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The Nebraska women's basketball team (17-9, 7-8) will conclude its regular season by honoring its four seniors on Senior Night when the Huskers battle No. 13 Colorado (21-6, 10-5) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
Seniors Alexa Johnson, Margaret Richards, Keasha Cannon-Johnson and Katie Morse will be honored for their contributions to the University of Nebraska in pregame ceremonies on Wednesday. The four seniors have started all 26 games this season, while leading one of the nation's top turnarounds in NCAA Division I women's basketball.
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.
A win over Colorado would be significant for plenty of reasons for the Huskers. A victory would give NU 18 wins, matching NU's highest total since finishing 21-12 in 1998-99. It would also secure Nebraska's first .500 or better Big 12 finish since going 10-6 on its way to an 18-13 overall finish during the 1999-2000 season - the last year the Huskers advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
A victory would also strengthen the Huskers' hopes of receiving an at-large bid into this year's NCAA Tournament by locking up the No. 7 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, which begins next Tuesday at Reunion Arena in Dallas. Along with the historic implications and postseason ramifications, a win against Colorado would also be the first for Nebraska's seniors. The Buffaloes have won eight straight meetings in the series since NU's 79-66 win at the Devaney Center on Jan. 26, 2000. Margaret Richards was the only current player who was on the NU roster to witness the victory, but she was not eligible to compete for the Huskers as a true freshman.
Since that Husker win, Colorado has won each of the past eight meetings, including a 78-63 victory over NU on Feb. 4 in Boulder. Although Nebraska suffered a double-digit loss for the seventh time during CU's eight-game streak, the Huskers owned a 56-55 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the game.
NU Producing One of Nation's Best Turnarounds
With a 17-9 record, Nebraska has won nine more games than last season when the Huskers finished with an 8-20 mark. NU's nine-game swing is 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, while UNC-Asheville is plus-15 in the win column, Idaho State is plus-13, Hartford is plus-11 and Idaho is plus-10. The Huskers are tied with Houston, Florida and Colgate at plus-nine. Last season, only eight teams produced nine-game improvements from 2001-02 to 2002-03, led by Rutgers' nation-leading 12-game swing.
Nebraska has also 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 nine losses this season have come against top-16 teams, with its only other losses coming early in the season to Mississippi (16-12) at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., at Iowa State (13-13) on Feb. 21, and most recently to Missouri (15-11) in Lincoln on Feb. 25.
The overall combined record of the nine opponents the Huskers have suffered losses to this season is 176-68 (.721).
Scouting the #13 Colorado Buffaloes (21-6, 10-5)
No. 13 Colorado comes to Lincoln in a familiar role. For the third consecutive year, the Buffaloes will face the Huskers on Senior Night during Nebraska's regular-season finale.
The Buffaloes, who enter the Devaney Center with a 21-6 overall record and a 10-5 mark in Big 12 play, have been successful at spoiling Nebraska's Senior Night each of the last two years, including a 70-56 win last season and an 84-60 victory two years ago.
While Wednesday night's game carries plenty of emotion and postseason implications for the Huskers, it is also an extremely important game for Colorado. The Buffaloes are tied for third with Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings. A CU win over Nebraska and a Lady Raider loss at Kansas State on Wednesday would give the Buffs the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament next week.
However, a CU loss and an Oklahoma victory over Big 12-leading Texas in Norman on Wednesday could drop Colorado to fifth place in the standings and force the Buffs to play a first-round game against the No. 12 seed.
The Buffaloes have had plenty of success against the Huskers throughout the history of the series. Colorado owns a 36-17 lead in the all-time series, including eight consecutive victories. In the first meeting this season, Colorado ran to a 78-63 win in Boulder for its 20th straight victory over NU in Boulder. The Buffs have won the last three meetings in Lincoln, but Nebraska produced three straight wins over Colorado in Lincoln before CU's recent success.
Although Colorado owns a commanding 26-2 record against the Huskers in Boulder, Nebraska owns a 12-10 series lead over the Buffaloes in Lincoln.
Senior center Tera Bjorklund, who is one of the top scorers and rebounders in the Big 12 this season, averaging 18.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, led Colorado in the first meeting with 32 points and nine boards.
