Huskers Host Drake in WNIT First Round

The Nebraska women's basketball team (17-11, 7-9) earned its first postseason bid since the 2000 NCAA Tournament and will play host to its first postseason game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center since 1993, when the Huskers battle the Drake Bullodgs (16-14, 11-7) in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Thursday, March 18, at 7:05 p.m.

Single-game tickets for the WNIT are available by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIGRED, or on-line at Huskers.com. Ticket prices range from $3 to $9.

Nebraska's game with Drake 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 are making their third WNIT appearance in school history and their first since the 1991-92 season. Overall, Nebraska is making its ninth postseason bid, including six trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska has not played a home game in the postseason since defeating San Diego, 81-58, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17, 1993.

Although Nebraska is a relative newcomer to WNIT play, the Huskers are very familiar with Drake. Not only is NU 8-8 all-time against the Bulldogs, the Huskers have played Drake four times in the past six seasons, including a 63-55 loss to Drake in Lincoln last season.

Coach Connie Yori is 10-15 all-time against Drake and has coached more games against the Bulldogs than any other team in her career. Drake head coach Amy Stephens ranks third on the Nebraska career scoring list with 1,976 points from 1986 to 1989. She was the first assistant coach hired by Yori when she took the reins of the NU program in June of 2002. Stephens spent eight years as the head coach at Nebraska-Kearney before returning to Lincoln. She is in her first season at Drake.

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 Women's National Invitation Tournament averaging a team-high 12.5 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds per contest. She has produced double figures in points in the past 12 games and is averaging 16.6 points per contest during NU's last eight contests.

It is the second straight honorable-mention all-league selection for Johnson, who was also named to the team last season. Johnson ranks 20th on Nebraska's career scoring list 1,003 points and became the 21st player in NU history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

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 8.4 rebounds per game, while ranking second on the team in scoring, assists and steals. She averages 11.2 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 Drake Bulldogs (16-14, 11-7)
Former Husker player and assistant coach Amy Stephens leads her first Drake team into the first round of the WNIT against Nebraska. Stephens, who is one of the top players in Nebraska history, ranks third on the NU scoring chart with 1,976 points from 1986 to 1989. The 1991 Nebraska graduate also spent 1990-91 as an undergraduate assistant coach at Nebraska, before spending one season as a full-time assistant on current Husker Coach Connie Yori's first Nebraska staff last season.

Stephens, a native of Alliance, Neb., spent eight successful seasons as the head coach at Nebraska-Kearney before joining the NU staff for the 2002-03 season.

Dr. Micah Parker, who spent last season as Nebraska's director of operations, is also an assistant coach on Stephens' Drake staff. Parker spent four seasons as the head coach at Concordia in Seward, Neb., before joining Yori's first staff in 2002-03.

While much of the pregame attention will be on the sideline, the Bulldogs have drawn plenty of attention on the court.

Drake enters the postseason with wins in eight of its last 10 games and advanced to the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, before losing at Southwest Missouri State on March 13. The Bulldogs own a win over SMS and Creighton during that stretch to rebound from an 8-12 start this year.

The Bulldogs feature a nice mix of youth and experience with three freshman starters along with sophomore guard Linda Sayavongchanh and senior swing player Allison Burchill. Freshman forward/center Jill Martin leads Drake with 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Sayavongchanh has added 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, a team-leading 4.4 assists and 3.4 steals per contest.

Freshman center Whitney Pegram has added 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds along with a team-high 1.8 blocks per game. Freshman Erin Dohrmann (7.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Burchill (4.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) round out Drake's probable starting lineup.

Nebraska vs. Drake Series at a Glance
Nebraska and Drake have provided an exciting regional rivalry throughout the history of the two programs. The first-round WNIT matchup between the Huskers and Bulldogs will mark the 17th meeting between the two schools, and the series is tied 8-8. Drake has captured the last three meetings, including a 63-55 win at the Devaney Center on Dec. 5, 2002, in one of the most exciting games last season.

