob Devaney Sports Center when Nebraska plays host to Texas-Arlington on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to bring their gifts to the Devaney Center and drop them off with Marine volunteers who will distribute the gifts to youngsters in the Lincoln community.

The Nebraska Athletic Department is proud to join the U.S. Marines in helping to making the Christmas season brighter for Lincoln's youth.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Alexa Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F, Hacienda Heights, Calif. ? Alexa Johnson comes back to the Devaney Center averaging 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game after solid performances over the last three games, including 11 points and four rebounds at Washington State on Thursday night. Johnson played well 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.

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 Texas-Arlington game averaging 7.4 points, a team-leading 8.4 rebounds and a team-best 2.2 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 among the top 10 players 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 Texas-Arlington game averaging 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She has also pitched in 4.4 assists per game and ranks among the top 10 players in the Big 12 in rebounding and 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 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. Richards added a gutsy performance with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes despite battling illness at Washington State. She enters the Texas-Arlington game averaging a team-leading 15.4 points per game, while ranking third on the team with 7.4 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. 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.

Richards ranks among the top 10 players in the league in scoring and 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 steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.6 points and a team-leading 4.8 assists per game, which ranks among the top five players in the Big 12. In Nebraska's win at Washington State on Thursday night, 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 five games, the freshman are contributing 26.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

Heather Kephart, 5-8, Fr., G, Canute, Okla. ? Heather Kephart has provided the biggest contribution by a freshman through five games, averaging 10.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 15 three-pointers. Kephart, who is shooting 46.9 percent (15-32) 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 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 five 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 has hit at least two three-pointers in each of Nebraska's first five games, has produced double figures in scoring three of her first five games despite averaging just 17.8 minutes per contest.

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 or the trip to Washington State 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 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through her first five contests and is shooting a team-best 52.4 percent (11-21) from the field.

Chelsea Aubry, 6-2, Fr., F, Kitchener, Ontario ? Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, has added 3.8 points and 2.2 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 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She is a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and is coming off a career-high three-point effort in the win over Washington State when she hit her first career three-pointer.

Huskers Come Back to Conquer Cougars
Heather Kephart connected on a career-high five three-pointers to shoot the Huskers to a 64-56 come-from-behind win over Washington State at the Friel Center in Pullman, Wash., on Thursday night.

Kephart, a 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., hit 5-of-7 three-pointers to finish with 15 points to lead all scorers and help the Huskers improve to 4-1 on the season. Senior guard Margaret Richards added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists despite battling illness, while Alexa Johnson pitched in 11 points and four boards in the win.

The Huskers, who handed the 3-2 Cougars their first home loss of the season, trailed by as many as seven points at 39-32 with 16:54 remaining in the game, before Kephart came off the bench to shoot NU into the lead.

Kephart connected on the first of four consecutive second-half three-pointers with 11:10 left in the game to cut the WSU lead to 41-40. She hit her third three-pointer of the game to tie the score at 43 with 10:32 left, before notching her fourth three of the night at the 9:58 mark to give NU a 46-43 advantage. She completed her 12-point run by hitting her final trifecta of the game with 7:39 remaining to push Nebraska's lead to 49-44.

Washington State answered Kephart's surge as Charmaine Jones hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Cougars the lead back at 52-51 with 4:39 left. But Keasha Cannon-Johnson hit her second three-pointer of the season to give Nebraska the lead for good with 4:08 left. Cannon-Johnson, who finished with nine points and seven rebounds, added a clutch jumper two minutes later to extend NU's lead to six points, before Jina Johansen sealed the win with four straight free throws in the final 41 seconds.

The Huskers raced to a 10-5 lead in the first six minutes of the game by hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field, but then hit just four of their next 20 attempts, as Washington State gained control. The Cougars took their first lead of the game at 15-13 with 11:12 remaining in the first half and carried a 30-28 advantage into the locker room at intermission.

For the game, Nebraska shot just 36.8 percent (21-57) from the field, but the Huskers tied their season high with seven three-pointers and connected on 88.2 percent (15-17) of their shots at the free throw line. The Huskers also outrebounded the Cougars, 42-40.

Washington State hit a season-high eight three-pointers, after entering the game with just nine total three-pointers in its first four games this season. The Cougars hit 34.4 percent (22-64) from the field, but knocked down just 50 percent (4-8) of their free throws. Both teams committed 18 turnovers.

Jessica Perry was the only Cougar to manage double figures, finishing with 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers on the night.

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 five games, Nebraska is averaging 77.4 points per game and has scored 75 or more points in three of its five 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 49.4 rebounds per game ranks among the best in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +13.0 rebounding margin also ranks among the top teams in the league.

The Huskers rank among the top teams in the Big 12 with 18.4 assists per game, while ranking third in the conference with 5.8 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 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.

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 free throw attempts the previous night against Mississippi. Richards' 32 free throw attempts in consecutive games are the most in school history.

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 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 4-1 record to improve Yori's career record to 207-161 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 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 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.