Huskers Stay Home to Battle Beavers in WNIT

The Nebraska women's basketball team (18-11, 7-9) plays host to Oregon State (16-14, 8-10) in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Monday, March 22, at 7:05 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

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

Nebraska's game with Oregon 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 advanced to the second round with a 73-60 win over Drake at the Devaney Center on Thursday, marking Nebraska's first postseason win since 1998, and the Huskers' first home postseason victory since 1993. Oregon State moved on to the WNIT second round for the third straight season by beating Gonzaga, 69-64, in Corvallis on Friday night. The Beavers are making their fourth straight trip to the WNIT.

The Huskers got their third WNIT appearance in school history off on the right foot with the win over Drake. Freshman guard Kiera Hardy led the Huskers with 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high four assists off the bench, while senior forward Alexa Johnson added her fifth straight game with 16 or more points by pouring in 16 points to go along with five rebounds.

Nebraska's interior players dominated in the second half, scoring 28 of the Huskers' 40 points, while helping NU power its way to a plus-20 rebounding margin on the night.

The Huskers, who were making their first WNIT appearance since 1991-92, had 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. Nebraska is a perfect 2-0 in home postseason games.

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 Oregon State game averaging a team-high 12.7 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds per contest. She has produced double figures in points in the past 13 games and is averaging 16.2 points per contest during NU's last 10 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 with 1,019 points, and she needs just 17 more points to catch Stacy Imming in 19th place.

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, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Cannon-Johnson leads the Huskers with six 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 Oregon State Beavers (16-14, 8-10)
The Oregon State women's basketball team makes its first-ever trip to Lincoln after advancing to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament for the third consecutive year by beating Gonzaga, 69-64, in the first round at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore., on Friday night.

The Beavers head into Monday's game against the Huskers with a 16-14 overall record, after posting an 8-10 mark in Pac-10 Conference action this season. Oregon State has been led this season by former Husker Shannon Howell. The 5-9 junior guard from Los Angeles, Calif., is averaging 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Howell erupted for 32 points in her Oregon State debut in a loss to No. 9 Stanford on Dec. 27, before going off for 40 points in a loss at Washington on Jan. 17. Her performance against the Huskies is tied for the second-highest single-game point total in the nation this season, trailing only Cincinnati guard Valerie King's 46 points against Charleston Southern on Nov. 25.

Howell is one of three Beaver starters averaging in double figures, joining 6-5 senior center Brina Chaney's 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, and 6-2 senior forward Hollye Chapman's 10.1 points and 5.7 boards per contest. Senior guard Leilani Estavan has added 9.8 points and 3.8 assists per game.

In Oregon State's first round victory over Gonzaga, Estavan posted a double-double with game highs of 20 points and 10 assists. Howell, Chaney and Chapman each added 10 points for the Beavers, who led by nine points at the half and held on for the victory.

Coach Connie Yori has never led one of her teams against Oregon State, but does own a 2-1 record against Pac-10 Conference schools, including a 64-56 win at Washington State on Dec. 4.

Nebraska is 0-2 all-time against Oregon State, including an 89-65 loss at Corvallis on Dec. 2, 1995, in the championship game of the Gazette Times Classic.

Nebraska vs. Oregon State Series at a Glance
While Nebraska was very familiar with its first-round WNIT opponent Drake, the Huskers' second-round foe will provide a more foreign test.

The Huskers will be playing just their third game against Oregon State in school history, with the last meeting coming on Dec. 2, 1995, at Corvallis, in the championship game of the Gazette Times Classic. Nebraska lost that game, 89-65, to the Beavers. Nebraska's only other matchup with OSU came in an 81-74 loss at the California Invitational on Dec. 5, 1980.

Nebraska does have a direct connection with this year's Oregon State squad. OSU junior guard Shannon Howell started 50 games for the Huskers as a freshman (21; 2000-01) and sophomore (29; 2001-02), before transferring to Oregon State after the start of the 2002-03 season.

Howell scored 514 points (8.9 ppg), grabbed 137 rebounds (2.4 rpg), dished out 159 assists (2.7 apg) and snagged 74 steals (1.3 spg) in her two seasons in Lincoln under then-Head Coach Paul Sanderford.

Nebraska has struggled against Pac-10 teams, carrying a 9-18 overall record against the league. The Huskers are 5-5 against the Pac-10 over the last 10 meetings dating back to the 1992-93 season, including 1-0 against the Pac-10 this season with a 64-56 win at Washington State on Dec. 4.

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. The Huskers won the first home WNIT game and just the second home postseason game in school history with a 73-60 victory over Drake in the first round on March 18.

Along with a 4-3 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 6-9 in postseason tournament play.

Nebraska is 2-0 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.

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.

