Huskers Hope to Rebound at No. 11 Colorado

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's basketball team (14-5, 4-4) concludes its five-game stretch against top-25 opponents by traveling to Boulder, Colo., to take on No. 11 Colorado (17-2, 6-1) at the Coors Events Center on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The Huskers will be looking for their third victory over a top-16 team this season when they square off with the Buffaloes.

Nebraska's game with Colorado 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. Live video can also be seen on a subscription basis at HuskersNside.com.

The Huskers, who last week earned their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking since Nov. 15, 1999, are trying to rebound from back-to-back losses to top-16 teams. NU lost to No. 3 Texas 82-59 on Jan. 28 in Lincoln, before falling at No. 16 Baylor 67-57 on Saturday.

Four of Nebraska's five losses this season have come against top-16 teams, including a loss at then-No. 15 Oklahoma and at then-No. 3 Texas Tech. Three of those four losses have come on the road in Big 12 play. The Huskers are 2-4 this season against top-16 opponents with home victories over then-No. 13 Ohio State and then-No. 9 Kansas State.

The Huskers handed Kansas State its only loss in league play, while the Wildcats delivered Colorado's only loss in Big 12 action with a 76-69 win at Boulder. Since that loss, the Buffaloes have won five straight games, including a 68-66 win at Missouri on Saturday.

A win over No. 11 Colorado would give the Huskers their most wins since posting an 18-13 record in 1999-2000, and their most Big 12 victories since running to a 10-6 league mark that same season.

A victory would also snap Colorado's seven-game series winning streak against the Huskers, while ending a 19-game losing streak at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. Nebraska has not defeated the Buffaloes in Boulder since Feb. 13, 1985. Last season, Colorado rolled to a pair of 20-point wins over the Huskers.

Senior Guards Leading the Charge for the Huskers
Nebraska senior guards Keasha Cannon-Johnson and Margaret Richards have been the Huskers' dynamic duo in the backcourt in 2003-04. Cannon-Johnson, a 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., enters the Colorado game as the team's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 11.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest, which ranks third in the Big 12. She has added 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game to rank second on the team in both categories.

Cannon-Johnson is coming off an 11-point, nine-rebound effort at No. 16 Baylor, which was her seventh double-figure scoring performance in Big 12 games. She is averaging 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in league play. She owns four double-doubles on the season, including 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Kansas State. She added a 17-point effort at No. 3 Texas Tech on Jan. 21, 15 points against No. 15 Oklahoma, 12 points and 11 boards against Iowa State and 12 points and eight boards at Missouri.

Richards, a 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., ranks second on the team in both scoring and rebounding with 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In Nebraska's 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State, Richards played one of the best games of her career with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high five steals. Along with her solid scoring and rebounding numbers, Richards ranks third on the team with 2.9 assists per game and second on the team with 14 blocked shots.

Scouting the #11 Colorado Buffaloes (17-2, 6-1)
No. 11 Colorado heads into Wednesday's game with the Huskers riding a five-game winning streak after a 68-66 win at Missouri on Saturday. The Buffaloes have won 14 of their last 15 games, with their only loss coming to Kansas State on Jan. 10 in Boulder. Colorado's only other loss this season came with a 34-point setback at Minnesota on Nov. 23.

Colorado is tied with Kansas State for second in the Big 12 standings with a 6-1 mark, just a half-game behind 7-1 Texas. The Buffaloes are one of only three teams with fewer than three losses in Big 12 play.

Senior Tera Bjorklund leads a proficient CU offense, averaging 19.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The 6-5 center is shooting a Big 12-leading 65.0 percent from the field.

Forward Randie Wirt gives the Buffs a solid one-two punch inside, as the 6-2 senior has added 10.0 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game, including a 14-point, 11-board performance in the win over Missouri.

While Bjorklund and Wirt lead the Buffs inside, senior guard Kate Fagan headlines CU's perimeter attack. Fagan is averaging 14.4 points and a team-leading 3.1 assists per game, while shooting 44.9 percent (57-127) from three-point range. Senior guard Maria Billingsley and junior guard Veronica Johns-Richardson round out Colorado's probable starting lineup.

