Huskers Open Big 12 Slate at No. 15 Oklahoma

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's basketball team (10-1) hopes to extend its eight-game winning streak while looking for its second win over a top-15 team this season when the Huskers travel to Norman, Okla., to take on the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Huskers' game with the Sooners 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 - on a subscription basis on HuskersNside.

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Nebraska heads into Big 12 Conference play riding the thrill of five consecutive last-minute victories, including wins over No. 13 Ohio State (60-55), Louisiana-Lafayette (61-59), Creighton (70-62), Rice (59-56) and St. Bonaventure (69-62).

The Huskers have been dominant in the closing minutes of games in recent weeks. During NU's eight-game winning streak, the Huskers have outscored the opposition 61-30 in the final four minutes. Nebraska has won seven of those games by eight points or less and trailed with four minutes remaining in three of those contests.

Nearly every Husker has contributed individual heroics during NU's eight-game winning streak, but senior Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's most frequent contributor. 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 has also provided plenty of highlights. 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.

Kiera Hardy has been Nebraska's top contributor off the bench. The 5-6 freshman guard from Kansas City, Mo., has averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 18.8 minutes per game. In the win at Rice, Hardy sparked the Huskers in the second half with nine straight points on three consecutive three-pointers to turn a 37-37 tie into a 46-37 lead in just 1:10. She added a pair of free throws to amass all 11 of her points in the game in a 3:30 span. She scored all nine of her points against St. Bonaventure in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers to power the Huskers to victory. Hardy connected on 3-of-4 free throws in the final 1:02 seconds to seal the win.

Hardy isn't the only freshman playing well for the Huskers. Jessica Gerhart, a 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, carried the Huskers with 10 first-half points in the win over Rice, while Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds in the win over St. Bonaventure. During a crucial second-half stretch in the win over the Bonnies, Hardy, Gerhart and Aubry combined for 15 straight points to turn a 35-35 tie into a 50-43 Nebraska lead.

Scouting the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (10-1)
The Oklahoma Sooners head into the Big 12 Conference season after a stellar 10-1 non-conference season. The Sooners' only loss came at the hands of then-No. 2 Tennessee (71-55) in Norman, Okla., on Dec. 21. Since then, OU has produced back-to-back wins over Illinois (70-53) and Wichita State (89-50) at the 12,000-seat Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners have been bolstered this season by the return of senior forward Caton Hill, who missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury. Hill is averaging 14.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while senior guard Maria Villarroel has contributed 14.5 points and 5.1 boards per contest.

Junior guard Dionnah Jackson has added 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and a team-leading 5.1 assists per game. She also leads OU with 2.4 steals per contest.

Sophomore Beky Preston has joined Hill, Villarroel and Jackson in the starting lineup in each of the first 11 games. The 6-3 center is averaging 6.7 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game.

Freshman Erin Higgins, who missed all but three games last season after suffering a knee injury, started OU's first nine games this season, but did not play in the wins over Illinois or Wichita State because of an injury. Higgins is averaging 5.4 points and 1.9 boards per game and is expected to start against NU. Lauren Shoush replaced Higgins in the lineup in the wins over the Illini and Shockers.

Nebraska's series with Oklahoma is tied at 21, but the Sooners have won five straight games, including a pair of wins over the Huskers last season. NU opened Big 12 play with a 57-43 loss to OU in Lincoln on Jan. 11, 2003, before closing its season at the Big 12 Tournament with a 71-51 loss to the Sooners in Dallas on March 11, 2003.

The Huskers have not defeated Oklahoma in Norman since Feb. 14, 1998. OU coach Sherri Coale owns a 5-3 record against Nebraska after starting her career 0-3 against the Huskers.

10-1 Huskers Off to Best Start in School History
Nebraska has matched its best 11-game start in school history after closing the non-conference season with a 10-1 record. The Huskers' start matches its 10-1 starts in 1998-99 and 1996-97.

The Huskers went on to a 16-1 mark during the 1996-97 season before finishing the year with a 19-9 record, while NU improved to 11-1 in 1998-99 before finishing the year with a 21-12 overall record.

Nebraska enters Big 12 Conference play on an eight-game winning streak, which is tied for the second-longest winning streak in school history. The Huskers have reeled off eight straight wins on four other occasions in history. The 1996-97 Huskers produced the longest winning streak in the school record books with a nine-game streak to open the season before losing to Big 12 rival Colorado, 65-59, on Jan. 4, 1997.

After the loss to the Buffaloes, the 1996-97 Huskers closed their non-conference season with a 68-47 victory over Minnesota to finish with a perfect 10-0 record in non-conference action. That season marks the only year that the Huskers finished with a better non-league mark than this season. NU opened the 1998-99 season with an 11-1 record in non-conference play, but ended its non-league schedule with a 77-66 loss at Louisville to finish with an 11-2 mark.

