Huskers Open Rugged Five-Game Stretch at Texas Tech

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's basketball team (13-2, 3-1) faces its most challenging portion of the Big 12 Conference schedule when it begins a five-game stretch of playing five consecutive top-25 teams by taking on No. 3 Texas Tech (16-2, 2-1) at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas, on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m.

The Huskers' game with the Lady Raiders can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network on 98.1 KFGE in Lincoln and on the internet at Huskers.com with Matt Coatney handling play-by-play and Jeff Griesch adding color commentary.

After facing Texas Tech on Wednesday, the Huskers return home to face two more top 10 teams at the Devaney Center, including No. 9 Kansas State (13-2, 4-0) on Saturday and No. 3 Texas (15-2, 3-1) on Wednesday, Jan. 28. NU closes the five-game swing on the road at No. 19 Baylor on Jan. 31, and No. 14 Colorado on Feb. 4.

The Huskers carry plenty of momentum into the crucial stretch. Nebraska owns three straight conference wins to open the league schedule with a 3-1 mark for the first time since 1996-97. NU, which has won 11 of its last 12 games, already owns five more wins than all of last season and two more league wins than last year's squad.

Nebraska is coming off a 65-48 home win over Texas A&M on Saturday. The Huskers produced one of their most impressive halves of the season against the Aggies, shooting a stellar 66.7 percent in the second half to outscore Texas A&M 41-25 in the second stanza. The Husker defense held A&M to just 13 points on only five field goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half while building a 23-point lead over the Aggies. The victory was Nebraska's first lopsided win since defeating Texas-Arlington 81-59 at the Devaney Center on Dec. 6. Between those two wins the Huskers had notched seven straight wins by eight points or less to improve to 9-1 on the year in games decided by single digits.

A Husker win at Texas Tech would be a milestone victory on many levels. First, it would guarantee the Huskers a .500 record for the season and give NU six more wins than it had all of last year. It would also snap NU's seven-game losing streak in the Texas Tech series and be the Huskers' first win in Lubbock (0-4). The Lady Raiders would be the highest-ranked team the Huskers have ever defeated in women's basketball. A win would also give NU a 4-1 start in Big 12 Conference play for the first time since the league's first season in 1996-97. After losing the conference opener to Colorado that season, the Huskers ran off six consecutive victories.

Veteran Husker Lineup Producing Positive Results
Nebraska's experienced group of veterans are enjoying the best seasons of their careers as Huskers. NU, which has featured the same starting lineup for all 15 games this season, is led by senior guard Margaret Richards, who is averaging a team-leading 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson has added 10.7 points, a team-leading 8.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while senior forward Alexa Johnson has contributed 10.6 points and 4.5 boards per contest. Senior center Katie Morse is approaching double figures in scoring with 9.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and a team-leading 2.1 blocked shots per game. Junior point guard Jina Johansen rounds out Nebraska's group of starters with 4.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and a team-leading 4.6 assists per game.

Scouting the #3 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (16-1, 2-1)
Texas Tech entered last week undefeated and ranked No. 1 nationally in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll along with a No. 2 ranking by the Associated Press, but the Lady Raiders faced plenty of adversity last week. After suffering a 64-63 loss on the road at Iowa State, the Lady Raiders lost their best player, Jia Perkins, for the rest of the season because of medical reasons, the school announced Saturday.

Perkins, who led the Lady Raiders with 16.5 points and 2.3 steals per game, along with her 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, did not play in Saturday night's 64-63 win over No. 24 Baylor in Lubbock, as Tech improved to 11-0 at United Spirit Arena this season.

Perkins, a 2003 All-Big 12 pick, was the only Tech starter averaging in double figures, but freshman guard Alesha Robertson has averaged 10.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game off the bench, including 18 points in the win over Baylor. Another reserve, sophomore forward Jametra Clark, ranks third on the team with 8.9 points per game.

