Huskers Host Tigers Wednesday Night

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's basketball team (16-8, 6-7) will try to complete a season series sweep of Missouri (13-11, 4-9) while continuing its strong play at home this season when the Huskers tangle with the Tigers on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

Nebraska's game with Missouri can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network on 1400 KLIN in Lincoln and on the internet at Huskers.com with Matt Coatney handling play-by-play and Jeff Griesch adding color commentary.

The Huskers will be shooting for their 17th victory overall and seventh Big 12 Conference win against the Tigers. Nebraska returns home after a pair of road losses at No. 9 Kansas State and Iowa State, while Missouri has also suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 8 Kansas State.

While both of the Huskers' losses have come on the road, both of the Tigers' setbacks came at home, including a heart-breaking 93-90 double-overtime loss to Kansas State on Sunday. Against the Wildcats, senior forward Evan Unrau played all 50 minutes and scored a career-high 40 points to go along with 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals in a remarkable individual effort.

Nebraska is a stellar 12-1 at home this season, but Missouri has been a dangerous road team. Although the Tigers have dropped five of their last seven games, they are 2-1 on the road and 0-4 at home during that stretch. For the season, Missouri is a solid 6-4 in true road games and just 6-7 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. One of those home losses was a 74-69 loss to Nebraska on Jan. 14. Although the Huskers beat the Tigers in Columbia and own better overall and conference records, Missouri is still one spot higher than Nebraska in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings released Monday. The Tigers, who have played the nation's fourth-toughest schedule come in at No. 41, while Nebraska sits at No. 42.

NU Producing One of Nation's Best Turnarounds
With a 16-8 record, Nebraska has already won eight more games than last season when the Huskers finished with an 8-20 mark. NU's eight-game swing 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).

Nebraska's improvement is tied for the fifth-best turnaround in the nation this season, while UNC-Asheville is plus-14 in the win column, Idaho State is plus-11, Hartford is plus-10 and Idaho is plus-nine. The Huskers are tied with Houston and Illinois State at plus-eight. Last season, only 14 NCAA Division I teams produced eight-game improvements from 2001-02 to 2002-03, led by Rutgers' nation-leading 12-game swing. Only eight teams improved by nine or more wins.

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 2-6 record against top-16 opponents after playing its eighth top-16 opponent of the year at No. 9 Kansas State on Feb. 14. Six of Nebraska's eight losses this season have come against top-16 teams, with its only other losses coming early in the season to Mississippi (15-11) at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., and at Iowa State (13-11) on Saturday.

The overall combined record of the eight opponents the Huskers have suffered losses to this season is 152-50 (.752).

Scouting the Missouri Tigers (13-11, 4-9)
Missouri comes to Lincoln with a 13-11 overall and a 4-9 Big 12 mark to sit in ninth place in the conference standings. The Tigers' record might be the most deceiving in the Big 12, as Missouri has played the nation's fourth-toughest schedule according to the WBCA/Summerville Strength of Schedule rankings. Because of their impressive schedule strength, Missouri is ranked No. 41 in the WBCA RPI rankings, one spot ahead of No. 42 Nebraska.

The Huskers knocked off Missouri in Columbia, 74-69, on Jan. 14. It was one of six home losses in Big 12 play for the Tigers, who are just 6-7 at home and a solid 6-4 in true road games.

Missouri has dropped back-to-back games to No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 8 Kansas State to extend its home losing streak to four games. However, the Tigers have won back-to-back games on the road with wins at Iowa State and Oklahoma State. MU has also produced three consecutive victories in Lincoln.

All-Big 12 candidate Evan Unrau leads the Tigers with 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds as one of the top players in the conference this season. Unrau erupted for a career-high 40 points to go along with 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals in Sunday's 93-90 double-overtime loss to Kansas State. Unrau played nearly the full 50 minutes before fouling out with two seconds remaining.

Stretch James has added 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game to give the Tigers one of the top one-two inside combinations in the Big 12. LaToya Bond, who did not play in the first meeting with the Huskers because of injury, has added 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Bond returned to the starting lineup against Kansas State. MyEsha Perkins, who missed the first game with Nebraska because of suspension, gives the Tigers four players averaging in double figures with 10.1 points and 2.4 boards per contest.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Missouri, 31-25, but the Tigers have won six of the last seven.