Huskers' Schedule Filled with Postseason Teams
Nebraska has played a 29-game schedule that has given the Huskers postseason-quality competition nearly every night. The Huskers' second-round WNIT opponent will be their 19th game this season against a team that advanced to postseason tournament play.

The Huskers played 12 regular-season games against NCAA Tournament qualifiers, producing victories over No. 9 Kansas State, No. 13 Ohio State and at Missouri. Nebraska is 4-2 against teams in the WNIT field this season with wins over Rice, Creighton and Drake, while managing a 1-2 record against Iowa State.

Overall, Nebraska is 7-11 against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2003-04.

Johnson Enjoying Offensive Resurgence
Senior Alexa Johnson has cranked up her game on the offensive end over the last 13 games and has moved into the team scoring lead at 12.7 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 10 games, averaging 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Johnson has scored 16 or more points in each of her last five games, including a 16-point, five-board effort in NU's first-round WNIT win over Drake. She added 16 points and tied a career high with three three-pointers against Iowa State (March 9). Her third trifecta 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 1,019 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 a win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 11. She hit a career-high 10 shots from the field, 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 year. Johnson added 20 points against Missouri on Feb. 25.

Johnson has hit for double figures in 13 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 13-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 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest over the past 13 games. During that stretch she is shooting 44.9 percent from the field, including 40.6 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 21 of 29 games this season, including three 20-point scoring efforts. She has scored in double figures in 45 of 57 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, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in 10 of her last 14 games, including a 16-point, 10-rebound effort in the Huskers' win over Kansas State on Jan. 24, and an 11-point, 10-board performance in NU's WNIT win over Drake for her sixth double-double of the season and 12th of her career. Cannon-Johnson produced 14 points and nine boards against Missouri (Feb. 25), which followed a 14-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist game at Iowa State (Feb. 21). She has scored in double figures 18 times, while grabbing double-figure rebounds on 10 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 38.9 percent of her three-point attempts on the season. She has hit 21-of-54 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 9.7 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 1.8 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 53 blocks on the year, Morse ranks fifth on the Huskers' single-season block chart and needs just one more to catch Janet Smith (1978-79) in fourth, and three more to match Smith's third-place total in 1981-82.

Morse's 53 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 100 career blocked shots make her just the fifth player in NU history to reach the century mark in that category, and she needs four more rejections to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in fourth and six more to reach Maurtice Ivy (1985-88) in third on the NU career list.

Morse is averaging 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She has added nearly 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 an 18-11 record, Nebraska has won 10 more games than last season when the Huskers finished with an 8-20 mark. NU's 10-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 seventh-best turnaround in the nation, while UNC-Asheville is plus-16 in the win column, Idaho State is plus-14, and Houston is third at plus-13. Idaho and Colgate are plus-12, Hartford is plus-11, while Nebraska is tied with Florida, Southwest Missouri State and Loyola-Marymount are tied for seventh at plus-10. 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. The Huskers are also 7-11 against teams that have advanced to postseason play in 2004.

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 (17-14) on Feb. 21 and March 9, and Missouri (17-13) 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 140 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' 31.7 percent accuracy from long range ranks as the sixth-best shooting season in school history.

The Huskers are averaging 4.8 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 27 three-pointers, Alexa Johnson 21 and Keasha Cannon-Johnson 21.

NU's Focus on Reducing Turnovers Produces Results
Nebraska has committed just 470 turnovers (16.2 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 loss to 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 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.7 steals per game. She scored a career-high 21 points against Missouri on Feb. 25, and added another one of the best games of her young career with 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high four assists in NU's WNIT win over Drake.

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 game-changer, Hardy struck for 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 hit two free throws. She came through again by chasing down a defensive rebound with seven seconds left and NU leading 72-69. She hit two more free throws to seal the win.

Hardy had 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds in a win over Kansas on Feb. 7, producing 10 points and six rebounds in the second half to lead the Huskers back from a nine-point deficit with 9:42 to play against KU. She scored eight points in the final five minutes to help NU close the game on a 27-7 surge. She had a hand 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 in the second half. She finished with 11 points -- all in a 3:30 span. She added 10 points and three three-pointers in a win over No. 13 Ohio State.

Along with her 10 double-figure scoring efforts this season, Hardy owns 17 games with seven or more points. 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 27 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 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 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.

Against Iowa State on Feb. 21, Johansen produced her third double-figure scoring effort of the season and second in the last nine 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 regular-season non-conference games this season. She had hit at least one three-pointer in 10 consecutive games, including three trifectas against Kansas and at Iowa State, before being shut out from long range in Nebraska's first-round WNIT win over Drake.

Over the past seven games, Johansen has hit 9-of-18 three-pointers (50.0 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, Texas-Arlington and against Drake in the WNIT. She dished out seven assists on four occasions in league play (Texas A&M, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma State).