Senior guard Natalie Ritchie becomes the Lady Raiders' top-scoring starter at 8.7 points per game, while senior forward Casey Jackson (6.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and sophomore guard Erin Grant (5.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.8 apg) are the only two Lady Raiders to start every game this season, while senior forward/center Jolee Ayers-Curry has added 16 starts and averaged 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Sophomore forward Chesley Dabbs earned her first start against Baylor and scored 10 points with three rebounds and two steals in place of Perkins. Sophomore forward/center LaToya Davis also had a solid game against the Bears with 12 points and nine rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench.

In her 22nd season on the Texas Tech sideline, Coach Marsha Sharp is shooting for her 525th career victory on Wednesday against Nebraska. Texas Tech leads the all-time series with the Huskers 8-2, including seven consecutive wins dating back to a 62-57 NU win on Feb. 9, 1997. Texas Tech is 4-0 in Lubbock against the Huskers.

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 improved to 13-2 with Saturday's win over Texas A&M, which is tied for the third-best record against just two losses to start a season in school history. With 13 wins already this season, Nebraska is plus-five in the win column over the entire 2002-03 season. The Huskers' nine home victories are also three more than their season total from last year, while their four wins away from home are two more than their total from a year ago.

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.

NU Starts New Streak after Eight-Game String Snapped
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.

Since the loss to the Sooners, NU has bounced back with three consecutive Big 12 wins for the first time since closing the 1999-2000 regular season with four consecutive league wins.

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. Now the Huskers are enjoying one of their most successful Januaries in recent memory. NU has opened January with a 4-1 record, surpassing its victory totals from each of the last three seasons. The Huskers' last winning January came with a 5-3 mark in 1999-2000.

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).

The Huskers continued their string of thrilling victories in their first two conference wins with a pair of five-point victories over Iowa State and Missouri. In both of those games, the Huskers needed clutch free throw shooting to seal the victories in the closing seconds. Nebraska is 9-1 in games decided by eight points or less this season, and seven of the eight victories came during the Huskers' eight-game winning streak. The Huskers are 6-1 in games decided by five or fewer points on the season.

Poise Counts - Huskers Come Through in Clutch
Nebraska may be providing Husker fans with the most exciting basketball games in the country this season. Ten of the Huskers' 15 games this season have been decided by eight points or less, and Nebraska has found a way to win nine times, with their only narrow loss coming to Mississippi (69-66) in the third game of the season.

Nebraska has certainly given Husker fans their money's worth at the Devaney Center. Five of NU's nine home games have been decided in the final minute, including an eight-point win over in-state rival Creighton, a seven-point win over St. Bonaventure, a pair of five-point victories over No. 13 Ohio State and Iowa State and a two-point nail-biter against Louisiana-Lafayette.

The excitement has followed the Huskers on the road as well, beginning with the three-point loss to Mississippi and a three-point victory over Eastern Kentucky at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic. Nebraska continued its string of thrillers with an eight-point win at Washington State, before escaping with a three-point win at Rice. Most recently, the Huskers notched a five-point win at Missouri.

The Huskers have found ways to win in almost every way imaginable. They have erased double-digit leads, blown double-figure leads, come back in the closing minutes, knocked down game-winning three-pointers, shut out the opponent in the final minutes and staved off countless opponent rallies by hitting free throws in the closing seconds. They also played one stretch of more than 100 minutes in which neither team led by more than two possessions (six points) at any time in a game.

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 15 games, the Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with a 74.5 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 231-127 at the stripe. If the season ended today, Nebraska's percentage would tie for the second-best mark in school history, trailing only the 79.0 free throw percentage by the 1981-82 team.

Nebraska, which has attempted 105 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 44 fewer fouls than its opponents, and only four Huskers (Margaret Richards vs. Wofford; Heather Kephart vs. Mississippi; Alexa Johnson vs. Oklahoma; Keasha Cannon-Johnson vs. Texas A&M) have fouled out.

Margaret Richards has led Nebraska at the line this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., is shooting 80.5 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (66) and attempted (82).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 15.4-8.5 (+6.9) 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. Six of the 10 Huskers on the roster are shooting 70 percent or better at the free throw line, including Kiera Hardy (81.8 percent), Chelsea Aubry (79.3 percent), Alexa Johnson (76.1 percent), Heather Kephart (75 percent), and Katie Morse (73.2 percent).

