Huskers Close Non-Conference Schedule on Saturday

 The Nebraska women's basketball team (9-1) hopes to extend its seven-game winning streak when the Huskers play host to St. Bonaventure (4-6) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.

The Huskers' game with the Bonnies can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network on 1400 KLIN in Lincoln with Matt Coatney handling play-by-play and Jeff Griesch adding color commentary. A live video feed can be found on the official website of Nebraska Athletics - Huskers.com - through a subscription basis on HuskersNside.

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Nebraska returns home riding the thrill of four consecutive last-minute victories, including wins over No. 13 Ohio State (60-55), Louisiana-Lafayette (61-59), Creighton (70-52) and Rice (59-56)

The Huskers have been dominant in the closing minutes of games in recent weeks. During NU's seven-game winning streak, the Huskers have outscored the opposition 52-24 in the final four minutes. Nebraska has won six of those games by eight points or less and trailed with four minutes remaining in three of the contests, including each of its last three home wins.

Senior Margaret Richards has provided plenty of late-game heroics for the Huskers this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., hit a pair of free throws in a one-and-one situation at Rice with 8.6 seconds left and NU clinging to a one-point lead. Richards' 13-point, eight-rebound effort in Houston followed on the heels of her second double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the win over Creighton. Richards scored four of Nebraska's final seven points against the Bluejays. In NU's last-minute win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 14, Richards scored the game's final six points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 54 seconds left.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson played her best all-around games of the season in Nebraska's last two home victories. The 5-10 senior guard from Kansas City, Kan., erupted for a season-high 23 points in the win over Creighton. She added a season-high four steals, while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out four assists against the Bluejays. In the win over Louisiana-Lafayette, Cannon-Johnson unleashed her second double-double of the year by scoring 13 points and yanking down a career-high 17 rebounds. Her performance followed on the heels of a six-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist effort in the win over Ohio State, when she hit the game-winning three-pointer against Ohio State with 2:07 left.

Husker Defense Dominating in Late-Game Situations
During Nebraska's seven-game winning streak the Huskers have been dominant in the final four minutes of each game. Over the last seven contests, Nebraska has outscored the opposition 52-24 in the final four minutes, winning six of those games by eight points or less. NU trailed with four minutes left in three of those seven contests, including each of the last three home games.

Nebraska's defense has been nearly impenetrable in the closing minutes of the last seven games. In the win over Creighton, Nebraska held the Bluejays without a field goal for the final 3:30 to close the game with a 13-1 run. In NU's win over Louisiana-Lafayette, the Huskers trailed 59-55 with 3:20 left before shutting out the Ragin' Cajuns the rest of the way to finish the game on a 6-0 run.

In the victory over No. 13 Ohio State, NU trailed 55-54 with 2:32 left in the contest, but shut out the Buckeyes the rest of the way and closed the game with another 6-0 run. In Nebraska's win at Washington State, NU trailed 52-51 with 4:39 left but held WSU to just two field goals down the stretch, including an uncontested jumper with three seconds left, as NU outscored the Cougars 13-4 to close the game. Although the Huskers were outscored 6-2 in the final four minutes at Rice, NU shut out the Owls for the final 47 seconds and scored the game's final two points at the free throw line to seal the victory.

Even during Nebraska's only lopsided victory during its seven-game streak, an 81-59 win over Texas-Arlington, the Huskers dominated late in the game. Leading 69-55 with 4:50 left, Nebraska shut out the Lady Mavs for the next 4:03 to take a 79-55 lead. NU outscored UTA 12-4 in the final 4:50.

Scouting the St. Bonaventure Bonnies (4-6)
St. Bonaventure comes to Lincoln with a 4-6 record after suffering back-to-back losses to Kent State (69-60) on Dec. 21 and at Siena (64-45) on Dec. 29. The Bonnies own victories over Stony Brook, Saint Francis of New York, Niagara and Marquette, while suffering losses to New Hampshire, St. Francis of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Marist.

St. Bonaventure is led on the court by junior Stefanie Collins. The 5-6 guard is one of the top shooters in the country, averaging 20.6 points per game while shooting 51.9 percent (40-77) from three-point range. However, last time out, Collins was held to a season-low five points, while connecting on just 1-of-11 shots from the field and missing all seven of her three-point attempts.

