%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
The Nebraska women's basketball team (10-2) will play its first Big 12 Conference home game when the Huskers collide with the Iowa State Cyclones (7-4) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
The Huskers' game with the Cyclones can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network on Froggy 98.1 KFGE 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.
Husker Hot Links
For the most direct links to Nebraska women's basketball games on the internet, go to the following address through Huskers.com.
Live Video Broadcast (HuskersNside) -
https://www.huskersnside.com/PromoPage.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100
Radio Broadcast -
http://www.huskers.com/liveEvents/audioWebcasts.dbml
Live Stats -
https://www.huskersnside.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&DB_LANG=&KEY=
Nebraska had its eight-game winning streak snapped at No. 15 Oklahoma on Wednesday with a 70-51 loss to the Sooners in Norman. The Huskers led OU early and were still within striking distance, trailing by 10 points with just over seven minutes left in the game before an 11-3 Sooner surge put the game out of reach.
The Huskers will look to get back to their winning ways and improve to a perfect 8-0 at home on Saturday against the Cyclones.
Iowa State was one of two Big 12 teams that had a bye on the opening night of conference play. The Cyclones have had a full week to prepare for the Huskers since ISU's 72-55 victory over Eastern Illinois in Ames on Jan. 3.
The Cyclones will be making their first trip away from Hilton Coliseum in exactly one month since getting blown out by the Drake Bulldogs, 61-36, in Des Moines on Dec. 10. ISU is 5-1 at home with its only loss coming to a solid Washington squad on Dec. 21, but the Cyclones are just 2-3 away from Hilton Coliseum, including a 1-2 mark in true away games.
While Iowa State has struggled on the road, the Huskers have been nearly untouchable at the Devaney Center, running to a perfect 7-0 mark during the non-conference season. Nebraska is outscoring the opposition by an average of 16.6 points per game at home through seven contests this season, but has definitely shown the ability to win tight games with each of their last four home victories coming by eight points or less.
Although Nebraska has experienced success at home this season, Iowa State has also had plenty of positive experiences at the Devaney Center in recent years. The Cyclones escaped Lincoln with a 58-53 victory on Jan. 25, 2003, to extend their Devaney Center winning streak to four games. Overall, Iowa State owns a 10-game winning streak in the series against the Huskers with Nebraska's last win over the Cyclones coming on Feb. 7, 1999. No current Husker has experienced a win over Iowa State.
A veteran Nebraska lineup will try to change that on Saturday. Senior guard Margaret Richards leads three Huskers averaging in double figures with 11.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson has contributed 11.1 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Alexa Johnson has pitched in 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while senior center Katie Morse is knocking on the door of double figures with 9.3 points and 7.3 boards per outing. Junior point guard Jina Johansen rounds out the Huskers' starting lineup averaging 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and a team-high 4.4 assists per game.
The Huskers' starting lineup, which has been the same for all 12 games this season, will receive help off the bench from freshmen Kiera Hardy, Chelsea Aubry, Jessica Gerhart and Andrea Lightfoot. Freshman guard Heather Kephart is out two to four more weeks with a foot injury suffered on Dec. 20.
Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones (7-4)
The Iowa State Cyclones come to Lincoln with a 7-4 overall record after notching back-to-back victories over Northern Iowa (75-48) on Dec. 30, and Eastern Illinois (72-55) on Jan. 3 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The Cyclones will open Big 12 Conference play against the Huskers looking for their 11th consecutive win in the series against NU. Coach Bill Fennelly and his Cyclones have not lost to the Huskers since Feb. 7, 1999, when Nebraska posted a 68-67 win over ISU at the Devaney Center.
Last season, the 8-20 Huskers suffered a pair of five-point losses to the 12-16 Cyclones, but NU still leads the all-time series, 32-25.
This year's version of the Cyclones features four players averaging in double figures, including junior guard Anne O'Neil who is averaging a team-high 13.0 points along with 3.8 rebounds per game. Senior guard Erica Junod has contributed 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while sophomore forward/center Lisa Kriener has pitched in 10.5 points and a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game.
Freshman guard Lyndsey Medders has started six games and averaged 10.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest, while Arlington, Neb., native Brittany Wilkins has started a pair of games and averaged 8.6 points and 5.5 boards per game in less than 20 minutes per contest. Junior forward Mary Fox rounds out Iowa State's probable starting lineup with 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Tracy Paustian (3.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Megan Ronhovde (8.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg) have also started at least three games for three games for ISU this season.
Although the Cyclones have used seven different starting lineups in their first 11 games, they are still averaging nearly 71 points per game while shooting nearly 45 percent from the field as a team. ISU is shooting a solid 36.3 percent from three-point range and averaging 7.4 made three-pointers per contest. The Cyclones also own a plus-6.2 team rebound margin, but have committed nearly three more turnovers per game than their opponents.