Nebraska vs. Missouri - Game One Recap
Senior center Katie Morse scored a season-high 18 points and freshman guard Kiera Hardy added a then-career high 17 points and a career-best six steals to lead the Nebraska women’s basketball team to a 74-69 win over Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Jan. 14.

Morse and Hardy led four Huskers in double figures. With the victory, Nebraska snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tigers. The five-point margin of victory also pushed the Huskers to 9-1 this season in games decided by eight points or less.

Although the final margin was close, Nebraska threatened to blow the Tigers out in the second half. After Morse scored 13 of her team-high 18 points in the first half to send the Huskers to locker room with a 35-28 halftime lead, Nebraska bolted out of the gates in the second half.

"We came out at halftime and did everything right," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "Missouri came back strong and kept fighting, but we found a way to win again. It was a great win for our team."

The Huskers opened the second half with a 10-2 surge to push their lead quickly to 15 points. The lead grew as large as 18 points at 57-39 with 10:47 remaining in the game, before the short-handed Tigers launched a furious rally.

Stretch James led all scorers with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers, while Evan Unrau contributed most of her 15 points and 10 boards down the stretch. James and Unrau helped Missouri storm back to within one point at 67-66 with 1:53 left in the game.

But as the Huskers have so many times this season, Nebraska answered the call at the free throw line, connecting on 19-of-23 free throws for the game, including 7-of-8 from the line in the final two minutes.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson added a solid game for the Huskers with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Alexa Johnson added 11 points and eight boards.

Tracy Lozier also gave Missouri a boost by scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists for a Tiger squad that was without injured starting point guard LaToya Bond for the third straight game because of a foot injury. The Tigers also played without reserve guard MyEsha Perkins and reserve center Christelle N’Garsanet, who were both suspended by the Big 12 Conference and Missouri for their involvement in a post-game altercation with Kansas players after their loss to the Jayhawks on Jan. 10.

The Huskers connected on 25-of-58 (43.1 percent) of their field goals, including 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) from three-point range. Nebraska committed just 14 turnovers, but Missouri was able to hang with the Huskers by committing just 12 turnovers and matching NU on the boards with 41 rebounds. The Tigers also pulled down an opponent season-high 19 offensive boards.

Missouri shot 41.7 percent (30-72) from the field, but hit just 13.3 percent (2-15) from three-point range and connected on just 7-of-13 free throws in a losing effort.

Johnson Enjoying Offensive Resurgence
Senior Alexa Johnson has cranked up her game on the offensive end over the last eight games and has moved into the team scoring lead at 11.6 points per game, which ranks 20th in the Big 12.

Johnson, a 6-1 forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., struck for a season-high 21-point, six-rebound effort in the Huskers' 64-41 victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 11. She knocked down a career-high 10 shots from the field on 17 attempts, including 6-of-7 shooting in the second half, to lead all scorers despite playing just 22 minutes. She added two steals, an assist and a blocked shot in her best all-around effort of the season.

Johnson added 11 points and five rebounds at Iowa State on Feb. 21, to push her streak of double-figure scoring performances to eight games. She hit for 12 points and eight rebounds at Kansas State on Feb. 14, and scored 17 points against Kansas on Feb. 7. She had 13 points in three straight games against No. 3 Texas, No. 16 Baylor and No. 11 Colorado, and 12 points to start the streak in NU's win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24.

Through the first seven games this season, Johnson was averaging 13.7 points per game and hitting 45.5 percent (36-79) of her shots from the field after a 14-point, six-rebound effort in NU's win over No. 13 Ohio State. She had six double-figure scoring efforts in the first seven games. Johnson fell into a nine-game slump, averaging just 7.9 points per game and shooting just 32.9 percent (25-76) from the field.

Johnson has bounced back to average 14 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest over the past eight games.

Johnson, who led the Huskers in scoring at 14.8 points per game a year ago, has now produced double figures in 16 of 24 games this season, including a pair of 20-point scoring efforts. She has scored in double figures in 40 of 52 games over the past two seasons, including eight 20-point performances in her career.

In her career, Johnson leads the Huskers with 931 career points and needs 69 more points to become Nebraska's 21st 1,000-point scorer in history.