Off the bench, freshman guard Emily Waner has boosted the Buffs with 8.7 points per game, while shooting a sizzling 51.2 percent (44-86) from three-point range.

Colorado leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 35-17, including seven straight victories. The Buffs own a 19-game winning streak over the Huskers in Boulder, dating back to Nebraska's 85-60 win at CU on Feb. 13, 1985. Last season, Colorado posted a pair of 20-point wins over the Huskers, including a 74-54 victory at the Coors Events Center.

NU Producing One of Nation's Best Turnarounds
With a 14-5 record to open the season, Nebraska has already won six more games than its entire 2002-03 total when the Huskers finished with an 8-20 mark. NU's six-game swing already ranks as one of the biggest turnarounds in school history trailing only 12-game improvements from 1974-75 (9-7) to 1975-76 (21-9) and 1977-78 (11-18) to 1978-79 (23-13) and a seven-game turnaround from 1989-90 (10-18) to 1990-91 (17-11).

Nebraska's 4-4 mark in Big 12 action is a three-game improvement in the win column over last season's 1-15 mark. The last time the Huskers won more than four league games came in 1999-2000, when NU finished 10-6 in Big 12 play and 18-13 overall.

Not only have the Huskers produced a solid overall record, Nebraska has had success against some of the nation's top teams. NU owns a 2-4 record against top-16 opponents and will be playing their seventh top-16 opponent of the year at Colorado on Wednesday. Four of Nebraska's five losses this season have come against top-16 teams, with their only other loss coming early in the season to Mississippi at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn. Ole Miss owns a 13-8 overall record and a 4-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play.

Huskers Continue Climbing in WBCA RPI
Despite a pair of losses last week to top-16 teams, the Huskers continued to climb in the most recent WBCA/Summerville Ratings Percentage Index released on Feb. 1. Nebraska entered the week ranked No. 33 in the WBCA RPI, its highest ranking of the season. The Huskers are the sixth-highest ranked Big 12 team in the ratings.

Texas leads the Big 12 Conference with a No. 6 rating in the RPI, while NU's next opponent, Colorado, comes in at No. 8. Kansas State comes in at No. 9, while Texas Tech is ranked No. 15. The Huskers' last opponent, Baylor, earned a No. 18 spot in the RPI. Oklahoma is right behind the Huskers with a No. 34 rating, while No. 40 Missouri gives the Big 12 eight teams in the top 40.

Nebraska's strength of schedule has risen to No. 71 nationally thanks in part to a strong non-conference schedule that included Mississippi (13-8), Ohio State (12-7), Creighton (12-6), Rice (11-7), Louisiana-Lafayette (10-8) and Texas-Arlington (10-8). Overall, 13 of the 19 teams on Nebraska's schedule own winning records, including seven of the Huskers' eight Big 12 opponents.

Huskers Earn First Top 25 Ranking Since 1999
Nebraska entered the Associated Press Top 25 last week for the first time since Nov. 15, 1999, as the Huskers cracked the poll at No. 25 on Jan. 26. The last time NU was ranked came in the second week of the 1999-2000 season. The Huskers were ranked 24th in the preseason poll and maintained the ranking in the first regular-season ranking on Nov. 15, before beating Georgia Southern and falling to Wisconsin in overtime in the Time Warner Cable Classic.

The Huskers fell out of the top 25 after a pair of losses to top-16 teams last week, but still earned 14 votes to rank No. 33 nationally.

Huskers Outperforming Opponents from Long Range
The Huskers are outshooting their opponents from three-point range this season, connecting on 89-of-273 three-pointers (32.6 percent), while the opposition has managed to knock down 83-of-269 three-pointers (30.9 percent). While the margins are by no means decisive, they are somewhat historic.

The last season that Nebraska outscored its opponents from three-point range was 1995-96, when the Huskers hit 105-of-298 three-pointers (35.2 percent), while the opposition hit 103-of-373 three-pointers (27.6 percent). The Huskers have been outscored by their opponents from long range in each of the past seven seasons, including 35 more three-pointers by the opposition last season.