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 44.5 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-7.9 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 and beaten on the boards 41-39 by Iowa State. NU matched Missouri on the glass with 41 rebounds, before posting its first positive rebounding margin (41-33) in the win over Texas A&M.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 15.2 offensive boards per game. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in nine of its first 15 games.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, who ranks second in the Big 12 in rebounding, has been Nebraska's catalyst on the boards. The 5-10 guard is averaging 8.8 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 7.7 rebounds per game to rank eighth 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 42 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.8 offensive rebounds per game.

Center Katie Morse has added 7.1 rebounds per game to rank in a tie for 11th in the league in rebounding. Morse is tied for second on the club with Cannon-Johnson with 35 offensive rebounds on the season.

Nebraska joins Colorado and Missouri as the only teams in the Big 12 Conference that feature two players who rank among the top 10 in the league in rebounding. The only other teams in the Big 12 with three players who rank among the top 20 individuals in the league in rebounding are Kansas State, Colorado and Baylor.

Nebraska’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards has been Nebraska's leader through 15 games, averaging 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, after scoring 13 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists in the win over Texas A&M.

Richards produced her second double-double of the year with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the win over Creighton. She has contributed double figures in points in nine of Nebraska's 15 games, while adding three double-figure rebounding efforts.

Richards ranks 23rd in the Big 12 in scoring and eighth 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 790 career points, 437 rebounds, 179 assists, 106 steals and 23 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 followed with her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Iowa State. It was her ninth double-double in 42 career games at NU. She added 12 points and eight boards against Missouri and is averaging 10.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Big 12. Cannon-Johnson ranks 12th in the Big 12 and second on the team with 3.6 assists per game, while tying Kiera Hardy for the team lead with 25 total steals, which is just outside of the top 15 players in the league. Cannon-Johnson ranks 22nd in the Big 12 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 510 career points, 359 rebounds, 162 assists, 81 steals and 23 blocked shots.

Alexa Johnson enters the Texas Tech contest averaging 10.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, after averaging 10 points and six rebounds in a pair of wins last week. Nebraska's top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in eight of the Huskers' 15 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 811 points, 363 rebounds, 44 assists, 62 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 hit for a season-high 18 points at Missouri, where she added eight boards and three blocked shots, before producing 10 points, six boards and a school-record seven blocks in the win over Texas A&M. She has increased her season averages to 9.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Morse, who has helped the Huskers to a 27-7 record as a starter, 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 blocks. She added a pair of double-figure scoring efforts with a 15-point, six-rebound performance in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette, and an 11-point, six-board effort in the win over Creighton.

Morse ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.1 blocks per game and leads the league with 3.3 blocks per game in Big 12 games. She ranks sixth on NU's career list with 78 blocked shots.

Over the past two seasons, the Huskers are a combined 18-4 with Morse in the lineup, including a 5-2 record last season and a 13-2 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 338 points, 262 rebounds, 78 blocked shots, 36 assists and 26 steals.

Jina Johansen produced one of the best games of her career by tying a career high with 15 points, including a career-best four three-pointers, to go along with a season-high six rebounds, five assists and two steals in Nebraska's 62-57 win over Iowa State on Jan. 10. Johansen's previous season best was seven points against Wofford, Princeton and St. Bonaventure, while she added a season-best six boards in the win at Rice. She owns season highs of eight assists against Texas-Arlington and Eastern Kentucky. Johansen has provided a steady play-making presence in the backcourt by averaging 4.4 points and a team-leading 4.6 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the Big 12. She is coming off a solid seven-point, seven-assist effort in the win over Texas A&M

For the season, Johansen ranks third on the team with 11 made three-pointers, while shooting a solid 42.3 percent (11-26) from long range. Entering this season, Johansen had made just 9-of-36 three-pointers in her career.

Johansen made just six three-pointers in 12 games this season before hitting four against Iowa State. She attempted a career-high 12 field goals against ISU, including a career-high eight three-point attempts. She had not attempted more than four field goals in any game this season.