Nebraska Rolls into Big 12 Play with Eight Straight Wins
The Huskers head to Oklahoma riding an eight-game streak that has been filled with thrilling finishes and a trio of victories away from the Devaney Center. A road win over Oklahoma would give the Huskers their ninth consecutive win, which would tie for the longest winning streak in school history.

Nebraska enjoyed the best December in school history by posting a perfect 6-0 record during the month. The only other undefeated December in program history came in 1996-97, when NU went 4-0 for the month.

Entering the Jan. 7 game in Norman, Okla., the Huskers have gone undefeated for 40 days. The only longer unbeaten streak in school history also came in 1996-97, when Nebraska opened the season 9-0 from Nov. 22 to Dec. 21, then took 14 days off before losing to Big 12 foe Colorado in Lincoln on Jan. 4, 1997.

The Huskers' eight-game winning streak this season has been filled with close calls. Nebraska has won each of its last five games by eight points or less, including a two-point win over Louisiana-Lafayette (61-59), a three-point victory at Rice (59-56) and a five-point win over No. 13 Ohio State (60-55). Nebraska also opened the winning streak with a three-point win over Eastern Kentucky (78-75), before knocking off Washington State in Pullman (64-56).

Nebraska is 7-1 in games decided by eight points or less this season, and all seven victories have come during its current eight-game winning streak. The Huskers are just three points away from being undefeated. NU's only loss was a 69-66 setback to Mississippi in the opening round of the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 28.

NU Men and Women Combine for Best Start in History The Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams are off to the best combined start in school history during the 2003-04 season. The two teams have combined for a 19-2 record to open the season, including a 10-1 women's record and a 9-1 men's mark. The men, who played their final non-conference game of the season against St. Francis (Pa.) on Jan. 6 in Lincoln, own wins over Arizona State, Tennessee, Minnesota and South Florida, while the women's record has been highlighted by victories over No. 13 Ohio State, Creighton and Rice. The combined 18-2 mark through each of their first 10 games surpassed the best 20-game combined start in the history of the two programs, which came in 1995-96 with a 17-3 record, as the women went 9-1 and the men opened 8-2. NU's previous best 22-game start occurred on four occasions with a combined 18-4 record.

The previous best combined 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.

Husker Defense Dominating in Late-Game Situations
During Nebraska's eight-game winning streak the Huskers have been dominant in the final four minutes of each game. Over the last eight contests, Nebraska has outscored the opposition 61-30 in the final four minutes, winning seven of those games by eight points or less. NU trailed with four minutes left in three of those eight contests.

Nebraska's defense has been nearly impenetrable in the closing minutes of the last eight 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. In the win over St. Bonaventure, NU outscored the Bonnies 9-6 in the final four minutes while hitting 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch.

Even during Nebraska's only lopsided victory during its eight-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.

Nebraska Shooters Laying it on the Line
One of the strengths of this year's Nebraska squad has been its ability to score big at the free throw line. Through the first 11 games, the Huskers are shooting a Big 12-leading 76.3 percent at the line, but even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 183-90 at the stripe. If the season ended today, Nebraska's percentage would rank as the second-best mark in school history, trailing only the 79.0 free throw percentage by the 1981-82 team.

The Huskers have been even better from the line during clutch situations over the past seven games. NU, which is a perfect 7-0 over the last seven games, has hit 53-of-66 second-half free throws (80.3 percent) during the streak, including 37-of-45 free throws (82.2 percent) in the final four minutes of those games.

Nebraska, which has attempted 87 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 40 fewer fouls than its opponents, and only two Huskers (Margaret Richards vs. Wofford; Heather Kephart vs. Mississippi) have fouled out of games so far this season.

Margaret Richards has led Nebraska at the line this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., is shooting 81.5 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (53) and attempted (65).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.6-8.2 (+8.4) per game at the free throw line, compared to a 12.8-12.0 (+0.8) scoring edge at the line last season.

Huskers Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to Nebraska's early season success has been the Huskers' aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks second in the Big 12 by averaging 46.7 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-10.5 team rebounding margin. The Huskers are one of six teams in the Big 12 with a double-figure rebounding edge. The school record for team rebound margin is plus-8.6 boards per game, set in 1997-98.

Nebraska has outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents, including a plus-34 rebound margin (60-26) in the season-opening win over Wofford. The Huskers have owned a double-figure rebounding edge in seven of their first 11 games this season.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 16.3 offensive boards per game. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in eight of its first 11 games.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, who ranks third in the Big 12 in rebounding, has been Nebraska's leader on the boards. The 5-10 guard is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game, just 0.1 rebound behind Big 12 co-rebounding leaders Evan Unrau (Missouri) and Trisha Skibbe (Oklahoma State). Margaret Richards has added 7.6 rebounds per game to rank seventh in the league in rebounding. At 5-9, Richards is the shortest player in the conference ranked among the top 20 players in rebounding. She also ranks second on the squad with 31 offensive rebounds this year.