A pair of freshmen have given the Huskers a major lift from long range. Kiera Hardy leads the Huskers with 18 three-pointers (18-54, 33.3 percent) for the Huskers, despite missing three games early in the season with illness. Heather Kephart, a 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., has hit 17 three-pointers (17-46, 37 percent) even though she has missed NU's last 11 games with a foot injury. Both of the three-point totals by Kephart and Hardy rank among the top five freshman seasons in school history for the Huskers.

Junior guard Jina Johansen has added 15 three-pointers on the year, while connecting on 40.5 percent (15-37) of her attempts, while senior guard Keasha Cannon-Johnson has hit 12-of-28 attempts from three-point range (42.9 percent), including 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) long range attempts in Big 12 action. Senior forward Alexa Johnson (9-20, 45.0 percent) and senior center Katie Morse (7-15, 46.7 percent) have given Nebraska added threats from long range. Overall, the Huskers have six players shooting 33.3 percent or better from beyond the arc.

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 19 games, the Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with a 73.7 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 266-193 at the stripe. If the season ended today, Nebraska's percentage would rank as the third-best mark in school history, trailing only the 79.0 free throw percentage by the 1981-82 team and the 74.5 percent accuracy produced by the 1988-89 squad.

Nebraska, which has attempted 73 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 27 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 76.6 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (72) and attempted (94).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 14.0-10.2 (+3.8) 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 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 Alexa Johnson (78.7 percent), Kiera Hardy (77.8 percent), Chelsea Aubry (75.0 percent), Heather Kephart (75 percent) and Katie Morse (74.2 percent).

Huskers Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to Nebraska's success has been the Huskers' aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks third in the Big 12 by averaging 42.5 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-5.6 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 non-conference games this season, but were outrebounded in three of their first five Big 12 games, including Texas Tech's 38-28 edge. NU bounced back with a plus-10 advantage on the boards in its win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24, before being outrebounded by Texas, 40-33, and Baylor, 41-37.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 14.1 offensive boards per game to rank fourth in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in nine of its first 19 games.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, who ranks third in the Big 12 in rebounding, has been Nebraska's catalyst on the boards. The 5-10 guard is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 7.3 rebounds per game to rank ninth in the league. 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 51 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.7 offensive boards per game, which ranks eighth in the Big 12.

Center Katie Morse has added 6.4 rebounds per game to rank 17th in the league in rebounding. Morse ranks second on the club with 39 offensive boards, while Cannon-Johnson ranks third with 38.

Nebraska joins Colorado 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 and Texas.

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' 19 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 11 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’s Starters at a Glance
Margaret Richards has been one of Nebraska's leader through 19 games, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. She produced one of the best games of her career with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high five steals in the Huskers' 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State. She added 13 points earlier in the week at No. 3 Texas Tech and earned the first Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award of her career on Jan. 26.

Richards ranks 22nd in the Big 12 in scoring and ranks ninth in the league in rebounding. She is the shortest Big 12 player among the top 20 players in the league in rebounding. She also ranks second on the team with 14 blocks.

She produced the second double-double of the year with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Creighton. She has scored in double figures in 11 of NU's 18 games, while adding three double-figure rebounding efforts.

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 and grabbed 10 boards for her fourth career double-double. She also tied a school record with 18 free throw attempts against EKU 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 EKU. 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 75 career three-pointers and needs six more to catch Brooke Schwartz in sixth place (81). She owns 841 career points, 461 rebounds, 189 assists, 112 steals and 26 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 has stepped up in Big 12 games. She is coming off an 11-point, nine-rebound at No. 16 Baylor, which followed an18-point effort against No. 3 Texas. She produced her fourth double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over No. 9 Kansas State. She added 17 points at No. 3 Texas Tech on Jan. 21, and enters the Colorado game as NU's leading scorer and rebounder with 11.7 points and 8.4 boards per game. She is averaging 13.1 points per game in Big 12 play, and 13.8 points and 7.2 boards against ranked teams.