Collins is the only Bonnie averaging double figures. Senior guard Lyndsey Maurer ranks second on the squad averaging 7.7 points per game off the bench. Caitlin Crist, a 5-11 junior guard, has averaged 7.6 points per game while starting all 10 games for the Bonnies. Shannon Bodamer, a 5-5 guard, has also started all 10 games for St. Bonaventure, averaging 6.4 points per game. Senior forwards Jade Humble (5.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Becky Valenti (5.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) have led the Bonnies inside. Humble missed St. Bonaventure's first two games this season, while Valenti did not play against Siena on Dec. 29.

St. Bonaventure finished with a 6-22 overall record and a 3-13 conference mark to finish in sixth place in the Atlantic 10's East division last season. Coach Jim Crowley owns a 30-64 record in his fourth season at the St. Bonaventure, N.Y., school and a 69-102 career mark in his sixth season as a head coach.

Nebraska has never faced St. Bonaventure in women's basketball, and Husker coach Connie Yori has never faced the Bonnies on the sideline.

Husker Men and Women off to Record Starts
The Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams are off to record starts during the 2003-04 season. Both teams, which own identical 9-1 records with one game remaining in their non-conference schedules, hold a combined mark of 18-2, which surpasses the best 20-game combined start on the history of the two programs.

The previous best starts for the men's and women's basketball programs came in 1995-96, when the women opened with a 9-1 mark, and the men went 8-2 for a combined 17-3 record.

If both Husker teams can close their non-conference schedules with victories, the combined 20-2 start would better the previous combined 22-game starts of both programs, which has occurred on four occasions with a combined 18-4 record.

The previous combined best overall regular-season non-conference record by the Nebraska men's and women's basketball programs came in 1991-92, when the two teams combined to go 21-4 with the men rolling to an 11-1 mark, while the women notched a 10-3 record.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards, 5-9, Sr., G, Louisville, Ky. ? Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's leader through 10 games, averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Richards led all players with 13 points and eight rebounds at Rice, while scoring the Huskers' final four points, including a pair of free throws with 8.6 seconds left to seal NU's seventh straight victory. She produced her second double-double of the year with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the win over Creighton. Richards has produced double figures in eight of Nebraska's 10 games.

Richards ranks 17th in the Big 12 in scoring and 10th in the league in rebounding. She is the shortest Big 12 player among the top 20 players in the league in rebounding.

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

Richards has moved into sole possession of seventh on the NU charts with her 72 career three-pointers and needs nine more to catch Brooke Schwartz in sixth place (81). Richards is also 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 earned the first Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award of her career after scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds in NU's win over Louisiana-Lafaytette on Dec. 14. She added six points, including the game-winning three-pointer, a game-high 11 rebounds, and a career-high tying nine assists in the Huskers' win over No. 13 Ohio State on Dec. 12.

Cannon-Johnson followed those performances with a season-high 23 points to go along with a season-high four steals in the win over Creighton. She added eight rebounds and four assists against the Jays.

Cannon-Johnson enters the St. Bonaventure game averaging 11.4 points and a Big 12-leading 9.4 rebounds per game. At just 5-10, Cannon-Johnson is the shortest Big 12 player ranked among the top 10 in the league in rebounding. She owns two double-doubles this season and eight in her career to lead the Huskers. 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 ranks 10th in the Big 12 and second on the team with 4.3 assists per game, while leading the Huskers with 18 total steals, which is just outside of the top 15 players in the league. She ranks 24th in the Big 12 and second on the team 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 St. Bonaventure contest averaging 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Nebraska's top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in six of the Huskers' first 10 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 statistics, Johnson ranks 25th 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. 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.

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. In NU's win over Eastern Kentucky, Morse scored six points, grabbed nine rebounds and tied a school record with six blocked shots. She added a pair of double-figure scoring efforts with a 15-point, six-rebound performance in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 14, and an 11-point, six board effort in the win over Creighton on Dec. 21.