Margaret Richards led a furious rally that cut Drake's 25-point second-half lead to just four points in the final minute. Although NU's comeback attempt fell short, the Huskers received a standing ovation from a crowd who watched Nebraska nearly pull off the biggest comeback in school history. Richards scored 14 points in the final 8:32 to pull NU within 59-55 with 30 seconds left, after NU trailed 52-27 with 8:54 remaining in the game. Richards finished the game with 18 points, while Amanda Cleveland added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Drake owns a 5-3 record against the Huskers in Lincoln, including a 71-65 win over Nebraska in the first meeting between the two schools on March 1, 1980, in the AIAW Sub-Regional game. One week later, the Huskers knocked off the Bulldogs, 64-63, in Des Moines in the AIAW Regional. Nebraska is 5-3 against Drake in Des Moines.

Huskers Hope for More Postseason Success
Nebraska is making its third appearance in the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Huskers made their first WNIT appearance in 1976, when they posted a 2-1 record in Amarillo, Texas. Nebraska added a 1-2 record in 1992. In both previous appearances, the tournament was actually referred to as the NWIT.

Along with a 3-3 all-time record in the WNIT, the Huskers have earned six trips to the NCAA Tournament, including their last postseason appearance in 2000. Nebraska owns a 2-6 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, giving NU an overall record of 5-9 in postseason tournament play.

Nebraska is 1-0 all-time in home postseason play. The Huskers defeated San Diego, 81-58, on March 17, 1993, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Johnson Enjoying Offensive Resurgence
Senior Alexa Johnson has cranked up her game on the offensive end over the last 12 games and has moved into the team scoring lead at 12.5 points per game, which ranks 17th in the Big 12. Johnson averaged 12.9 points per contest in Big 12 games and has been on fire over the past eight games, averaging 16.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.

In her last outing, Johnson scored 16 points and tied a career high with three three-pointers in a loss to Iowa State. Johnson's third three-pointer put her over the 1,000-point mark in her career, making her the 21st player in NU history to reach that milestone. Johnson has scored 1,003 points to rank 20th on the Nebraska all-time scoring list.

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.

Johnson has hit for double figures in 12 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 12-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 5.2 rebounds per contest over the past 12 games. During that stretch she is shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including 44.8 percent from three-point range. She has also been sizzling at the free throw line, connecting on 85.3 percent (29-34) of her free throws, including 14 straight makes at the line dating back to the first half of the Kansas State game on Feb. 14, before missing her second free throw attempt in the loss to Iowa State on March 9.

Johnson, who led the Huskers in scoring at 14.8 points per game a year ago, has now produced double figures in 20 of 28 games this season, including three 20-point scoring efforts. She has scored in double figures in 44 of 56 games over the past two seasons, including nine 20-point performances in her career.

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 third in the Big 12 in rebounding.

Cannon-Johnson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors for the second time in her career this season and was named to the Dallas Morning News All-Underrated Team this season.

She is averaging 11.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in nine of her last 13 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 nine occasions.

Cannon-Johnson averaged 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in league play and 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 37.7 percent of her three-point attempts on the season. She has hit 20-of-53 three-pointers on the year. 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 9.9 points and 6.6 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, is tied for third in the Big 12 in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 blocks per game.

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 8.5 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). 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 17-11 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 ninth-best turnaround in the nation, while UNC-Asheville is plus-16 in the win column, Idaho State is plus-14, Houston, Idaho and Colgate are plus-12, Hartford is plus-11 andSouthwest Missouri State and Loyola-Marymount come in tied for seventh at plus-10. The Huskers are tied with Florida, Illinois State 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 11 losses this season have come against top-16 teams, with its only other losses coming early in the season to Mississippi (17-13) at the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic in Memphis, Tenn., at Iowa State (15-14) on Feb. 21 and March 9, and Missouri (17-12) in Lincoln on Feb. 25. Every one of Nebraska's 11 losses in 2003-04 came at the hands of teams that advanced to postseason play, while the overall combined winning percentage of the 10 teams the Huskers have suffered losses to this season is above .700.

Huskers Continue to Improve from Long Range
Nebraska has hit 137 three-pointers this season, which established a single-season school record and broke the old mark of 132 previously held by the 1999-2000 and the 2001-02 squads. The Huskers' 31.9 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. Nebraska's improved shooting from three-point range has been a team effort, as four Huskers have knocked down 20 or more three-pointers on the year, led by Jina Johansen's team-high 29. Kiera Hardy has added 25 three-pointers, Alexa Johnson 21 and Keasha Cannon-Johnson 20.

NU's Focus on Reducing Turnovers Produces Results
Nebraska has committed just 457 turnovers (16.3 per game) this season, which ranks as the second-lowest total in school history, trailing only the 369 turnovers 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.