Cannon-Johnson earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors after producing 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in NU's win over Louisiana-Lafayette 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. She followed with a season-high 23 points, four steals, eight rebounds and four assists in the win over Creighton. She scored 15 points at No. 15 Oklahoma, before producing her third double-double with 12 points and 11 boards in a win over Iowa State. She owns 10 double-doubles in 46 career games at NU. She ranks third in the Big 12 in rebounding and 20th in scoring. She ranks second on the team with 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The 2002 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Cannon-Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades as a junior. 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 season-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 572 career points, 386 rebounds, 170 assists, 85 steals and 24 blocked shots.

Alexa Johnson enters the Colorado contest averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, after a 13-point, five-rebound effort against No. 16 Baylor for her third straight double-figure scoring effort. NU's top returning scorer from a year ago, Johnson has produced double figures in 11 of the Huskers' 19 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 27th 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 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 played on the Big 12 All-Star Team at the 2003 World University Games in Korea in August.

In her career, Johnson has totaled 857 points, 382 rebounds, 44 assists, 64 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 added nine points, five rebounds and three blocks at Texas Tech and has pushed her season averages to 9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Morse, who has helped the Huskers to a 28-10 career 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 second in the Big 12 with 2.2 blocks per game and leads the league with 2.9 blocks per contest in Big 12 games. She is tied for fifth on NU's career list with 88 blocked shots.

Over the past two seasons, the Huskers are a combined 19-7 with Morse in the lineup, including a 5-2 record last season and a 14-5 mark 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 367 points, 277 rebounds, 88 blocked shots, 38 assists and 28 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. She added another strong effort with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, six assists and four rebounds in NU's win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24.

Johansen added a season-best six boards in the win at Rice and owns season highs of eight assists against Texas-Arlington and Eastern Kentucky. She has provided a steady play-making presence by averaging 4.3 points and a team-leading 4.8 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. For the season, Johansen ranks third on the team with 15 three-pointers, while shooting 40.5 percent (15-71) from long range.

Johansen made just six three-pointers in the first 12 games this season before hitting four against Iowa State. She attempted a career-high 12 field goals, including a career-high eight three-point attempts, against ISU. In Big 12 games, Johansen ranks 11th in the league in three-point field goal percentage (9-22, 40.9 percent).

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 career, Johansen has totaled 293 points, 167 rebounds, 323 assists, 61 steals and five blocked shots. She ranks eighth on Nebraska's career assist chart with 323. 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 11 games. The Canute, Okla., native has missed six weeks since suffering a foot injury in practice on Dec. 20. She has returned to limited workouts, but is not expected to play against No. 11 Colorado.

Despite missing the last 11 games, Kephart ranks second on the team with 17 made three-pointers to rank fifth 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 leads the team with 18 three-pointers, while shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Hardy ranks fourth on Nebraska's freshman single-season three-point chart.

Kiera Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and a team-leading 1.9 steals per game, which ranks 10th in the Big 12. She earned the first Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award of her career on Jan. 26, after scoring 11 points, grabbing three rebounds and snagging three steals in NU's win over No. 9 Kansas State.

Hardy has helped the Huskers to a 12-4 record when she has been in the lineup with NU's only losses coming at No. 3 Texas Tech, at No. 15 Oklahoma, No. 3 Texas and at No. 16 Baylor. 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 hit both free throws to seal the win over the Tigers.

Hardy has provided a consistent offensive threat by producing six double-figure scoring efforts and 10 games with eight or more points this season. 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 nine points,while adding a steal and a rebound in a 2:13 span in the second half to push a nine-point NU lead to 16 points. She 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 Iowa State lead to just one point. 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 -- all in 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 12 points and pulled down a career-best six rebounds against Princeton and energized NU with 10 points and a trio of three-pointers in the win over No. 13 Ohio State.

Hardy has become a dangerous weapon from long range, connecting on 18-of-54 three-pointers on the season for 33.3 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. Her 18 three-pointers lead the team and rank fourth on the Husker freshman single-season list.

Heather Kephart provided a major contribution through eight games, but has missed six weeks with a foot injury suffered in practice on Dec. 20. She has missed NU's last 11 games and is not expected to play at Colorado. She is averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 17 three-pointers. 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 hit 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 ranks second on the team and fifth on the Nebraska freshman single-season list.