Center Katie Morse has added 7.5 rebounds per game, including a team-high 32 offensive rebounds on the season.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's leader through 11 games, averaging 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 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. 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 points in eight of Nebraska's 11 games, while adding three double-figure rebounding efforts.

Richards ranks 19th in the Big 12 in scoring and seventh 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). She owns 759 career points, 406 rebounds, 169 assists, 105 steals and 21 blocked shots. 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 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 is averaging 10.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the Big 12. At just 5-10, she is the shortest Big 12 player ranked among the top five in the league in rebounding. She owns two double-doubles this season and eight in her career. 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 11th in the Big 12 and second on the team with 4.1 assists per game, while leading the Huskers with 19 total steals, which is just outside of the top 15 players in the league. She ranks 25th in the Big 12 and third 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 NU in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (2.1 spg) 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. She 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 in 2001-02.

In just her second season on the court at Nebraska, Cannon-Johnson owns 467 career points, 328 rebounds, 153 assists, 75 steals and 22 blocked shots.

Alexa Johnson enters the Oklahoma contest averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game after a 16-point effort in the win over St. Bonaventure. Nebraska's top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in seven of the Huskers' first 11 games. She 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 NU's 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 Big 12 statistics, Johnson ranks 22nd in the league in scoring average. Last season, she 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.

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 is coming off her second double-double of the season and fifth of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win over St. Bonaventure. She opened the season by scoring 16 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds 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 Oklahoma game averaging 8.9 points, while ranking third on the team and ninth in the Big 12 with 7.5 rebounds per game. She also leads the club and is tied for sixth in the conference with 1.6 blocks per game. Morse ranks seventh on Nebraska's career list with 65 blocks and needs just one more to move into a tie for sixth with Rissa Taylor (1990-93).

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 has provided a steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.6 points and a team-leading 4.5 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the Big 12. Johansen matched her season high with seven points in the win over St. Bonaventure, after grabbing a season-best six rebounds in the win over Rice. In Nebraska's win over Texas-Arlington, she tied her season high with 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.

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

Despite missing the last three games, Kephart still leads the Huskers with 17 made three-pointers to rank fourth on Nebraska's single-season three-point chart for freshmen. In her absence, fellow freshman Kiera Hardy has picked up her pace from long range. Hardy has knocked down 12 three-pointers and leads the Huskers by shooting at a 42.9 percent clip from beyond the arc. Hardy needs just four more three-pointers to crack Nebraska's top five on the freshman single-season three-point list. Overall, Nebraska's five freshmen are averaging 24.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in 62.4 minutes per game.

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, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

Hardy has helped the Huskers to a perfect 8-0 record when she is in the lineup, and has scored in double figures in four of her first eight games, while scoring nine or more points six times, including a nine-point effort in the Huskers' win over St. Bonaventure. She scored all nine of her points against the Bonnies in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers. She also knocked down 3-of-4 free throws in the final 1:02 to seal the victory.

Hardy also 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 12-of-28 three-pointers on the season for a 42.9 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, which is on pace to set the NU freshman record. It would also rank among the top 10 in the Big 12, but Hardy will not meet the 75 percent of team games played standard until the Oklahoma contest. Her 12 three-pointers rank second on the team behind fellow freshman Heather Kephart (17), and Hardy needs just four more threes to crack the Husker freshman single-season top five in that category.

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, produced double figures in scoring three times despite averaging just 15.4 minutes per contest.

Chelsea Aubry has been a solid contributor both offensively and defensively for the Huskers in her first season. She enters the Oklahoma game averaging 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game after notching one of her best performances of the season in the win over St. Bonaventure. Aubry produced her third double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points, while adding five rebounds, a career-high tying two assists and her first career three-pointer against the Bonnies.

The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, has come on strong the last six games, averaging 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, including a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes in the win over Texas-Arlington.

In the win over No. 13 Ohio State, Aubry added eight points and three rebounds, 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 has hit 80 percent (20-25) of her free throws this season.

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.

The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, added six second-half points on 3-of-5 shooting in the win over St. Bonaventure to increase her season averages to 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Gerhart's 57.5 field goal percentage leads the Huskers and would tie for fourth in the Big 12 with Kansas State All-American Nicole Ohlde, but Gerhart has not met the minimum requirement of 3.0 made field goals per game. Gerhart is averaging 2.1 field goals per contest.

Gerhart nearly notched a double-double in her debut by scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds in the Huskers' win over Wofford. She got even closer with a career-high 10 points and nine boards against Mississippi.

