Huskers Head to Big 12 Tournament

The Nebraska women's basketball team (17-10, 7-9) opens postseason play at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament by clashing with No. 9 seed Iowa State (14-13, 7-9) in the opening round on Tuesday, March 9 at noon at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

Nebraska's game with Iowa State 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 leave for Dallas by charter flight on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Nebraska is staying at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at 300 Reunion Boulevard (214) 651-1234. The Huskers are scheduled to practice at Reunion Arena on Monday at noon.

The Huskers enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed after finishing the regular season tied with Missouri and Iowa State for seventh in the Big 12 standings. Nebraska actually owned head-to-head tiebreakers over both Missouri and Iowa State, but in the three-way format, the Tigers claimed the No. 7 seed in a round robin format. Missouri split with the Huskers, but swept Iowa State in the season series.

The Huskers also split the season series with Iowa State, as Nebraska won the first meeting 62-57 in Lincoln on Jan. 10, before the Cyclones shot their way to a 77-66 win in Ames on Feb. 21.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 33-26, but ISU has dominated recently, winning 11 of the last 12 games. NU's win in Lincoln this year snapped a 10-game losing streak to ISU.

The Huskers head into the Big 12 Tournament hoping to make a postseason run in order to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska has not made it past the first round of the Big 12 Tournament since 1999-2000, when the Huskers advanced to the semifinals before losing to Iowa State. Tuesday's game will mark the third time in the past five years that NU has faced ISU at the Big 12 Tournament.

Johnson, Cannon-Johnson Earn Big 12 Honors
Nebraska seniors Alexa Johnson and Keasha Cannon-Johnson both earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 Conference honors when the league's top teams were announced on Friday, March 5.

Johnson, a 6-1 forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., enters the Big 12 Tournament averaging a team-leading 12.4 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per contest. She has produced double figures in points in the past 11 games and is averaging 16.7 points per contest during NU's last seven contests.

It is the second straight honorable-mention all-conference selection for Johnson, who was also named to the team last season. Johnson needs just 13 more points to become the 21st player in Nebraska history to score 1,000 points in her career.

Cannon-Johnson, a 5-10 guard from Kansas City, Kan., also earned her second honorable-mention All-Big 12 award. The 2002 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Cannon-Johnson captured honorable-mention all-league honors as a junior in 2002, before redshirting last season.

Cannon-Johnson leads the Huskers with 8.3 rebounds per game, while ranking second on the team in scoring, assists and steals. She averages 11.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Cannon-Johnson leads the Huskers with five double-doubles this season. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 15, after leading the Huskers to wins over then-No. 13 Ohio State and Louisiana-Lafayette.

Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones (14-13, 7-9)
Iowa State earned the No. 9 seed in the Big 12 Tournament after finishing in a three-way tie with seventh-seeded Missouri and eighth-seeded Nebraska with a 7-9 record during Big 12 regular-season play. The Cyclones finished the regular season with a 14-13 overall record.

Coach Bill Fennelly, who is in his ninth season at the helm of the Cyclones, led Iowa State in victories in four of its last six games to keep ISU's postseason tournament hopes alive. The Cyclones are coming off a convincing 79-57 victory over Kansas in the Big 12 regular-season finale on March 4.

Iowa State split the regular-season meetings with the Huskers, falling 62-57 to Nebraska in Lincoln on Jan. 10, before getting revenge with a 77-66 win over the Huskers in Ames on Feb. 21.

After the win over the Huskers, the Cyclones were drubbed by Big 12 Co-Champion Kansas State, 68-33, in Manhattan, before falling to Missouri, 63-58, in Columbia.

Three-point shooting has been the key ingredient to Iowa State's success this season. In their 14 wins, the Cyclones have hit 40.6 percent of their three-pointers while averaging 8.8 three-pointers made per game. In their 13 losses, the Cyclones have hit just 28.3 percent of their three-pointers and averaged just 5.2 three-pointers made per game, a swing of nearly 11 points per game. In nine of their 13 losses, the Cyclones hit five or fewer three-pointers, including season-worst efforts of 1-for-17 and 2-for-18 in losses to Kansas State.

In Iowa State's first meeting with Nebraska, the Cyclones hit just 3-of-18 three-pointers, while knocking down 9-of-20 trifectas in the win over the Huskers at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

Junior guard Anne O'Neil has led the Cyclones throughout the season, averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. O'Neil has averaged 17 points, four rebounds and five assists per game in two meetings with Nebraska this season.

Scouting the Big 12 Tournament Field
Texas earned the No. 1 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas (March 9-13) by finishing the regular season with a 14-2 conference record and a 26-3 overall mark. The third-ranked Longhorns were crowned Big 12 co-champions along with second-seeded Kansas State, but managed a 65-63 win over the Wildcats in Austin on Feb. 29 to earn the top seed. The eighth-ranked Wildcats finished the regular season with 23-4 mark.