Morse heads into the St. Bonaventure game averaging 8.7 points, while ranking third on the team and 10th in the Big 12 Conference with 7.3 rebounds per game. She also leads the club and ranks ninth in the conference with 1.6 blocks per game. Morse is tied for seventh on Nebraska's career list with 63 blocks and needs just one more to move ahead of Karen Jennings and Pyra Aarden (63).

Morse had a promising junior season come to an end with a knee injury suffered in the second half of Nebraska’s 65-55 win over No. 25 Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2002. Morse, who started NU’s first seven games, was averaging 12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game before the injury.

Against Texas Southern on Dec. 9, Morse erupted for a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. She followed that performance with 18 points, 10 boards and a career-best five blocks against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 11. She added her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s season-opening win over Grambling State on Nov. 22.

Jina Johansen, 5-7, Jr., G, Dannebrog, Neb. ? Jina Johansen has provided a steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.3 points and a team-leading 4.7 assists per game, which ranks seventh 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 seven 1,000-minute seasons in NU history. Johansen played 40 minutes 10 times, while playing nearly 92 percent of NU’s possible minutes.
Johansen tied for second in the Big 12 with 5.5 assists per game, while averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 2002-03. Her 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.

One of Nebraska's top scoring freshmen, Heather Kephart, did not play in NU's wins over Creighton and Rice. She is expected to miss four to six weeks with a foot injury.

Kiera Hardy, 5-6, Fr., G, Kansas City, Mo. ? Kiera Hardy has provided a major spark for NU off the bench. Although she missed three games (Mississippi, Eastern Kentucky, Washington State) because of illness, Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

Hardy has helped the Huskers to a perfect 7-0 record when she is in the lineup, and has scored in double figures in four of her first seven games. She played a major role in NU's win at Rice, scoring nine straight points on three consecutive three-pointers in a 1:10 span to turn a tie game into a 46-37 lead midway through the second half. She finished with 11 points, which she scored during a 3:30 span of the second half.

Hardy scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down a career-best six rebounds in the win over Princeton. She added 10 points and three assists in just nine minutes against Texas-Arlington. She energized the Huskers again against No. 13 Ohio State, pouring in 10 more points, while establishing her career high with three three-pointers against the Buckeyes, before matching the mark at Rice.

Hardy has become a dangerous weapon from long range, connecting on 10-of-21 three-pointers on the season for a 47.6 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, which ranks in a tie for fourth in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy. Her 10 three-pointers rank second on the team behind fellow freshman Heather Kephart (17).

Heather Kephart, 5-8, Fr., G, Canute, Okla. ? Heather Kephart provided a major contribution through eight games, but is expected to miss four to six weeks with a foot injury suffered in practice on Dec. 20. She was averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 17 three-pointers before the injury. Kephart, who is shooting 37.0 percent (17-46) from long range, set her scoring standards high by erupting for 16 points in just 18 minutes in the season-opening win over Wofford. She 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 17 three-pointers in her first eight games, Kephart already ranks fourth on the Nebraska freshman single-season list, and needs just seven more to climb into a tie for third.

Kephart, who hit at least one three-pointer in seven of the Huskers' first eight games, has produced double figures in scoring three times despite averaging just 15.4 minutes per contest.

Chelsea Aubry, 6-2, Fr., F, Kitchener, Ontario ? Chelsea Aubry produced four straight solid performances in Nebraska's 4-0 home stand. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored a career-high 12 points and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds in the Huskers' win over Texas-Arlington on Dec. 6. She added eight points and three rebounds in the win over No. 13 Ohio State, including a crucial stretch where she scored six of Nebraska's eight points to close the first half. She pitched in six points, one rebound and one steal in 15 minutes against Louisiana-Lafayette, before closing the home stand with eight points and four rebounds in 22 minutes of work against Creighton.

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 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Jessica Gerhart, 6-2, Fr., F, Fenton, Iowa ? Jessica Gerhart gave the Huskers a major spark off the bench in their come-from-behind victory at Rice. Gerhart tied her career high with 10 points, all in the first half, to help the Huskers trim a nine-point deficit to just one point at the half against the Owls. Gerhart scored eight straight points for NU to spark the offense, finishing the game by hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field.