Nebraska vs. Colorado - Game One Recap
The Nebraska women’s basketball team owned a 56-55 lead with just over seven minutes to go, but No. 11 Colorado finished strong down the stretch to claim a 78-63 win over the Huskers at the Coors Events Center on Feb. 4.
With the loss, Nebraska fell to 14-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12, while the Buffaloes improved to 18-2 overall and 7-1 in the league. For the Huskers, it was their fifth loss to a top-16 team this season, including four on the road in the Big 12.
Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 13 points, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson added 11 points and seven rebounds despite being riddled with foul trouble in the first half. Katie Morse added 10 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots to give the Huskers three players in double figures.
Tera Bjorklund led Colorado with 32 points and nine rebounds, while Amber Metoyer and Kate Fagan each added 10 points for the Buffaloes, who won their sixth consecutive game and their 15th in the last 16 games. It was also CU’s 20th consecutive win over Nebraska in Boulder.
The Huskers led for most of the first half, thanks to six points from Morse and five points from Jina Johansen. Bjorklund was still able to give the Buffs a two-point halftime lead by scoring 14 points, including 8-of-9 shooting at the free throw line. Nebraska trailed on just four occasions in the first half, and took its biggest lead of the game at 21-14 with just over six minutes left in the half on a three-pointer from Chelsea Aubry.
The Huskers held their last lead of the half at 28-27 with just over 15 seconds remaining, before Bjorklund converted a three-point play to close the first-half scoring. The two-point CU edge matched its biggest lead of the half.
In the second half, Bjorklund was too much to handle for the Huskers, as she poured in 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Despite the big effort from Bjorklund, the Buffs could not shake Nebraska for most of the second half, as Johansen gave the Huskers a 56-55 lead with 7:10 remaining in the game. After that lead, Colorado responded by closing the game with a 23-7 surge.
The Huskers shot 42.2 percent (27-64) from the field, including 31.6 percent (6-19) from three-point range, while the Buffs knocked down 46 percent (29-63) from the field, but hit just 2-of-11 three-pointers (18.2 percent). The Buffaloes enjoyed their biggest advantage at the free throw line, outscoring Nebraska 18-3 at the free throw line.
Johnson Enjoying Offensive Resurgence
Senior Alexa Johnson has cranked up her game on the offensive end over the last 10 games and has moved into the team scoring lead at 12.2 points per game, which ranks 18th in the Big 12. Johnson is averaging 12.5 points per contest in Big 12 games and has been on fire over the past six games, averaging 16.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest.
Johnson, a 6-1 forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., struck for a season-high 21 points in the Huskers' victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 11. She hit a career-high 10 shots from the field on 17 attempts, including 6-of-7 shooting in the second half. She added six rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in her best all-around effort of the season. Johnson added 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including both her three-point attempts against Missouri on Feb. 25. She added 6-of-6 shooting at the free throw line. She contributed a team-high 17 points in the win at Kansas on Saturday, including a pair of clutch free throws in a one-and-one situation in the closing minute.
Johnson, who scored 11 points at Iowa State on Feb. 21, has hit for double figures in 10 consecutive games. She had 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 14.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest over the past 10 games. During that stretch she is shooting 47.2 percent from the field, including 38.9 percent from three-point range. She has also been sizzling at the free throw line, connecting on 86.7 percent (26-30) of her free throws, including 11 straight makes at the line dating back to the first half of the Kansas State game on Feb. 14.
Johnson, who led the Huskers in scoring at 14.8 points per game a year ago, has now produced double figures in 18 of 26 games this season, including three 20-point scoring efforts. She has scored in double figures in 42 of 54 games over the past two seasons, including nine 20-point performances in her career.
In her career, Johnson leads the Huskers with 968 career points and needs 32 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 11.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Cannon-Johnson has scored in double figures in eight of her last 11 games, including a 16-point, 10-rebound effort in the Huskers' win over Kansas State on Jan. 24. She produced a 14-point, nine-rebound effort against Missouri, which followed a 14-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist game at Iowa State on Feb. 24 for her fifth double-double of the season and 11th in her 53-game Nebraska career. She has produced double figures in scoring 16 times this season, while pulling down double-figure rebounds on eight occasions.