Colorado locked up the No. 3 seed by closing the regular season with an 11-5 league mark after escaping Lincoln with a 63-60 win over Nebraska on March 3. The Buffaloes finished the regular season with a 22-6 overall record.

No. 9 Texas Tech tied Baylor in the regular-season standings, but earned the No. 4 seed by beating the Lady Bears in both head-to-head meetings. The Lady Raiders finished with a 24-6 overall mark and a 10-6 league mark. Baylor earned the fifth seed and owns a 22-7 record.

Eighth-seeded Nebraska (17-10, 7-9) plays the first game of the Big 12 Tournament against ninth-seeded Iowa State (14-13, 7-9) on Tuesday, March 9, at noon. The Huskers and Cyclones split their regular-season meetings. The winner of the tournament's first game will face Texas at noon on March 10. The winner of that game will play in the 6 p.m. semifinal game on March 11.

No. 12 Kansas (9-18, 2-14) plays fifth-seeded Baylor in the second game of the tournament, with the winner facing fourth-seeded Texas on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

Missouri claimed the No. 7 seed by way of a three-way tiebreaker over Nebraska and Iowa State. The Tigers (16-11, 7-9) will play 10th-seeded Oklahoma State (8-19, 3-13) in the tournament's third game on March 9 at 6 p.m. The winner will play second-seeded Kansas State at 6 p.m. on March 10.

No. 17 Oklahoma (19-8, 9-7) earned the tournament's No. 6 seed and will square off with 11th-seeded Texas A&M (9-18, 2-14) in the final game of day one at 8:30 p.m. The winner will face fourth-seeded Colorado on March 10 at 8:30 p.m.

Games 5-11 of the tournament will be televised by Fox Sports Net. The championship game is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 13.

Johnson Enjoying Offensive Resurgence
Senior Alexa Johnson has cranked up her game on the offensive end over the last 11 games and has moved into the team scoring lead at 12.4 points per game, which ranks 18th in the Big 12. Johnson averaged 12.9 points per contest in Big 12 games and has been on fire over the past seven games, averaging 16.7 points and 5.1 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 11 consecutive games. She had 19 points against No. 13 Colorado on March 3, and hit for 12 points and eight rebounds at Kansas State on Feb. 14. She scored 17 points against Kansas on Feb. 7, and had 13 points in three straight games against No. 3 Texas, No. 16 Baylor and No. 11 Colorado. She started her 11-game double-figure scoring stretch with 12 points 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 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest over the past 11 games. During that stretch she is shooting 46.8 percent from the field, including 45.5 percent from three-point range. She has also been sizzling at the free throw line, connecting on 87.5 percent (28-32) of her free throws, including 13 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 19 of 27 games this season, including three 20-point scoring efforts. She has scored in double figures in 43 of 55 games over the past two seasons, including nine 20-point performances in her career.

Johnson leads the Huskers with 987 career points and needs 13 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 fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding.

Cannon-Johnson is averaging 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in nine of her last 12 games, including a 16-point, 10-rebound effort in the Huskers' win over Kansas State on Jan. 24.

Cannon-Johnson 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 54-game Nebraska career. She has produced double figures in scoring 17 times this season, while pulling down double-figure rebounds on eight occasions.

Cannon-Johnson averaged 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in league play and has increased her scoring average to 12.6 points per game against ranked foes. One of Nebraska's most consistent shooters, Cannon-Johnson has knocked down 38.0 percent of her three-point attempts on the season. She has hit 19-of-50 three-pointers on the year, including 14-of-35 (40.0 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 10.1 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 third 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 52 blocks on the year, Morse ranks fifth on the Huskers' single-season block chart and needs just two more to catch Janet Smith (1978-79) in fourth, and four more to match Smith's third-place total in 1981-82.

Morse's 52 blocks also rank as the second-best total by a senior in school history, trailing only Smith's 56 blocks in 1981-82. If Morse can crack NU's top four on the block chart it would be even more significant because Smith owns all four of Nebraska's top single-season efforts. Smith owns the NU career block record with 238, which is 112 more than second-place Charlie Rogers.

Morse's 99 career blocked shots rank fifth on the Huskers' all-time chart, and she needs five more rejections to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in fourth and seven more to reach Maurtice Ivy (1985-88) in third on the NU career list.

Morse is averaging 8.4 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). She missed 21 games for the Huskers last year after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Nebraska's seventh game last season.

NU Producing One of Nation's Best Turnarounds
With a 17-10 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-16 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, Colgate and Southern Utah 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 2-7 record against top-16 opponents after playing its ninth top-16 opponent of the year against No. 13 Colorado on March 3.