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 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game through her first 10 contests and leads the Huskers and ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference by shooting 57.1 percent (20-35) from the field.

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 0.9 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist 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 Extend Streak with 59-56 Win at Rice
Nebraska freshman guard Kiera Hardy connected on three consecutive three-pointers in a 1:10 span midway through the second half to ignite the Huskers to a 59-56 win over Rice at Aubry Court on Tuesday night.

Hardy’s offensive eruption turned a tie game into a nine-point Husker lead with 11:42 remaining in the game. Hardy, who scored all of her 11 points during a 3:30 span in the second half, helped Nebraska lead by as many as 11 points on four occasions during the second half before holding on for its seventh consecutive victory.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 9-1 on the season, while Rice fell to 3-6, despite a 10-0 run by the Owls in the final six minutes to cut the Husker lead to just one point with 47 seconds left. But Margaret Richards nailed a pair of free throws in a one-and-one situation with eight seconds left to seal the win.

Nebraska’s win over Rice allowed the Huskers to surpass their victory total for the entire 2002-03 season, when they finished with an 8-20 record. NU’s three victories away from its homecourt at the Bob Devaney Sports Center has already surpassed the Huskers’ two road wins last season.

Second-year coach Connie Yori said the Huskers continued to show their determination against the Owls.

"We feel really good about the fact that we came through despite getting down big in the first half," Yori said. "We just have a mentality that we are going to win the game right now. Our players are confident in late-game situations. They don’t panic. They just play with the poise we need to win."

Nebraska, which has won four consecutive by eight points or less during its current seven-game winning streak, struggled early in the first half, falling behind by as many as nine points at 27-18 with 3:49 left in the opening period, before closing the half with a 9-1 run to trail by just one point at the break. Freshman forward Jessica Gerhart played big minutes for the Huskers during the waning stages of the first half, tying her career high by scoring 10 first-half points. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, scored eight straight points for the Huskers during a four-minute stretch to keep NU within striking distance of the Owls.

"Jessica Gerhart gave us some great minutes in the first half," Yori said. "She really came in and took over the game for us in a situation where we didn’t have anything going for us on offense."

In the second half, it was Hardy and Richards, who carried the scoring load for Nebraska. With the score tied at 37 with 12:52 remaining in the game, Hardy buried three straight three-pointers in a span of 1:10 to give the Huskers a nine-point cushion with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game. She added a pair of free throws with 9:34 left to build NU’s lead back to nine points at 49-40, after the Owls trimmed the lead to six points.

Richards, who finished with game highs of 13 points and eight rebounds, then gave the Huskers their biggest lead at 51-40 with 8:41 remaining. Rice answered with a basket before Richards added another layup to maintain the 11-point lead. The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes before Rice rallied by scoring 10 straight points over the next 4:30 to cut the Husker lead to just one point at 57-56 with 47 seconds left. The Owls had several opportunities to score in the final minute, but NU’s defense held, and Richards closed the scoring with a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining.

Nebraska shot 40.4 percent (23-57) from the field for the game, including 42.9 percent (3-7) from three-point range, as Hardy tied her career high with a trio of three-pointers. NU also hit 10-of-13 free throws (76.9 percent), including 9-of-11 in the second half. The Huskers outrebounded Rice 45-33, to continue Nebraska’s streak of outrebounding each one of its opponents this season.

The 59 points were the fewest scored by the Huskers this season, but Nebraska held its sixth straight opponent to 62 points or less by playing stingy defense throughout the contest. Rice shot just 36.7 percent (22-60) from the field, and just 26.7 percent (3-11) from three-point range. The Owls hit 9-of-12 free throws (75 percent). Rice’s 11 blocked shots were just one shy of the Nebraska opponent record of 12 set by Missouri on two occasions.

Huskers Doling Out Defense in Decisive Fashion
The Nebraska defense has been in lock down over the past six games, holding the opposition to 62 points or less in each of the Huskers' last six victories. Not only has NU shown the ability to slow down opponents, the Huskers have displayed the ability to shut out the opposition in crucial situations.