Cannon-Johnson's Return Powering Husker Turnaround
Nebraska senior Keasha Cannon-Johnson has been a major player in the Huskers' dramatic turnaround this season. The 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., who sat out the 2002-03 season as a redshirt, has returned to the court to rank second on the team in scoring, assists and steals, while leading the team and ranking second in the Big 12 in rebounding.

Cannon-Johnson is averaging 11.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Cannon-Johnson has scored in double figures in seven of her last nine games, including a 16-point, 10-rebound effort in the Huskers' win over Kansas State on Jan. 24. She is coming off an impressive 14-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist effort at Iowa State on Feb. 24 for her fifth double-double of the season and 11th in her 51-game Nebraska career. She has produced double figures in scoring 15 times this season, while pulling down double-figure rebounds on seven occasions.

Cannon-Johnson is averaging 11.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in league play and has increased her scoring average to 12.5 points per game against ranked foes. One of Nebraska's most consistent shooters, Cannon-Johnson has knocked down 41.5 percent of her three-point attempts on the season. She has hit 17-of-41 three-pointers on the year, including 12-of-26 (46.2 percent) in Big 12 Conference games.

Two seasons ago, Cannon-Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year honors by leading the Huskers with 12.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She also earned a spot on the Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Defense Team.

Richards Giving the Huskers Solid All-Around Game
Margaret Richards has joined Keasha Cannon-Johnson to give the Huskers a dynamic duo in the backcourt in 2003-04. Richards, a 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., ranks third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding with 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game after breaking out of her five-game scoring slump with 18 points and three steals at Iowa State on Feb. 21. Richards connected on a season-high three three-pointers against the Cyclones, and her 18 points surpassed her total of 17 points from the five previous games combined.

In Nebraska's 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24, Richards played one of the best games of her career with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high five steals. For her efforts against the Wildcats, Richards earned the first Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award of her career.

After her scoring eruption against Kansas State and a solid 12-point, five-rebound effort against No. 3 Texas, Richards struggled for five games. She hit just 6-of-40 shots from the field, including just 1-for-10 from three-point range, before going 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc at ISU.

Richards has scored in double figures 13 times this season, including a season-high 23 points in the win over Eastern Kentucky and 21 points against Kansas State. She has added four double-figure rebound performances, including a career-high 15 boards against Creighton.

Hardy Making Strong Case For All-Freshman Honors
Kiera Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and a team-leading 1.6 steals per game.

The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., 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 (Jan. 24). Against the Wildcats, 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.

A difference-maker who has repeatedly changed the course of games for the Huskers this season, 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 against MU and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws. 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 also played a huge role in the win over Kansas on Feb. 7, when she had 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds. She had 10 points and six rebounds in the second half against the Jayhawks to lead the Huskers back from a nine-point deficit with 9:42 to play. She scored eight points in the final five minutes to seal an 11-point victory by helping NU close the game on a 27-7 surge.

In the win over Iowa State on Jan. 10, Hardy had eight points, three steals and one assist in a five-minute stretch in the first half that helped trim a 12-point Iowa State lead to just one. Hardy also played a major role in NU's win at Rice, scoring nine straight points on three straight 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. She 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 win. She energized NU with 10 points and a trio of three-pointers in the win over No. 13 Ohio State.

Hardy has produced seven double-figure scoring efforts and 13 games with eight or more points this season. She missed the Mississippi, Eastern Kentucky and Washington State games because of illness.

Huskers Holding Strong in WBCA RPI Rankings
Nebraska's amazing turnaround on the court this season has helped the Huskers climb the ladder in the national Ratings Percentage Index rankings. The Huskers are ranked No. 42 in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings released Feb. 23. The Huskers have continued to climb the RPI rankings in recent weeks after playing five consecutive top-16 teams, before playing host to Kansas on Feb. 7. NU actually peaked in the rankings at No. 32 before playing the Jayhawks and slipped a spot despite a 59-48 victory over KU. Nebraska fell to No. 42 after suffering its first loss to an unranked team in 13 games, with a 77-66 loss at Iowa State on Feb. 21. NU's last loss to an unranked opponent had come with a 69-66 loss to Mississippi on Nov. 28.