In Nebraska's last meeting against Iowa State in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 9 in Dallas, the Huskers committed a season-low nine turnovers against the Cyclones. It marked the second time in the last two seasons that NU produced single-digit turnovers in a game under Yori, joining the nine turnovers committed by the Huskers against Texas-Pan American on Jan. 5, 2003.

Hardy Proves She is One of Top Freshmen in Big 12
Kiera Hardy has been the Huskers' most exciting freshman, averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 1.6 steals per game. She scored 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 12th overall in the Big 12 in steals per game, and second among the Huskers with 25 three-pointers on the season.

Johansen Turns it On During Late-Season Run
Junior Jina Johansen improved her numbers in nearly every category since the start of Big 12 Conference play to push her season averages to 5.5 points, 2.5 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 eight games, averaging 8.0 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 eight 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 10 consecutive games, including three trifectas against Kansas and at Iowa State. Over the past six games, Johansen has hit 9-of-16 three-pointers (56.3 percent), 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 WNIT ranked sixth on Nebraska's all-time list with 365 career assists. Her 133 assists this season rank as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history. Johansen needs 14 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.

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. Seven of the eight teams advanced to postseason play this year, with Niagara being the only school to fall short of either the NCAA or WNIT tournaments. Niagara finished with an 18-10 overall record.

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 28 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 28 games for the Huskers at point guard and has added 5.5 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 Fall to ISU in First Round of Big 12 Tournament The Nebraska women’s basketball team owned a 41-40 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the game, but Iowa State outscored the Huskers 23-11 the rest of the way, as NU fell to the Cyclones 63-52 in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas on Tuesday, March 9.

The Huskers, who entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed, fell to 17-11 overall. Despite the loss, Nebraska earned its first postseason tournament berth in four seasons by securing a home game against Drake in the first round of the 32-team Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Iowa State, which finished the tournament in the second round with a loss to Texas, finished the regular season with a 15-14 mark and also earned a spot in the WNIT.

Nebraska shot just 32.8 percent (19-58) from the field for the game, including just 5-of-17 shooting (29.4 percent) from three-point range in the game. However, the Huskers were able to hang tough with the ninth-seeded Cyclones, who hit just 19-of-47 field goals (40.4 percent) and matched NU from three-point range with 5-of-17 shooting.

The biggest difference in the game came on the glass and at the free throw, as Iowa State claimed a 39-29 advantage on the boards, while hitting 20-of-24 free throws (83.3 percent) compared to just 9-of-10 free throw shooting for Nebraska.

Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 16 points and six rebounds. Johnson hit her third of a trio of three-pointers with 11:44 left in the game to give Nebraska a 40-38 lead. The shot also pushed the senior forward from Hacienda Heights, Calif., over the 1,000-point scoring mark in her career to become the 21st player in Nebraska history to join the 1,000-point club.

Johnson gave the Huskers their last lead of the game at 41-40 with 11:09 remaining by hitting the first of two free throws. The Cyclones quickly scored seven unanswered points to take control of the game at 47-41 with 7:32 left. Jina Johansen hit her only three-pointer of the game to cut the lead to 47-44 with just over seven minutes to play.

Katie Morse, who scored 10 points to help the Huskers, added a jumper with 4:18 left to pull NU within 52-48, before Iowa State went on another 7-0 run to take a 59-48 lead with 1:20 play.

Anne O’Neil led Iowa State with a game-high 20 points, including 7-of-8 shooting from the free throw line, while Lyndsey Medders added 15 points, including 5-of-6 shooting from the line. Erica Junod gave the Cyclones three players in double figures with 11 points, including 6-of-6 shooting from the line.

Keasha Cannon-Johnson helped the Huskers with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Kiera Hardy scored six points, while adding two assists and two steals.

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 8.4 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 5.5 points per game to rank 12th among league freshmen, just behind fellow Husker Heather Kephart, who has missed 17 games this season with a foot injury.

Forward Jessica Gerhart comes in at 19th with 3.0 points per game. Aubry also ranks seventh among conference freshmen with 3.5 rebounds per game, while Hardy ranks ninth with 2.7 boards per contest, and Gerhart ranks 18th with 1.8 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 28.7 three-point field goal percentage (25-87), 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 55.2 percent (37-67) 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 Winning Battle on the Boards
Another key ingredient to the Huskers' success has been their aggressiveness on the boards. NU ranks second in the Big 12 by averaging 41.0 rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with a plus-4.2 team rebounding margin. The school rebound margin record is plus-8.6 boards per game in 1997-98.