In the win over Creighton on Dec. 21, the Huskers held the Bluejays without a field goal during the final 3:30 to close the game with a 13-1 run. NU held Creighton to just two field goals in the final 8:26 and limited CU to just a pair of two-point field goals in the final 17 minutes of the game.

In Nebraska's 60-55 win over No. 13 Ohio State on Dec. 12, the Husker defense held the potent Buckeye offense without a point over the final 2:32 to turn a 55-54 deficit into a 60-55 victory. The Huskers showed a similar ability to end the first half, closing the door on OSU for the final 3:43 to turn a 23-18 deficit into a 24-23 halftime advantage.

In the Huskers' 61-59 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 14, Nebraska held the Ragin' Cajuns scoreless for the final 3:20 to turn a 59-55 deficit into a 61-59 victory. Early in the first half, NU held the Ragin' Cajuns scoreless for 4:52 and held ULL without a field goal for 7:07 to turn a 3-0 deficit into an 18-4 lead.

In Nebraska's win at Washington State on Dec. 4, the Huskers trailed 52-51 with 4:39 remaining, but outscored the Cougars 13-4 the rest of the way, including an uncontested jumper by Adriane Ferguson with three seconds left after the outcome had already been decided.

The Huskers first produced late-game defensive heroics in a 78-75 win over Eastern Kentucky at the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29. NU led 73-72 with 3:39 remaining and held the Colonels to just one field goal the rest of the way to preserve the win.

Nebraska has already played seven games decided by eight points or less this season, and the Huskers have produced a 6-1 record in those games.

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 Dec. 12. 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 Ohio State marked the fourth time an NU team hit 10 three-pointers in a game. NU entered the game averaging 5.0 made three-pointers per game, while Ohio State averaged 9.5 made three-pointers per contest. Nebraska's defense held OSU to 2-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. NU is averaging 5.0 three-pointers per game, compared to 3.4 threes per contest last season.

Making Their Points: Huskers Score 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 10 games, Nebraska is averaging 71.8 points per game and has scored 70 or more points in five of its 10 contests. Last season, the Huskers managed 70 or more points on just five occasions all season.

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 46.3 rebounds per game rank second in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +10.6 rebounding margin ranks fifth in the league. NU has outrebounded each of its first 10 opponents.

The Huskers rank third in the Big 12 with their 75.5 free throw percentage, after shooting 68.8 percent from the free throw line last season. Nebraska has outscored the opposition, 166-80, at the line.

NU ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 17.5 assists per game, and sixth in the Big 12 with 5.0 three-pointers made per game. Last season, Nebraska averaged just 12.5 assists and 3.4 three-pointers per game.

Nebraska's 10 made three-pointers in the 60-55 win over No. 13 Ohio State tied the school record, set three other times, most recently on Feb. 4, 2001, against Iowa State. The Huskers' 27 three-point attempts against the Buckeyes rank as the third-most attempts in school history.

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.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson's career-high 17-rebound effort against Louisiana-Lafayette tied for 17th on Nebraska's single-game rebounding chart. Cannon-Johnsons' total was the highest by a Husker since Charlie Rogers grabbed 20 rebounds against Drake on Dec. 2, 1999.

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 Nebraska's 60-55 win over No. 13 Ohio State, the Huskers' home non-conference schedule also featured a 70-62 win over traditional in-state rival 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 Louisiana-Lafayette (61-59) on Dec. 14, before battling St. Bonaventure (Jan. 3) in its final non-conference matchup.

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 slate with a 59-56 win 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 Dec. 19, the women's basketball team was solidly in first place with 1,982 points to lead the second-place Nebraska women's gymnastics team by 457 points. The women's track and field team was in third with 1,360 points, while the volleyball team was in fourth with 1,261 points and the football team was in fifth with 1,236 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 9-1 record to improve Yori's career record to 212-161 in her 14th season as a collegiate coach. Yori's commitment to building Nebraska on the proper principles is paying off in her second season, as the Huskers have already surpassed their victory total from the entire 2002-03 season.

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 Dec. 19, the women's basketball team had earned 1,982 points to lead the women's gymnastics team by 457 points. The Husker women's track and field program was in third with 1,360 points, while the volleyball team (1,261) and football team (1,236) 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 270-96 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 94-60 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 6-0 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.