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 Colorado game averaging 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She produced back-to-back double-figure efforts against Texas A&M and No. 3 Texas Tech. She scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win over the Aggies, before adding 10 points and four boards against the Lady Raiders. She added six points and a career-high matching nine rebounds against No. 3 Texas. Aubry owns five double-figure scoring efforts on the season.

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 eight occasions.

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 75.0 percent (24-32) 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 Colorado game averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 9.3 minutes per game. Gerhart's 58.8 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 1.6 field goals per contest.

Gerhart 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 10 games, Gerhart is shooting a sizzling 68.2 percent (15-22) from the field.

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 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists while playing 6.0 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 19 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.

No. 25 Huskers Fall at No. 16 Baylor, 67-57
No. 16 Baylor used a 10-0 run during a four-minute span late in the second half to power its way past the No. 25 Nebraska women’s basketball team, 67-57, in front of 6,046 fans at the Ferrell Center on Saturday.

With the loss, the Huskers fell to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in Big 12 play, while the Lady Bears improved to 17-4 overall and 5-3 in the league. Four of Nebraska’s five losses this season have come against top 16 teams, including three losses on the road in Big 12 action.

Alexa Johnson led Nebraska with 13 points, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson added 11 points. Jessika Stratton led the Lady Bears with 15 points, while Chameka Scott and Sophia Young each contributed 13 points for Baylor.

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Huskers' inability to create second chances with offensive rebounds hurt NU's chances at victory.

"We only got eight offensive rebounds," Yori said. "They are a great rebounding team, but we needed to get some more opportunities off the glass because we did not shoot the ball very well tonight."

Nebraska shot just 34.5 percent (20-58) from the field, including just 28.6 percent (6-21) from three-point range, while Baylor shot 42.1 percent (24-57) from the floor, although Baylor hit just 16.7 percent (2-12) of its three-pointers. Baylor outrebounded Nebraska, 41-37, and forced 19 NU turnovers while committing just 13 turnovers of its own.

The Huskers, who trailed Baylor at the half, 33-28, saw the Lady Bears open the half with a 9-2 surge to push the lead quickly to 12 points early in the second half. Baylor’s lead grew as large as 13 points, but Nebraska battle back with a 10-0 run in a 3:30 span to cut the lead to just two points at 51-49 with just over eight minutes remaining the game. NU trailed by just two with seven minutes left at 53-51 after a pair of free throws by Katie Morse, before Baylor’s decisive run.

Nebraska's Notable Numbers
The Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with their 73.7 free throw percentage, after shooting 68.8 percent from the free throw line last season. NU's percentage ranks third on the Husker single-season charts, trailing only their 79.0 percent accuracy in 1981-82 and 74.5 percent in 1988-89. Nebraska has outscored the opposition, 255-176, at the line through 18 games this season (14.2-9.8).

Nebraska's 42.5 rebounds per game rank third in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +5.6 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the league. NU outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents and 13 of its 19 opponents on the season, including a plus-10 rebound margin in the win over No. 9 Kansas State.

NU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 15.7 assists per game, and seventh in the Big 12 with 4.7 three-pointers made per game. Last season, the Huskers averaged just 12.5 assists and 3.4 three-pointers.

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.

Husker Freshmen Making at Impact in Big 12
Nebraska's freshman class has certainly made a positive impact on the Huskers' turnaround this season. Four of NU's youngsters rank among the top-17 freshmen in the Big 12 Conference in scoring, led by Kiera Hardy. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 8.2 points per game. Heather Kephart, a 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., ranks right behind Hardy in eighth place among league freshmen with 7.8 points per game. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Kephart has missed Nebraska's past 11 games with a foot injury.

Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, continues to climb the league's scoring ladder among freshmen. Aubry is averaging 6.0 points per game to rank 12th in the league, while fellow forward Jessica Gerhart comes in at 17th with 3.7 points per game. Aubry also ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 3.5 rebounds per game, while Hardy and Gerhart rank 16th with 2.3 board per contest.