Nebraska outrebounded each of its 11 non-conference 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 the opposition in 17 of 28 games, but just six of their last 17 opponents.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 13.7 offensive boards per game to rank fourth in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in 11 of 28 games this season, including a season-high 21 offensive boards against Wofford, St. Bonaventure and Kansas State (Feb. 14).

Keasha Cannon-Johnson, who ranks third in the Big 12 in rebounding, has been Nebraska's catalyst on the boards. The 5-10 guard is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. Margaret Richards has added 6.6 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 67 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.4 offensive boards per game, which ranks 11th in the Big 12.

Center Katie Morse has added 6.3 rebounds per game to rank in a tie for 19th in the league in rebounding. Morse ranks third on the club with 57 offensive boards, trailing Cannon-Johnson's 59 offensive boards. Alexa Johnson has added 51 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 74.2 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 362-304 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 55 more free throws than the opposition, has committed just six fewer fouls than its opponents, but only seven Huskers (Margaret Richards vs. Wofford; Heather Kephart vs. Mississippi; Alexa Johnson vs. Oklahoma; Keasha Cannon-Johnson vs. Texas A&M and Iowa State-March 9; 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 12.9-10.9 (+2.0) per game at the free throw line, compared to a 12.8-12.0 (+0.8) scoring edge at the line last season.

Nebraska's excellent free throw shooting percentage has definitely been a team effort. Six of the 10 Huskers on the roster are shooting 70 percent or better at the free throw line, including Kiera Hardy (83.7 percent), Alexa Johnson (80.5 percent), Katie Morse (76.7 percent), Heather Kephart (75 percent) and Keasha Cannon-Johnson (70.2 percent). All 10 of the Huskers are shooting 60 percent or better at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (68.8 percent), Chelsea Aubry (66.7 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 28 games have been decided by eight points or less, including 11 of the Huskers' first 15 games and three of their last four 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 played nine regular-season games against current AP Top 25 teams, including current No. 4 Texas, No. 8 Kansas State (twice), No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 14 Texas Tech, No. 15 Baylor, No. 17 Colorado (twice) and No. 21 Ohio State.

Huskers Faced Solid Regular-Season Schedule
The Huskers faced a challenging 2003-04 schedule that featured nine games against teams that finished the regular season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, and 17 games against teams that advanced to postseason play in the NCAA Tournament (12 games) or Women's National Invitation Tournament (five games), before playing host to Drake in the first round of the WNIT.

Nebraska's home schedule at the Devaney Center featured four 2004 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 2004 WNIT qualifiers in Creighton (Dec. 21) and Iowa State (Jan. 10). The Huskers were 4-2 at home against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2003-04.

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 2004 NCAA Tournament qualifier 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 2004 WNIT qualifier 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 2004 NCAA Tournament, ran through the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament with a 4-0 record to earn the league's automatic bid into the Big Dance.

The Huskers opened home conference competition with a 62-57 victory over 2004 WNIT qualifier Iowa State on Jan. 10 to snap a 10-game losing streak to the Cyclones, before traveling to 2004 NCAA qualifier 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 2004 NCAA qualifier and No. 16 Baylor, 67-57, (Jan. 31), before losing at 2004 NCAA 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).

Nebraska earned the No. 8 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas on March 9, where the Huskers fell to ninth-seeded Iowa State, 63-52 in the first round. Despite the loss, NU advanced to the Women's National Invitation Tournament to host a game against Drake in the first round. It is Nebraska's first postseason appearance since advancing to the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers were one of nine Big 12 Conference teams to advance to postseason play, including Texas, Kansas State, Colorado, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, while Iowa State joined the Huskers in the NCAA Tournament.

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 17-11 overall record and a 7-9 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 220-171 in her 14th season as a collegiate coach. Yori's commitment to building Nebraska on the proper principles paid off in her second season, as the Huskers more than doubled their overall win total from a season ago and 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 feature 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.

Nebraska is 1-0 all-time in postseason play at home, with an 81-58 victory over San Diego on March 17, 1993, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Devaney Center.

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.