Seven 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 (17-12) at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., at Iowa State (14-13) on Feb. 21, and most recently to Missouri (16-11) in Lincoln on Feb. 25. The overall combined record of the nine opponents the Huskers have suffered losses to this season is 183-70 (.723).

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 4. 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. 8, Texas Tech is No. 10 and Colorado comes in at No. 12. Oklahoma has climbed to No. 16, despite a loss to Texas on March 2, while Baylor is not far behind at No. 21, giving the Big 12 six of the nation's top-25 teams.

Missouri has ascended to No. 36 in the rankings, while NU is No. 47, giving the Big 12 eight teams among the top 50 squads in the nation.

Iowa State enters the Big 12 Tournament at No. 72, while Texas A&M is No. 95, Oklahoma State is No. 117 and Kansas is No. 143.

Nebraska's strength of schedule ranks 68th nationally. Along with a strong conference schedule, the Huskers played No. 33 Ohio State (19-8), No. 46 Mississippi (17-12), No. 60 Creighton (17-8) and No. 70 Rice (18-7) in non-conference play. Ohio State, which is ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation by the Associated Press, enters the Big Ten Tournament on a six-game winning streak, while Rice has reeled off 12 consecutive victories and owns a win over Louisiana Tech. The Owls were 15-1 and tied for first in the Western Athletic Conference standings entering the weekend. The Huskers have played 17 of 27 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 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.6 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, while adding a steal and a rebound during 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 nine double-figure scoring efforts and 16 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 15th overall in the Big 12 in steals per game, and second among the Huskers with 25 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 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 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 seven games, averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.4 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 seven 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 gained confidence in her outside shot during the Big 12 season, connecting on 22-of-51 (43.1 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 nine consecutive games, including three trifectas against Kansas and at Iowa State. Over the past five games, Johansen has hit 8-of-13 three-pointers (61.5 percent), nearly matching her career total (9-of-36) in 58 games before this season.

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 Big 12 Tournament ranked sixth on Nebraska's all-time list with 361 career assists. Her 129 assists this season rank as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history. Johansen needs 18 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 Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors
Senior Katie Morse and junior Jina Johansen each claimed first-team academic All-Big 12 Conference honors for the second time in their careers when the league announced those honors on March 3.

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 27 games for the Huskers this season and ranks fourth on the team with 8.4 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 27 games for the Huskers at point guard and has added 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and a team-leading 4.8 assists per game, which ranks among Big 12 leaders.

To earn first-team academic All-Big 12 honors, a player must compete in 60 percent of her team's scheduled games and carry a grade-point average of 3.2 or higher either cumulatively or over the past two semesters. Second-team honorees must carry a GPA between 3.0 and 3.19.

Conference-wide, 41 women's basketball players earned academic All-Big 12 recognition, including 32 student-athletes who earned first-team honors.

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.

Husker Comeback Falls Short Against No. 13 Colorado
Nebraska nearly pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in school history, but No. 13 Colorado escaped with a 63-60 victory over the Huskers in front of 4,007 fans at the Devaney Center on March 3.

The Huskers nearly overcame a 14-point second-half deficit and had three chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute, the last being on Keasha Cannon-Johnson's three-point attempt that missed at the buzzer, securing the Buffaloes' ninth straight win over NU.

Nebraska finished the regular season with a 17-10 overall record and a 7-9 Big 12 mark to tie for seventh in the conference standings and secure the No. 8 seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, which begins March 9 at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

Trailing 44-30 with 15 minutes left, Alexa Johnson led Nebraska on a furious comeback, scoring eight of her game-high 19 points in a 24-11 run, as her three-pointer with 4:09 left drew the Huskers within 55-54.

The Buffaloes, who hit 8-of-18 shots from three-point range, answered with three-pointers from Kate Fagan and Veronica Johns-Richardson to push the lead back to 61-55 with 3:11 left.

Fagan led three Colorado players with 19 points, including 5-of-8 shooting from long range, as the two teams combined for 16 three-pointers. Colorado needed an effective performance from long range, as the Huskers held All-America candidate Tera Bjorklund to just eight points, her second-lowest output of the season, on just 4-of-14 shooting. Bjorklund scored a game-high 32 points in CU's win over NU in Boulder on Feb. 4.

The Huskers, who had already toppled a pair of top-15 teams at home this season, answered with back-to-back layups from Margaret Richards and Katie Morse to trim the lead to 62-60 with 1:26 left. On the Huskers' next possession, Richards had a chance to tie the scor but missed a pair of free throws.

Richards redeemed herself with a steal on Colorado's ensuing possession, but Jina Johansen was stripped of the ball while driving to the basket by Johns-Richardson with 20 seconds left. Maria Billingsley hit the second of two free throw attempts to push the CU lead to secure the 63-60 win.