Texas leads the Big 12 Conference with a No. 6 rating in the RPI, while Kansas State has climbed to No. 8 and Colorado comes in at No. 10. Texas Tech is No. 11, while Baylor is not far behind at No. 18 giving the Big 12 five of the nation's top-18 RPI teams. Oklahoma moved in front of the Huskers with four straight wins to jump to No. 27. Missouri comes in at No. 41, while Nebraska is No. 42 to give the Big 12 eight teams in the top 45. Iowa State has climbed to No. 62, while Texas A&M is No. 88, Oklahoma State No. 115 and Kansas is No. 134.

Nebraska's strength of schedule ranks 63rd nationally thanks in part to a strong non-conference schedule that included Ohio State (17-8), Creighton (17-7), Rice (16-7), Mississippi (15-11), Texas-Arlington (15-10), Louisiana-Lafayette (13-12) and Eastern Kentucky (12-12). Overall, 17 of NU's 24 games have come against teams with .500 or better records.

Kephart Returns After 13-Game Absence with Injury
Freshman Heather Kephart returned to the court for the Huskers in their 64-41 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 11 The 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., made her return against her homestate school after missing 13 games with a foot injury suffered in practice on Dec. 20.

Kephart played the final minutes against the Cowgirls and connected on her only shot attempt, while adding one rebound and one assist. She also saw limited playing time at Kansas State and Iowa State.

Before the injury, Kephart was NU's top contributor off the bench, averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game. She is one of the Huskers' top three-point threats, connecting on 17-of-49 (34.7 percent) of her long range attempts. Despite playing in just 11 games,

Kephart has already produced one of the top five freshman three-point shooting seasons in school history. Her 17 three-pointers are tied for third with Keasha Cannon-Johnson, trailing only Jina Johansen's 24 and Kiera Hardy's 21 three-pointers among the Huskers.

Kephart opened her Husker career with 16 points in the season-opening win over Wofford on Nov. 21, which ranks as the fifth-best opening performance by a freshman in school history. She added a career-high five three-pointers to shoot Nebraska to victory at Washington State on Dec. 4.

Morse, Johansen Get It Done in the Classroom
Senior Katie Morse and junior Jina Johansen qualified to be CoSIDA Academic All-America nominees for the Huskers with strong performances in the classroom during their Nebraska careers.

Morse, a 6-4 center from Minden, Iowa, carries a 3.491 grade-point average as a secondary education/social sciences major. She has started all 24 games for the Huskers this season and ranks fourth on the team with 8.9 points per game and third on the squad with 6.4 rebounds per contest. She also leads the club and ranks among Big 12 leaders with 1.9 blocked shots per game.

Johansen, a 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., owns an impressive 3.673 GPA as a nutritional science and dietetics major. She has started all 24 games for the Huskers at point guard and has added 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 4.8 assists per game, which ranks among Big 12 leaders.

Neither Morse nor Johansen earned spots on the CoSIDA Academic All-District first or second teams.

Seven Huskers Claim Spots on Big 12 Honor Roll
Seven Huskers, including all five freshmen, earned recognition from the conference for their academic accomplishments by being named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll on Feb. 10.

CoSIDA Academic All-America candidates Katie Morse and Jina Johansen led the way for the Huskers in the classroom during the 2003 fall semester. Johansen, a junior nutrition and dietetics major, posted a 3.856 grade-point average during the fall to improve her cumulative GPA to 3.673. Morse, a senior secondary education/social sciences major, produced a 3.785 fall semester GPA to improve her overall GPA to 3.491.

Along with the strong performances from the two NU upperclass players, all five of the Husker freshmen performed well in the classroom. Jessica Gerhart, a 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, posted a 3.8 GPA as a nutrition and dietetics major in the fall to increase her cumulative GPA to 3.778. Heather Kephart, a 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., added a 3.715 grade-point average, while Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, produced a 3.585 GPA.

Kiera Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., contributed a 3.145 GPA, while Andrea Lightfoot, a 5-8 guard from Omaha, Neb., rounded out the list of NU freshmen earning recognition with a 3.203 fall grade-point average to raise her cumulative GPA to 3.103.

The Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the previous semester. Overall, Nebraska had 286 student-athletes named to the fall honor roll, including 26 who produced perfect 4.0 grade-point averages during the fall semester.