Cannon-Johnson is averaging 11.6 points and 8.0 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 40.9 percent of her three-point attempts on the season. She has hit 18-of-44 three-pointers on the year, including 13-of-29 (44.8 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 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game after breaking out of her five-game scoring slump with 18 points and three steals at Iowa State on Feb. 21. She added 13 points and seven boards in a solid game against Missouri on Feb. 25, and added 13 points and three steals in NU's win at Kansas on Feb. 28.
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 15 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.
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 49 blocks on the year, Morse ranks sixth on the Huskers' single-season block chart and needs just two 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 96 career blocked shots rank fifth on the Huskers' all-time chart, and she needs eight more rejections to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in fourth and 10 more to reach Maurtice Ivy (1985-88) in third on the NU career list.
A solid all-around player, Morse is averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 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 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. 47 in the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings released March 1. The Huskers actually slipped two spots in the rankings after Saturday's win at Kansas. Nebraska peaked in the rankings at No. 32 on Feb. 5.
Texas leads the Big 12 Conference with a No. 4 rating in the RPI, while Kansas State has climbed to No. 9, Texas Tech is No. 10 and Colorado comes in at No. 12. Baylor is not far behind at No. 16, and Oklahoma comes in at No. 17 to give the Big 12 seven of the nation's top-20 RPI teams.
Missouri has ascended to No. 34 in the rankings, while NU is No. 47, giving the Big 12 eight teams among the top 50 squads in the nation.
Iowa State dropped 11 spots to No. 74 after losing to Missouri on Saturday, while Texas A&M is No. 95, Oklahoma State is No. 117 and Kansas is No. 143.
Nebraska's strength of schedule ranks 76th nationally and should go up significantly by playing Colorado on Wednesday night. The Buffaloes have been ranked among the top 15 RPI teams in the nation for most of the 2003-04 season.
The Huskers' non-conference schedule has helped put Nebraska in position for a postseason berth. The Huskers' non-league schedule included Ohio State (19-8), which has won six consecutive games, Rice (18-7), which has won 12 consecutive games, Creighton (17-8), Mississippi (16-12) and Texas-Arlington (15-11). The Huskers have played 16 of 26 games against teams with .500 or better records.
Hardy Making Strong Case For All-Freshman Honors
Kiera Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.7 steals per game after a career-high 21 points against Missouri on Feb. 25.
The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., earned her first Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award 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 and added 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 a then-career-high 17 points and a career-best six steals in the win at Missouri on Jan. 14. With NU 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 eight double-figure scoring efforts and 15 games with seven or more points this season. She missed the Mississippi, Eastern Kentucky and Washington State games because of illness.
Hardy ranks fourth among league freshmen in scoring and second in steals. She ranks 14th overall in the Big 12 in steals per game, and second among the Huskers with 23 three-pointers on the season.
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 5.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., is averaging 6.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.9 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 six games, averaging 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.2 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 six 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, and nine points - all in the first half - in the Huskers' win at Kansas on Feb. 28.
Johansen has gained confidence in her outside shot during the Big 12 season, connecting on 20-of-49 (40.8 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 eight 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 Colorado game ranked sixth on Nebraska's all-time list with 355 career assists. Her 123 assists this season rank as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history. Johansen needs 24 more assists to catch Amy Stephens in third place on that list. 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, 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 26 games for the Huskers this season and ranks fourth on the team with 8.5 points per game and third on the squad with 6.3 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 26 games for the Huskers at point guard and has added 5.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 4.7 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.
Huskers Hold on for Thrilling 65-61 Win at Kansas
The Nebraska women’s basketball team knocked down six consecutive free throws in one-and-one situations down the stretch to hold on for a 65-61 win over Kansas in front of 2,200 fans at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
Alexa Johnson scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the second half to power the Huskers, who improved to 17-9 overall and 7-8 in Big 12 Conference play. Kansas fell to 9-17 overall and 2-13 in the league on Senior Day in Lawrence. On a day that 31-year KU head coach Marian Washington was honored during pregame ceremonies after announcing her retirement on Friday evening, Crystal Kemp led all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field.