Huskers Off to One of Best Starts in History
Nebraska 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 entered Big 12 Conference play on an eight-game winning streak, which was tied for the second-longest winning streak in school history. The Huskers 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.
Huskers' Winning Streak Snapped at Oklahoma
The Huskers had their eight-game winning streak snapped at Oklahoma, after experiencing thrilling finishes and a trio of victories away from the Devaney Center. Nebraska's eight-game streak tied for the second-longest winning streak in school history, trailing only a nine-game stretch in 1996-97.
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 had 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 was filled with close calls. Nebraska won each of its last five games in the streak 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 came during its eight-game winning streak.
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 20-3 record to open the season, including a 10-2 women's record and a 10-1 men's mark. The men, who open Big 12 Conference play Saturday night at Iowa State, 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. Nebraska's combined 20-2 mark through each of their first 11 games surpassed the best 22-game combined start in the history of the two programs, which 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 were dominant in the final four minutes of each game. Nebraska 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 was nearly impenetrable in the closing minutes of those 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 12 games, the Huskers are shooting a Big 12-leading 76.2 percent at the line, but even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 192-101 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 eight games. NU has hit 58-of-74 second-half free throws (78.3 percent), including 39-of-49 free throws (79.6 percent) in the final four minutes of those games.
Nebraska, which has attempted 85 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 39 fewer fouls than its opponents, and only three Huskers (Margaret Richards vs. Wofford; Heather Kephart vs. Mississippi; Alexa Johnson vs. Oklahoma) 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 82.1 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (55) and attempted (67).
The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.0-8.4 (+7.6) per game at the free throw line, compared to a 12.8-12.0 (+0.8) scoring edge at the line last season.
Nebraska's excellent team free throw shooting percentage has definitely been a team effort. Eight of the 10 Huskers on the roster are shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line, including Andrea Lightfoot (83.3 percent), Alexa Johnson (78.9 percent), Chelsea Aubry (77.8 percent), Katie Morse (75 percent), Kiera Hardy (75 percent), Heather Kephart (75 percent) and Jessica Gerhart (73.3 percent) have performed well at the line.
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 45.6 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-9.4 team rebounding margin. The school record for team rebound margin is plus-8.6 boards per game, set in 1997-98.
Nebraska outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents, including a plus-34 rebound margin (60-26) in the season-opening win over Wofford. The Huskers owned a double-figure rebounding edge in seven of their first 11 games this season, but were outrebounded 37-33 in their Big 12-opening loss at No. 15 Oklahoma on Wednesday.
The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 15.7 offensive boards per game. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in eight of its first 12 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 8.8 rebounds per game, trailing only Evan Unrau (Missouri) and Trisha Skibbe (Oklahoma State). Margaret Richards has added 7.8 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 leads the team with 34 offensive rebounds.
Center Katie Morse has added 7.3 rebounds per game, including 33 offensive rebounds on the season. Nebraska is the only team in the Big 12 Conference that features three players who rank among the top 10 in the league in rebounding.
Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's leader through 12 games, averaging 11.7 points, 7.8 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. 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 12 games, while adding three double-figure rebounding efforts.
Richards ranks 22nd 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 765 career points, 415 rebounds, 170 assists, 105 steals and 22 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.
After opening league play with a 15-point effort at No. 15 Oklahoma, Cannon-Johnson is averaging 11.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. At 5-10, she is the shortest Big 12 player ranked among the top five in rebounding. She owns two double-doubles this season and eight in her career. She notched her first of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Texas-Arlington.
A talented all-around player, Cannon-Johnson ranks 13th in the Big 12 and second on the team with 3.8 assists per game, while leading the Huskers with 21 total steals, which is just outside of the top 15 players in the league. She ranks 24th 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 482 career points, 333 rebounds, 153 assists, 77 steals and 22 blocked shots.
Alexa Johnson enters the Iowa State contest averaging 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She scored 16 points 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 12 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 23rd 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.
In her career, Johnson has totaled 787 points, 348 rebounds, 42 assists, 60 steals and 12 blocked shots.
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 produced her second double-double of the season and fifth of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win over St. Bonaventure, before adding 13 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks in the loss at No. 15 Oklahoma. 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 Iowa State game averaging 9.3 points, while ranking third on the team and 10th in the Big 12 with 7.3 rebounds per game. She also leads the club and ranks sixth in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game. Morse ranks sixth on Nebraska's career list with 67 blocks and needs 21 more rejections to move into a tie for fifth with Casey Leonhardt (2000-01).
Over the past two seasons, the Huskers are a combined 15-4 with Morse in the lineup, including a 5-2 record season and a 10-2 start in 2003-04. 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.