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 277 points, 155 rebounds, 301 assists, 60 steals and five blocked shots. She cracked Nebraska's all-time top 10 list in assists with seven against Texas A&M. 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 seven games (Creighton, Rice, St. Bonaventure, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Missouri, Texas A&M). The Canute, Okla., native has missed a full month since suffering a foot injury in practice on Dec. 20. She has returned to light shooting, but is not expected to play against Texas Tech.

Despite missing the last seven 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 16 three-pointers, while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc. Hardy has also cracked Nebraska's top five on the freshman single-season three-point list and needs just one more to catch Kephart in fourth.

Kiera Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 2.1 steals per game, which ranks sixth in the Big 12. She has helped the Huskers to an 11-1 record when she has been in the lineup with NU's only loss coming at No. 15 Oklahoma. Hardy produced one of the best games of her young career when she struck for career highs with 17 points and six steals in the win at Missouri. With Nebraska clinging to a 69-66 lead with 1:35 left, Hardy snagged her sixth steal of the game against MU and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to give NU some breathing room. She came through again in the closing seconds, chasing down a defensive rebound with seven seconds left and NU leading 72-69. She was fouled again and knocked down both free throws to seal the win over the Tigers.

Hardy has provided a consistent offensive threat by scoring at least five points in each of her 12 games, including five double-figure scoring efforts and eight games with nine or more points. She missed the Mississippi, Eastern Kentucky and Washington State games because of illness. An explosive player who can change the momentum of a game, Hardy scored eight points, snagged three steals and dished out one assist during a five-minute stretch in the first half that helped trim a 12-point ISU lead to just one point. It was not the first time that Hardy had changed the complexion of a game. 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 all nine of her points against St. Bonaventure 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. She scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down a career-best six rebounds in the win over Princeton. She energized the Huskers again against No. 13 Ohio State, pouring in 10 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 16-of-41 three-pointers on the season for 39.0 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, which is on pace to set the NU freshman record and ranks 14th in the Big 12. Her 16 total three-pointers rank second on the team behind fellow freshman Heather Kephart (17), and tie her for fifth on the Husker freshman single-season list.

Heather Kephart provided a major contribution through eight games, but has missed the past month with a foot injury suffered in practice on Dec. 20. She is not expected to play at Texas Tech. 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, erupted 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. Her 16-point outburst against Wofford tied for the fifth-highest 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 Texas Tech game averaging 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game after her 10-point, seven-rebound effort against Texas A&M. It was her fourth double-figure scoring performance of the season.

Aubry produced one of her best games in the non-conference finale against St. Bonaventure, notching 10 points and five rebounds, along with 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 has scored eight or more points on seven occasions, including each of NU's last two games.

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 79.3 percent (23-29) of her free throws this season.

Jessica Gerhart has provided Nebraska with an offensive spark inside off the bench in her first season. In NU's win over Iowa State, Gerhart scored eight points in just nine minutes on 4-of-5 shooting from the field to help the Huskers gain control of the game in the second half.

She had a similar effort in the Huskers' come-from-behind victory at Rice. Gerhart tied her career high with 10 points, all in the first half, to help the Huskers trim a nine-point deficit to just one point at the half against the Owls. Gerhart scored eight straight points for NU to spark the offense, finishing the game by hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field. Gerhart 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.

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 Texas Tech game averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in just 10.9 minutes per game. Gerhart's 60.4 field goal percentage leads the Huskers and would rank third 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. She is on pace to break the Husker freshman single-season record for field goal percentage set by Charlie Rogers at 58.2 percent (78-134) in 1996-97.

Over the last six games, Gerhart is shooting a sizzling 73.7 percent (14-19) from the field. She has hit 50 percent of her field goals or better in 11 of 15 games this season.

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 0.9 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists while playing 7.1 minutes per contest.

Lightfoot connected on her fourth career field goal while setting her career high with three rebounds in the win over Texas A&M. An excellent ball-handler and decision-maker, she owns a 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 12 assists and just eight turnovers on the season.

Lightfoot has played in all 15 games for the Huskers this season and is 5-for-8 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 Run Away with 65-48 Win over Texas A&M
Keasha Cannon-Johnson sparked an 18-2 run for Nebraska in the opening minutes of the second half, as the Huskers improved to 13-2 on the season with an impressive 65-48 victory over Texas A&M in front of 3,409 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Saturday night.