Johansen Coming On Strong in Big 12 Action
Junior Jina Johansen has improved her numbers in nearly every category since the start of Big 12 Conference play to push her season averages to 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., is averaging 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists in Big 12 games, after finishing the non-conference season at just 3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

Johansen has been even better over the past four games, averaging 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Against Iowa State on Feb. 21, Johansen produced her third double-figure scoring effort of the season and second in the last four games with 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers. She produced her second double-figure scoring effort of the season in the win over Kansas on Feb. 7, with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. In the Huskers' 64-41 victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 11, Johansen scored nine points, pulled down two boards and dished out seven assists to help the Huskers run past the Cowgirls. She added eight points at Kansas State on Feb. 14.

Johansen has gained confidence in her outside shot during the Big 12 season, connecting on 18-of-44 (40.9 percent) of her three-point attempts, after hitting just 6-of-15 (40 percent) in Nebraska's 11 non-conference games this season. She has hit at least one three-pointer in six consecutive games, including three trifectas against Kansas and at Iowa State.

Last season, Johansen hit just 9-of-32 (28.1 percent) of her three-point attempts on the year, including 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) in Big 12 Conference action. She nearly matched that total in the Huskers' second game of league action this season, when she knocked down a career-high four three-pointers on eight attempts to tie a career high with 15 points in a win over Iowa State.

A steady playmaker, Johansen owns season highs of eight assists against Eastern Kentucky and Texas-Arlington, and has dished out seven assists on four occasions in league play (Texas A&M, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma State).

Johansen enters the Missouri game ranked sixth on Nebraska's all-time list with 346 career assists. Her 114 assists this season already rank as the fifth-best total by a junior in school history and she needs just four more assists to match Ami Beiriger's 118 assists as a junior in 1980-81 in fourth place. Nicole Kubik holds the junior single-season mark with 186 assists in 1998-99. Last season, Johansen produced the second-best sophomore total in school history with 153 assists.

Morse Blocking Her Way into Husker Record Book
Senior Katie Morse has thrown up a defensive road block for opponents inside this season. The 6-4 center from Minden, Iowa, ranks fifth in the Big 12 in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 blocks per game, including 2.1 blocks per contest in Big 12 games, which ranks fourth in the league.

In Nebraska's win over Texas A&M on Jan. 17, Morse set a school record with seven blocked shots against the Aggies. Her effort against the Aggies surpassed her six-block performance earlier in the season against Eastern Kentucky to tie the school record previously held by Janet Smith (vs. Oklahoma State, Jan. 12, 1979) and Jeanne Boller (vs. Wichita State, Feb. 5, 1977).

With 45 blocks on the year, Morse ranks sixth on the Huskers' single-season block chart and needs just six more to catch Casey Leonhart in fifth place with 51. Morse has an excellent chance to crack the top four on NU's single-season list, which would be significant because all four of Nebraska's top single-season efforts were produced by one player - Janet Smith - who owns NU's career block record with 238, which is 112 more than second-place Charlie Rogers.

Morse's 92 career blocked shots rank fifth on the Huskers' all-time chart, and she needs 12 more rejections to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in fourth and 14 more to reach Maurtice Ivy (1985-88) in third on the NU career list.

A solid all-around player, Morse is averaging 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She has added one assist per game, including career highs with three assists in NU victories over Kansas (Feb. 7) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 11), and the Huskers' loss at Iowa State (Feb. 21).

Morse missed 21 games for the Huskers a year ago, after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Nebraska's seventh game last season.

Huskers Fall at Iowa State, 77-66
The Nebraska women’s basketball team saw Iowa State use a 22-4 run early in the second half to build a 16-point lead and hold off a furious Husker rally to give the Cyclones a 77-66 win at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday.

Margaret Richards led the Huskers with 18 points, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson added her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while adding seven assists in a losing effort. Jina Johansen contributed 11 points, including a trio of first-half three-pointers, and Alexa Johnson gave the Huskers four players in double figures with 11 points, including nine in the second half. Nebraska fell to 16-8 overall and 6-7 in the Big 12. Iowa State improved to 13-11 on the season and 6-7 in the league.