In her career, Morse has totaled 304 points, 242 rebounds, 67 blocked shots, 33 assists and 24 steals.
Jina Johansen has provided a steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 3.5 points and a team-leading 4.4 assists per game, which ranks ninth 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, 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.
During her three-year career, Johansen has totaled 253 points, 147 rebounds, 285 assists, 57 steals and five blocked shots. 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, has not played in Nebraska's last four games (Creighton, Rice, St. Bonaventure, Oklahoma). The Canute, Okla., native is expected to miss four to six weeks with a foot injury.
Despite missing the last four 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 13 three-pointers and leads the Huskers by shooting at a 43.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. Hardy needs just three more three-pointers to crack Nebraska's top five on the freshman single-season three-point list.
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 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
Hardy helped the Huskers to an 8-0 record when she was in the lineup during the non-conference season, before suffering her first loss at Oklahoma. Hardy has scored in double figures in four of her first nine 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 13-of-30 three-pointers on the season for a 43.3 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, which is on pace to set the NU freshman record. It also ranks eighth in the Big 12. Her 13 three-pointers rank second on the team behind fellow freshman Heather Kephart (17), and Hardy needs just three 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 Iowa State game averaging 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She produced one of her best performances of the season in the non-conference finale against St. Bonaventure. Aubry notched 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, finished the non-conference season on a strong note, averaging 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over the last six games, 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 77.8 percent (21-27) 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. Gerhart enters the Iowa State game averaging to 4.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Gerhart's 56.1 field goal percentage leads the Huskers and would rank seventh in the Big 12, but Gerhart has not met the minimum requirement of 3.0 made field goals per game. Gerhart is averaging 1.9 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, 0.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists while playing 7.4 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 1.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 10 assists and just seven turnovers on the season.
Lightfoot has played in all 12 games for the Huskers this season and is 5-for-6 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 Fall at No. 15 Oklahoma, 70-51
Keasha Cannon-Johnson scored 15 points and Katie Morse added 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Nebraska women’s basketball team from dropping its Big 12 Conference opener with a 70-51 loss at No. 15 Oklahoma on Wednesday night in front of 4,251 fans at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The Huskers, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped with the loss, slipped to 10-2 overall on the season, while Oklahoma improved to 11-1 on the year.
Nebraska coach Connie Yori said the Huskers’ 23 turnovers, and Oklahoma’s ability to convert those turnovers into 26 points was the difference in the game.
"Oklahoma played some very good denial defense, and we didn’t handle it very well," Yori said. "The thing that hurt us the most was that we turned it over and gave up easy baskets in transition."
Nebraska got off to a solid start by taking an 8-4 lead early in the game, and the Huskers carried their last lead of the night on Kiera Hardy’s three-pointer to make it 11-10 with 12:47 left in the first half. But the Sooners used an 8-0 run to create some separation and then led by double figures late in the first half before the Huskers finished the half strong to trail 32-24 at intermission. NU was able to hang close despite committing 16 first-half turnovers.
The Huskers trailed by just nine points at 45-36 with 13:05 left and by 10 points at 53-43 with 7:35 remaining in the game, but the Sooners used an 11-3 spurt over the next three minutes to extend their advantage to 18 points and seal the win.
Maria Villarroel led four Sooners in double figures with a game-high 19 points, while adding four steals, and Dionnah Jackson added 11 points and team highs with seven rebounds, six assists, six steals and three blocked shots.
Oklahoma outscored Nebraska 40-16 in the paint and outrebounded NU 37-33 on the night, marking the first time this season that the Huskers were beaten on the boards. Nebraska was held to just 35.8 percent (19-53) shooting from the field, while Oklahoma hit 45.9 percent (28-61) of its shots from the field. The Huskers hit 4-of-11 three-pointers and 9-of-12 free throws, while OU hit just 3-of-12 three-pointers and connected on 11-of-14 free throws.
Nebraska's Notable Numbers
The Huskers lead the Big 12 with their 76.2 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, 192-101, at the line through 12 games this season (16.0-8.4).
Nebraska's 45.6 rebounds per game rank second in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +9.4 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the league. NU outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents before being outrebounded 37-33 by Oklahoma.
NU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 16.7 assists per game, and seventh in the Big 12 with 4.8 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 opened league play with a 70-51 loss at No. 15 Oklahoma on Jan. 7. The Sooners, who qualified for the 2003 NCAA Tournament after advancing to the NCAA title game in 2002, were the first of seven conference opponents who qualified for the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
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 10-2 record to improve Yori's career record to 213-162 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, with seven of 10 players on the roster carrying cumulative grade-point averages of 3.0 or better. Seven Huskers earned GPAs of better than 3.0 during the fall semester, including all five of the Husker freshmen.
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.