Johnson, one of four Husker seniors playing in their final home games at the Devaney Center, hit 7-of-16 shots from the field, including a career-high three three-pointers to lead a trio of Huskers in double figures. Cannon-Johnson added 13 points, while freshman Kiera Hardy came off the bench to contribute 11 points before fouling out late in the game.

Colorado, which finished the regular season 22-6 and 11-5 in the Big 12 to secure the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, used an 18-2 run midway through the first half to turn a six-point deficit into a 23-13 lead. Fagan led the Buffaloes' surge by hitting three of five three-pointers on the night during the CU surge.

Fagan led Colorado with 19 points and three steals, while Johns-Richardson and Amber Metoyer added double figures for the Buffaloes.

Starters Come to Play Every Night for Nebraska
Nebraska's starting lineup of seniors Alexa Johnson, Katie Morse, Margaret Richards Keasha Cannon-Johnson and junior point guard Jina Johansen was unwavering during the regular season. In fact, the Huskers were one of only eight NCAA Division I teams in the nation to feature the same starting lineup for every game this season.

The only other teams in the nation to accomplish that feat this season are DePaul, Florida, Niagara, Purdue, Utah, Villanova and West Virginia.

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 8.5 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 5.7 points per game to tie for 11th among league freshmen with fellow Husker Heather Kephart. Forward Jessica Gerhart comes in at 19th with 3.1 points per game. Aubry also ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 3.6 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 1.6 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 29.4 three-point field goal percentage (25-85), while her 25 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.

Huskers Continue to Improve from Long Range
Nebraska has hit 132 three-pointers this season, which is tied for the school record established in 1999-2000 and matched in 2001-02. The Huskers' 32.0 percent accuracy from long range ranks as the sixth-best shooting season in school history.

The Huskers are averaging 4.9 made three-pointers per game after hitting just 3.4 three-pointers per contest and shooting 28.9 percent last season.

NU's Focus on Reducing Turnovers Produces Results
Nebraska has committed just 448 total turnovers (16.6 per game) this season, which ranks as the second-lowest total in school history, trailing only the 369 turnovers committed in 32 games in 1991-92 (11.5 per game).

The Huskers achieved their next-lowest turnover total last season with 497 total turnovers (17.8 per game) in Coach Connie Yori's first season at Nebraska. The Huskers have produced two of the top three turnover marks in school history in Yori's first two seasons at the helm.

Huskers Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to the Huskers' success has been their aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks fourth in the Big 12 by averaging 41.4 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-4.7 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 27 opponents.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 13.8 offensive boards per game to rank sixth in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in 11 of 27 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 8.3 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 6.7 rebounds per game to rank 15th 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 63 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.3 offensive boards per game, which ranks 12th in the Big 12.

Center Katie Morse has added 6.4 rebounds per game to rank 17th in the league in rebounding. Morse ranks third on the club with 56 offensive boards, trailing Cannon-Johnson's 57 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. The Huskers rank third in the Big 12 with a 73.8 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 353-284 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 69 more free throws than the opposition, has committed 17 fewer fouls than its opponents, and only six 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 and vs. Colorado) have fouled out.

Margaret Richards has led Nebraska at the line this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., is shooting 73.5 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (86) and attempted (117).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 13.1-10.5 (+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 (82.9 percent), Alexa Johnson (81.3 percent), Katie Morse (76.2 percent) and Heather Kephart (75 percent). All 10 of the Huskers are shooting 60 percent or better at the line, including Keasha Cannon-Johnson (69.1 percent), Jessica Gerhart (68.8 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. Thirteen of NU's 27 games have been decided by eight points or less, including 11 of the Huskers' first 15 games and each of their last three contests. Nebraska has found a way to win 10 times, with their only losses coming to Mississippi (69-66) on Nov. 28, Missouri (78-76) on Feb. 25, and 63-60 to No. 13 Colorado on March 3 in Lincoln.

Nebraska has given fans their money's worth at the Devaney Center. Seven of NU's 15 home games were 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, a two-point loss to Missouri and a three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado. 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.

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 faced a challenging 2003-04 schedule that featured 12 games against nine teams that qualified for postseason play in 2003. Nebraska played eight games against six teams that advanced to the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and added 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 featured 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 featured 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 a 63-60 loss to No. 13 Colorado on Senior Night (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 17-10 overall record and a 7-9 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 220-170 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. Jina Johansen and Katie Morse both earned the second first-team academic All-Big 12 awards of their careers this season, while 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 276-99 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 99-63 (.611) in conference games. Nebraska is 12-3 at home in 2003-04, and has doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers were 5-3 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.

Attendance is on the rise in 2003-04 with the Huskers averaging 3,124 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.