Although the Huskers had a hard time slowing down Kemp, a balanced NU attack was able to hold off the Jayhawks’ late-game rally. Nebraska, which led by five points at halftime, built its lead to nine points on several occasions in the second half, and maintained a seven-point advantage at 57-50 with 2:41 left in the game, before Kansas clawed its way back.
Kemp hit a jumper with 1:41 to play to cut the lead to five, before Erica Hallman scored on a layup with 50 seconds remaining to trim the NU lead to one possession at 57-54. KU slashed the lead to one point on a pair of free throws with 32 seconds left, before Nebraska came up with big free throws and key defensive rebounds down the stretch.
Johnson hit a pair of free throws with 31 seconds left to push the lead back to three points at 59-56, before Kemp knocked it back to one point with a layup with 20 seconds left. Margaret Richards then connected on both ends of a one-and-one free throw situation to push the lead back to three points.
Katie Morse then came up with a huge defensive rebound off Kemp’s missed shot and was immediately fouled by Hallman with 10 seconds left. Morse, a senior from Minden, Iowa, came through in the clutch by knocking down both free throws to give NU a five-point edge.
The game was still in doubt when Hallman hit Kansas’ first three-pointer of the game with two seconds left. Jina Johansen then threw a long inbounds pass to a sprinting Richards outside the three-point line in Nebraska’s frontcourt. Richards, who finished with 13 points, drove down the lane and beat the buzzer to seal a four-point victory.
Johansen, who dished out five assists, added nine points - all in the first half - to help the Huskers, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson scored six points, dished out three assists and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Kiera Hardy added seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in a winning effort, while Morse added five points, Jessica Gerhart pitched in four points and Chelsea Aubry contributed four points.
Nebraska shot 43.3 percent (26-60) from the field, including just 12.5 percent (2-16) from three-point range. The Huskers connected on 73.3 percent (11-15) of their free throws on the day. NU committed just 12 turnovers, but were outrebounded 42-32 by the Jayhawks, including 17 offensive rebounds by KU.
Kansas shot 40.9 percent (27-66) from the field, including a dismal 9.1 percent (1-11) from three-point range. The Jayhawks were a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Kansas committed 16 turnovers, which Nebraska turned into 20 points in the victory.
Nebraska erased a seven-point Kansas lead midway through the first half by using a 9-0 run to go to the locker room up by five points, 29-24, at intermission.
Johansen led the Huskers with nine first-half points, while Hardy contributed five points and a pair of steals to spark the Huskers. Hardy started NU’s 9-0 run to end the first half by knocking down a three-pointer to cut KU’s lead to one point at 24-23, before hitting a jumper off an offensive rebound to give the Huskers a 25-24 lead with 1:25 left in the half.
Freshman forward Jessica Gerhart kept the Huskers rolling at the end of the half by knocking down a pair of jumpers in the final 35 seconds to send Nebraska to the locker room with momentum.
Nebraska got out to a quick 6-2 lead behind four quick points from Johnson, but the Jayhawks responded with a 16-6 surge led by Kemp, who scored 10 first-half points.
Husker Freshmen Making an Impact in Big 12
Nebraska's freshmen have 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 8.3 points per game.
Chelsea Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, continues to climb the league's scoring ladder among freshmen. Aubry is averaging 5.8 points per game to tie for 11th among league freshmen with fellow Husker Heather Kephart. Forward Jessica Gerhart comes in at 19th with 3.2 points per game. Aubry also ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 3.5 rebounds per game, while Hardy ranks ninth with 2.8 boards per contest, and Gerhart ranks 18th with 1.9 rebounds per game.
Hardy ranks second among Big 12 rookies in steals with 1.7 per game, trailing only Texas' Tiffany Jackson, and sixth in assists with 1.5 per game. Kephart ranks 11th in three-point percentage (17-49, 34.7 percent). Hardy ranks 16th in that category with her 28.4 three-point field goal percentage (23-81), while her 23 made three-pointers rank sixth among league freshmen. Gerhart is proving that she is one of the most accurate shooters among the Big 12 newcomers, ranking fourth in the league by hitting 55.4 percent (36-65) of her field goal attempts. Gerhart joins Kansas' Lauren Ervin as the only Big 12 freshmen (who have attempted more than one shot) shooting better than 50 percent from the field on the season.