Omaha Marian graduate Andrea Lightfoot has continued to improve in all phases of the game in her first season with the Huskers. The 5-8 guard is averaging 1.0 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists while playing 7.5 minutes per contest.

Lightfoot connected on her third career field goal while tying her career high with two rebounds in the win over St. Bonaventure. An excellent ball-handler and decision-maker, she owns a 1.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 10 assists and just six turnovers on the season.

Lightfoot has played in all 11 games for the Huskers this season and is a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She hit her first career three-pointer to set a career best with three points in NU's win over Washington State. She played a career-high 15 minutes in the Huskers' season-opening victory over Wofford.

Huskers Stretch Streak to Eight with Win Over Bonnies
The Huskers overcame poor first-half shooting and found a way to win their eighth straight game to improve to 10-1 on the year with a 69-62 win over St. Bonaventure in front of 2,391 fans at the Devaney Center on Saturday afternoon.

Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 16 points, while Katie Morse added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for Nebraska, which improved to 7-0 at home this season. St. Bonaventure fell to 4-7 on the season. Stefanie Collins led the Bonnies with 20 points, while Tory Vyborny added 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

With the Huskers clinging to a 62-60 lead with 1:45 left in the game, Morse knocked down a pair of free throws to give Nebraska a four-point edge. Margaret Richards, who finished with just four points but added 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists, knocked down two more free throws to give NU a 66-60 lead with 1:16 left.

St. Bonaventure's Lyndsey Maurer connected on a jumper to cut the lead back to four points with 1:07 remaining, before NU freshman guard Kiera Hardy hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute to seal Nebraska's fifth straight win by eight points or less. For the game, Nebraska hit 17-of-20 free throws, including 7-of-8 attempts in the final two minutes.

Along with the three big free throws from Hardy down the stretch, the freshman from Kansas City, Mo., also hit a pair of big three-pointers in the second half to help the Huskers. She finished with nine points, four rebounds and two assists. But Hardy wasn't the only freshman making a major contribution. Forward Chelsea Aubry scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Jessica Gerhart scored all six of her points in the second half. She also added four rebounds.

During a crucial stretch in the second half, Hardy, Aubry and Gerhart combined for 15 straight points for the Huskers to turn a game tied at 35 into a 50-43 Nebraska lead with 8:35 left in the contest.

The Huskers used a 13-2 surge midway through the first half to race to a 10-point lead before carrying a 29-26 edge over the Bonnies into the locker room at halftime.

Johnson led the Huskers with eight points and two rebounds, while Morse added seven points and seven rebounds in the first half. Johnson and Morse were the only two Huskers finding much shooting success in the first half, as NU hit just 11-of-40 shots from the field (26.8 percent), including a dismal 1-of-13 effort from three-point range.

In the second half, Nebraska heated up from the field, shooting 48.1 percent (13-27), including 50 percent (3-6) from three-point range. NU was also 11-of-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line in the second half. The Huskers outrebounded the Bonnies 51-41, marking the 11th straight game that NU has outrebounded the opposition.

Nebraska's Notable Numbers
The Huskers lead the Big 12 with their 76.3 free throw percentage, after shooting 68.8 percent from the free throw line last season. NU's percentage currently ranks second on the Husker single-season charts, trailing only their 79.0 percent accuracy in 1981-82. Nebraska has outscored the opposition, 183-90, at the line through 11 games this season (16.6-8.2).

Nebraska's 46.7 rebounds per game rank second in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +10.5 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the league. NU has outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents.

NU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 17.2 assists per game, and seventh in the Big 12 with 4.9 three-pointers made per game. Last season, the Huskers 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 Continue to Receive Votes in AP Poll
Nebraska earned votes in the Associated Press Top 25 for the fourth consecutive week when the rankings were released on Monday, Jan. 5. The Huskers earned five votes this week to sit in a tie for 37th nationally with Florida.

The Huskers received a season-high eight votes in the Dec. 29 edition of the poll, which ranked 36th nationally. NU earned seven votes on Dec. 22, after debuting in the Dec. 15 edition of the poll with four votes (40th).

Nebraska earned its spot among the teams receiving votes after back-to-back wins over then-No. 13 Ohio State (Dec. 12) and Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 14) at the Devaney Center. That pair of victories helped NU improve to 7-1 on the season, and since then, the Huskers have reeled off three more wins to improve to 10-1 on the season, matching the best start in school history.

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 closing non-league play with a 69-62 win over 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 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.

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 11th in the media poll and 12th 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 10-1 record to improve Yori's career record to 213-161 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 271-96 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 94-60 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 7-0 at home in 2003-04, and have already surpassed its home victory total from 2002-03.

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.