Iowa State’s inside trio of Brittany Wilkins (5-6), Lisa Kriener (3-5) and Katie Robinette (6-10) combined for 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the field, while Nebraska’s quartet of Johnson (5-14), Katie Morse (1-5), Jessica Gerhart (2-5) and Chelsea Aubry (2-5) combined to go 10-for-29 from the field.

The Cyclones’ success inside allowed ISU to compensate for Nebraska’s success from long range. The Huskers, who had hit just 5-of-35 three-pointers over the past two games, knocked down 9-of-20 three-pointers. Iowa State, which had connected on 37 three-pointers over the past three games, also hit 9-of-20 three-pointers on the afternoon.

The Huskers trailed 38-35 at the half, and came out of the locker room strong in the second half, taking their only lead of the game on Johnson’s three-pointer with 16:47 left to give Nebraska a 45-43 lead. But Iowa State answered with five quick points, before Johnson hit another jumper to cut the lead to 48-47 with 15:25 left, but Iowa State answered with eight consecutive points to build its lead back to nine.

Iowa State’s lead grew as large as 16 points at 65-49 with 10:48 left, before the Huskers battled back to cut the lead to seven points at 67-60 with 4:27 left on a pair of Cannon-Johnson free throws. But Iowa State connected on 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch, and the Cyclones’ defense stiffened to secure the win.

The Huskers fell behind the Cyclones 18-8 early in the first half, before Richards sparked Nebraska with a pair of three-pointers and a three-point play late in the first half. Richards’ three-point play with 3:36 left in the half tied the score at 28-28, before ISU went on a 10-5 surge to take a 38-33 lead with 21 seconds left in the half. Gerhart sent Nebraska to the locker room with momentum by knocking down a fadeaway jumper from 14 feet on the right wing as time expired to cut the ISU lead to three points at the half.

Nebraska’s loss snapped a 12-game Husker winning streak against unranked teams, dating back to NU's 69-66 loss to Mississippi in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 28. Nebraska has not win in Ames, Iowa, since 1997.

Husker Freshmen Making an 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-20 freshmen in the Big 12 Conference in scoring, led by Kiera Hardy. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., ranks fourth among conference freshmen with 7.8 points per game. Heather Kephart, a 5-8 guard from Canute, Okla., ranks in 11th place among league freshmen with 5.8 points per game. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Kephart missed 13 games with a foot injury, before returning to limited action against Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, continues to climb the league's scoring ladder among freshmen. Aubry is averaging 6.1 points per game to rank 12th in the league, while fellow forward Jessica Gerhart comes in at 20th with 3.3 points per game. Aubry also ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 3.6 rebounds per game, while Hardy ranks 12th with 2.6 boards per contest, and Gerhart ranks 17th with 2.1 rebounds per game.

Hardy ranks second among Big 12 freshmen in steals with 1.6 per game, trailing only Texas' Tiffany Jackson, and fifth in assists with 1.5 per game. Kephart ranks 10th in three-point percentage (17-49, 34.7 percent). Hardy also ranks 15th with her 28.4 three-point field goal percentage (21-74).

Gerhart is proving that she is one of the most accurate shooters among the Big 12 newcomers, ranking fourth in the league by hitting 57.6 percent (34-59) of her field goal attempts. Gerhart is the only Big 12 freshman with more than 15 field goal attempts who is shooting better than 55 percent from the field. She is also threatening the Nebraska single-season freshman record for field goal percentage.

Huskers Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to Nebraska's success has been the Huskers' aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks second in the Big 12 by averaging 42.5 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-6.0 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 in three straight games. NU produced one of its best board efforts of the season by outrebounding Kansas, 52-37, on Feb. 7, and added a plus-10 edge (45-35) in the win over Oklahoma State. The Huskers added a plus-10 margin (44-34) in the loss at No. 9 Kansas State and outrebounded Iowa State, 36-33, on Feb. 21. Overall, NU has produced a double-figure rebounding margin 11 times this season, and the Huskers have outrebounded 17 of their 24 opponents.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 14.3 offensive boards per game to rank third in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in 11 of 24 games this season, including a season-high 21 offensive boards against Wofford, St. Bonaventure and Kansas State (Feb. 14).

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 8.4 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 6.9 rebounds per game to rank in a tie for 12th 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 59 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.5 offensive boards per game, which is tied for 10th in the Big 12.