Cannon-Johnson, who was held scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, sparked the decisive spurt with a pair of baskets after the Aggies closed to within 27-25. Cannon-Johnson, whose only points of the game were the two baskets, also pulled down seven rebounds before fouling out.

The Aggies (7-8, 0-4 Big 12) got to within 31-27, but NU seized command by reeling off 14 unanswered points. Senior forward Katie Morse chipped in five of her 10 points in the run, while freshman Chelsea Aubry came off the bench to add four more, helping the Huskers extend their lead to 45-27 on a three-pointer by Jina Johansen with 11:37 remaining.

The Huskers, who are in second place in the Big 12 with a 3-1 league mark, came out smoking from the floor after halftime, hitting 14 of their first 18 shots in building a 23-point lead at 57-34 and cruising to the 17-point win.

Senior guard Margaret Richards paced a balanced attack that saw three Huskers in double figures, scoring a team-high 13 points. Morse, who contributed a school-record seven blocked shots against the Aggies, and Aubry added 10 points for Nebraska, while Johansen added seven points and a game-high seven assists in 32 minutes.

Nebraska has won 11 of its last 12 games and started the Big 12 season with a 3-1 record for the first time since the league’s inaugural season in 1996-97. The 17-point margin of victory was the largest in the 14-game history of the series with Texas A&M.

The Huskers held Texas A&M to just 48 points, which was the second-lowest total by an opponent this season, trailing only the 46 points scored by Wofford in the season opener. Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Huskers’ success began at the defensive end.

"I thought our defense was really good tonight," Yori said. "We got great pressure on the ball and we did a good job of cutting off their driving lanes. Katie Morse played a great game defensively inside for us."

NU finished the night shooting 50 percent (27-54) for only the second time this season, a total which is more remarkable considering the Huskers were just 9-for-27 from the floor in the opening half when they took a 24-23 halftime lead. The Huskers shot a sizzling 66.7 percent in the second half.

The final score was not indicative of the way the game was played in the first half, as neither team established control in the opening half. Richards, who scored five of her 11 first-half points during a 9-2 Husker run midway through the half, as Nebraska built its largest lead of the half at 18-11.

The Aggies came right back, using an 8-0 run of their own, taking a 19-18 lead on a three-pointer by Mindy Garrison with 6:34 remaining in the half. The Huskers regained the lead for good on their next possession, as a layup by Morse and a Richards’ jumper pushed the Husker advantage to 22-19.

Toccara Williams, who scored eight of her 12 points in the opening 20 minutes, kept the Aggies within range, hitting a pair of jumpers to put the visitors within 24-23 with 1:57 remaining.

Williams and Janae Derrick led the Aggies with 12 points apiece, as the visitors shot just 33 percent and were out-rebounded 41-33.

Nebraska's Notable Numbers
The Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with their 74.5 free throw percentage, after shooting 68.8 percent from the free throw line last season. NU's percentage is tied for second on the Husker single-season charts, trailing only their 79.0 percent accuracy in 1981-82. Nebraska has outscored the opposition, 231-127, at the line through 15 games this season (15.4-8.5).

Nebraska's 44.5 rebounds per game rank second in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +7.9 rebounding margin ranks fifth in the league. NU outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents before being outrebounded by Oklahoma and Iowa State. The Huskers matched Missouri on the glass, before outrebounding Texas A&M 41-33.

NU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 16.5 assists per game, and sixth 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.

Katie Morse set a Nebraska school record with seven blocked shots in the Huskers' 65-48 win over Texas A&M on Jan. 17. Morse had six blocks against Eastern Kentucky earlier this season.

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.

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 13-2 overall record and a 3-1 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 216-162 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 overall and Big 12 Conference victory totals 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 273-96 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 96-60 (.615) in conference games. Nebraska is 9-0 at home in 2003-04, and have already surpassed its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers are 2-0 in Big 12 Conference games this season.

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.

So far in 2003-04, the Huskers are averaging 2,604 fans per game, including a season-high 5,809 fans at their Big 12 Conference opener against Iowa State on Jan. 10.

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.