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. Kephart did not play against Missouri on Feb. 25, and did not dress for the Huskers game at Kansas on Feb. 28.
Kephart has already produced one of the top five freshman three-point shooting seasons in school history. Her 17 three-pointers rank fourth among the Huskers, trailing Jina Johansen's 26, Kiera Hardy's 23 and Keasha Cannon-Johnson's 18 three-pointers on the season.
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.
Huskers Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to the Huskers' success has been their aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks third in the Big 12 by averaging 41.7 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-5.0 team rebounding margin. The school rebound margin record is plus-8.6 boards per game 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 26 opponents.
The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 14.0 offensive boards per game to rank fourth in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in 11 of 26 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 8.5 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 6.7 rebounds per game to rank 14th 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 62 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.4 offensive boards per game, which ranks 13th in the Big 12.
Center Katie Morse has added 6.3 rebounds per game to rank 19th in the league in rebounding. Morse ranks third on the club with 55 offensive boards, trailing Cannon-Johnson's 56 offensive boards. Alexa Johnson has added 48 offensive boards.
Nebraska joins Kansas State and Texas as the only teams in the Big 12 Conference that feature three players who rank among the top 20 in the league in rebounding.
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 26 games, the Huskers rank third in the Big 12 with a 74.0 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 345-277 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 70 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 17 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 74.8 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (86) and attempted (115).
The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 13.3-10.7 (+2.6) per game at the free throw line, compared to a 12.8-12.0 (+0.8) scoring edge at the line last season.
Nebraska's excellent 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 (84.6 percent), Alexa Johnson (80.8 percent), Katie Morse (76.3 percent) and Heather Kephart (75 percent). All 10 of the Huskers are shooting 60 percent or better at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (68.8 percent), Keasha Cannon-Johnson (67.9 percent), Chelsea Aubry (65.1 percent), Andrea Lightfoot (66.7 percent) and Jina Johansen (60.9 percent).
Poise Counts - Huskers Come Through in Clutch
Nebraska has provided Husker fans with some of the most exciting basketball in the country this season. Twelve of NU's 26 games have been decided by eight points or less, including 10 of the Huskers' first 14 games. Nebraska has found a way to win 10 times, with their only losses coming to Mississippi (69-66) on Nov. 28, and Missouri (78-76) on Feb. 25 in Lincoln.
Nebraska has given fans their money's worth at the Devaney Center. Six of NU's 14 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, a two-point nail-biter against Louisiana-Lafayette, and a two-point loss to Missouri. The excitement has followed NU on the road, beginning with a three-point loss to Mississippi and a three-point win over Eastern Kentucky at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic. Nebraska continued its string of thrillers with an eight-point win at Washington State and a three-point win at Rice. NU added 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 third in the Big 12 with their 74.0 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, 345-277, at the line through 26 games this season (13.3-10.7). The Huskers set a season-best by hitting 92.3 percent (24-26) of their free throws in the loss to Missouri on Feb. 25, including a perfect 15-for-15 effort in the first half.
Nebraska's 41.7 rebounds per game rank third in the Big 12 Conference, while the Huskers' +5.0 ebounding margin ranks sixth in the league. NU outrebounded each of its first 11 opponents and 17 of its 25 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 15.6 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 will play its ninth game against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25, including current No. 3 Texas, No. 8 Kansas State (twice), No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 13 Colorado (twice), No. 14 Baylor, No. 17 Oklahoma and No. 22 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 falling to Missouri, 78-76 (Feb. 25), the Huskers won 65-61 at Kansas (Feb. 28), before closing the regular season with Senior Night against Colorado (March 3). NU travels 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 17-9 overall record and a 7-8 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 220-169 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 more than doubled their overall win total from a season ago and have produced six 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 276-98 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 99-62 (.615) in conference games. Nebraska is 12-2 at home in 2003-04, and has doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers are 5-2 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, 2003.
So far in 2003-04 attendance is on the rise and the Huskers are averaging 3,061 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.