Center Katie Morse has added 6.4 rebounds per game to rank 15th in the league in rebounding. Morse is tied for second on the club with 51 offensive boards, matching Cannon-Johnson. Alexa Johnson has added 46 offensive boards.

Nebraska joins Kansas State as the only teams in the Big 12 Conference that feature three players who rank among the top 15 in the league in rebounding. The only other team in the Big 12 with three players who rank among the top 20 individuals in the league in rebounding is Texas.

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 24 games, the Huskers rank fourth in the Big 12 with a 72.9 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 310-255 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 56 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 15 fewer fouls than its opponents, and only five Huskers (Margaret Richards vs. Wofford; Heather Kephart vs. Mississippi; Alexa Johnson vs. Oklahoma; Keasha Cannon-Johnson vs. Texas A&M; Kiera Hardy at Iowa State) have fouled out.

Margaret Richards has led Nebraska at the line this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., is shooting 74.3 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (81) and attempted (109).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 12.9-10.6 (+2.3) 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. Five of the 10 Huskers on the roster are shooting 70 percent or better at the free throw line, including Kiera Hardy (79.3 percent), Alexa Johnson (78.3 percent), Katie Morse (76.4 percent) and Heather Kephart (75 percent). Nine of 10 Huskers are shooting 66 percent or better at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (68.8 percent), Chelsea Aubry (68.3 percent), Keasha Cannon-Johnson (67.3 percent) and Andrea Lightfoot (66.7 percent).

Poise Counts - Huskers Come Through in Clutch
Nebraska provided Husker fans with some of the most exciting basketball games in the country early this season. Ten of the Huskers' first 14 games this season were decided by eight points or less, and Nebraska 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 13 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 Notable Numbers
The Huskers rank fifth in the Big 12 with their 72.9 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, 310-255, at the line through 24 games this season (12.9-10.6).

Nebraska's 42.5 rebounds per game rank second in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +6.0 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the league. NU outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents and 17 of its 24 opponents on the season, including a plus-10 rebound margins in both games against No. 9 Kansas State, a plus-15 margin in the win over Kansas and a plus-10 margin in the win over Oklahoma State.

NU ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 15.9 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.

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.

Huskers Earn First Top 25 Ranking Since 1999
Nebraska entered the Associated Press Top 25 on Jan. 26 for the first time since Nov. 15, 1999, as the Huskers cracked the poll at No. 25. 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 the following week. Nebraska did not receive any votes in the Associated Press poll this week. Nebraska has played eight games against teams currently ranked the AP Top 25, including current No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Kansas State (twice), No. 14 Colorado, No. 16 Baylor, No. 23 Oklahoma and No. 25 Ohio State.

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 losing at 2003 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier, No. 11 Colorado, 78-63 (Feb. 4).

Nebraska rebounded with a 59-48 victory over Kansas (Feb. 7) at the Devaney Center, before defeating Oklahoma State 64-41 at home (Feb. 11). NU fell at No. 9 Kansas State 89-69 (Feb. 14), before losing at Iowa State, 77-66 (Feb. 21). After hosting Missouri (Feb. 25) and traveling to Kansas (Feb. 28), the Huskers close the regular season 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, Nebraska 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, 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 Feb. 5, the women's basketball team was solidly in first place with 2,082 points to lead the second-place Nebraska women's gymnastics team (1,625) by 457 points. The women's track and field team was in third with 1,374 points, while the softball team was in fourth with 1,295 points and the volleyball team was in fifth with 1,275 points.

All 21 Husker teams are taking part in the program, which assigns points to individual and team efforts in the Life Skills categories of 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 are producing one of the nation's top turnarounds in Yori's second season, running to a 16-8 overall record and a 6-7 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 219-168 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 doubled their overall win total from a season ago and have produced five more Big 12 Conference victories than 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 Feb. 5, the women's basketball team had earned 2,082 points to lead the women's gymnastics team by 457 points. The Husker women's track and field program was in third with 1,374 points, while the softball team (1,295) and volleyball team (1,275) 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 276-97 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 99-61 (.619) in conference games. Nebraska is 12-1 at home in 2003-04, and has doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers are 5-1 at home in the Big 12.

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 3,018 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.