Hardy ranks second among Big 12 freshmen in steals with 1.9 per game, trailing only Texas' Tiffany Jackson, and third in assists with 1.8 per game. Kephart ranks 10th in three-point percentage (17-46, 37.0 percent). Hardy also ranks 12th among league freshmen with her 33.3 three-point field goal percentage (18-54).

Gerhart is proving that she is one of the most accurate shooters among the Big 12 newcomers, ranking fourth in the league by hitting 58.8 percent (30-51) of her field goal attempts. Gerhart is the only Big 12 freshman with more than 15 field goal attempts who is shooting better than 56 percent from the field. She is also on pace to establish a Nebraska single-season freshman record for field goal percentage.

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 Devaney Center features four NCAA Tournament teams, including No. 13 Ohio State, which NU 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 opened home conference competition with a 62-57 victory over Iowa State on Jan. 10 to snap a 10-game losing streak to the Cyclones, before traveling to 2003 WNIT quarterfinalist Missouri and knocking off the Tigers 74-69 in Columbia (Jan. 14). NU returned home to notch a 65-48 win over Texas A&M (Jan. 17), before falling 68-55 at No. 3 Texas Tech (Jan. 21) to begin a treacherous five-game stretch. The Huskers returned to the Devaney Center to post one of the biggest wins in school history with a decisive 81-63 win over then-No. 9 Kansas State (Jan. 24), before falling to 2003 NCAA Final Four participant and No. 3 Texas, 82-59 (Jan. 28). NU fell to 2003 WNIT runner-up, No. 16 Baylor, 67-57, (Jan. 31), before traveling to 2003 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier, No. 11 Colorado (Feb. 4).

Nebraska returns to the Devaney Center to take on Kansas (Feb. 7) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 11), before taking the road again for a pair of tests at Kansas State (Feb. 14) and Iowa State (Feb. 21). After playing host to Missouri (Feb. 25) and traveling to Kansas (Feb. 28), the Huskers conclude the regular season at home with Senior Night against Colorado (March 3). The Huskers travel to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, March 9-13, and the NCAA Tournament begins March 20, concluding with the NCAA Women's Final Four at New Orleans Arena, April 4-6.

Huskers Leading Life Skills Team Competition
Along with showing gains on the court during the 2003-04 season, members of the Nebraska women's basketball team are also focused on improving themselves in the classroom and in the community.

During the 2003-04 academic year, the Nebraska Athletic Department has initiated a new Life Skills Award of Excellence Team Competition, which is designed to promote student-athlete involvement in campus-wide programming, community service and leadership opportunities, while enhancing student-athletes' preparation for life after sports.

The Husker women's basketball team has embraced the new program and made winning the inaugural title one of its goals. As of Dec. 19, the women's basketball team was solidly in first place with 1,982 points to lead the second-place Nebraska women's gymnastics team by 457 points. The women's track and field team was in third with 1,360 points, while the volleyball team was in fourth with 1,261 points and the football team was in fifth with 1,236 points.

All 21 of Nebraska's teams are participating in the program, which assigns points to individual and team efforts in a variety of Life Skills categories, including team enhancement, outreach, athletes supporting athletes, personal enhancement, leadership and team GPA. Other points can be earned by going above and beyond the traditional categories and communicating with the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and Husker Outreach Council.

Yori Working to Establish Foundation at Nebraska
Second-year Nebraska coach Connie Yori spent her first season at Nebraska trying to lay the cornerstones of a successful basketball program. The Huskers have opened the season with a 14-5 overall record and a 4-4 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 217-165 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 nearly doubled their overall win total from a season ago and quadrupled their Big 12 Conference victory total from the 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 274-97 (.739) in games played in the arena, including 97-61 (.614) in conference games. Nebraska is 10-1 at home in 2003-04, and has nearly doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers are 3-1 at home 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 attendance is on the rise and the Huskers are averaging 2,915 fans per game, including a season-high 5,809 fans at their Big 12 Conference opener against Iowa State on Jan. 10 and 5,088 fans who witnessed the Huskers' 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24.

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.