Johansen enters the second round of the WNIT ranked sixth on Nebraska's all-time list with 373 career assists. Her 141 assists this season rank as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history. Johansen needs six 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 29 games for the Huskers this season and ranks fourth on the team with 8.7 points per game and third on the squad with 6.2 rebounds per contest. She also leads the club and ranks among Big 12 leaders with 1.8 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 29 games for the Huskers at point guard and has added 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and a team-leading 4.9 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 Advance in WNIT with 73-60 Win over Drake
Freshman guard Kiera Hardy led four Huskers in double figures with 18 points as the Nebraska women’s basketball team captured its first postseason victory in six years with a 73-60 win over Drake in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament March 18 at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska (18-11), making its ninth postseason appearance and third WNIT trip, improved to 13-3 at home in 2003-04 and won its first home postseason game since 1993. The Bulldogs ended their season with a 16-15 record after a third-place regular-season finish in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Huskers shot 43 percent from the field and 50 percent in the second half, wearing the Bulldogs down with a balanced attack. Seniors Alexa Johnson (16 points), Keasha Cannon-Johnson (11 points) and Katie Morse (14 points) all joined Hardy in double figures. Freshman forward Chelsea Aubry added eight points and tied a career high with nine rebounds.

Cannon-Johnson also had 10 rebounds, recording the 12th double-double of her career and sixth of the season. Cannon-Johnson's 10th double-figure rebounding effort of the year helped power the Huskers to a 50-30 rebounding margin over the Bulldogs. It was NU’s second-largest rebounding margin of the year, while the Huskers’ 20 offensive rebounds also marked NU's second-highest total of the season.

Linda Sayavongchanh and Whitney Pegram each produced 15 points for Drake Coach Amy Stephens, a former Husker player and assistant coach, who is still the third all-time leading scorer in NU history.

Sayavongchanh tied the game at 50 for Drake with 8:43 left, after NU had built a nine-point lead at 47-38 with 13:36 to go. But Johnson's jumper at the 7:47 mark started a 12-2 NU run over the next three minutes to give the Huskers a 62-52 lead, and Drake would get no closer than four points the rest of the way.

The Huskers dominated the paint in the second half, combining for 28 of NU's 40 points in the stanza, including 12 points from Morse, eight from Johnson, six from Aubry and two from Jessica Gerhart.

Hardy powered the Huskers in the first half, as the 5-6 freshman guard from Kansas City, Mo.,scored 12 points in 13 minutes to keep the Huskers in control. At one point, Hardy had a hand in 14 consecutive points, scoring 10 points while adding a pair of assists to Johnson inside.

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 8.7 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 5.6 points per game to rank 12th among league freshmen, just behind fellow Husker Heather Kephart's 5.8 points per game. Kephart has missed 18 games 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 3.7 rebounds per game, while Hardy ranks ninth with 2.8 boards per contest, and Gerhart ranks 18th with 1.7 rebounds per game.

Hardy ranks second among Big 12 rookies in steals with 1.7 per game, trailing only Texas' Tiffany Jackson, and sixth in assists with 1.6 per game. Kephart ranks 11th in three-point percentage (17-49, 34.7 percent). Hardy ranks 16th in that category with her 29.7 three-point field goal percentage (27-91), while her 27 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 55.9 percent (38-68) 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 41.3 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 has outrebounded each of its 12 non-conference opponents, including a plus-34 rebound margin (60-26) in the season-opening win over Wofford and a plus-20 margin in the WNIT win over Drake. NU produced double-figure rebounding edges in eight of 12 non-conference games this season.

However, the Huskers 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 12 times this season, and the Huskers have outrebounded the opposition in 18 of 29 games.

The Huskers have been at their best on the offensive glass, where they are averaging 13.9 offensive boards per game to rank fourth in the league. NU has pulled down 15 or more offensive rebounds in 12 of 29 games this season, including a season-high 21 offensive boards against Wofford, St. Bonaventure and Kansas State (Feb. 14), and 20 offensive boards in the WNIT win over Drake (March 18).

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 68 offensive rebounds, an average of 2.3 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 59 offensive boards, trailing Cannon-Johnson's 60 offensive boards. Alexa Johnson has added 54 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 74.0 free throw percentage. Even more impressively, NU has outscored its opponents 370-311 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.

Margaret Richards has led Nebraska at the line this season. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., is shooting 72.0 percent, while leading the Huskers in both free throws made (90) and attempted (125).

The Huskers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 12.9-10.7 (+2.2) 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 (84.4 percent), whose free throw percentage ranks as the sixth-best single-season effort in school history, and is within striking distance of the freshman record held by Laura Tietjen (86.1, 1976-77). Alexa Johnson (80.5 percent), Katie Morse (77.3 percent), Heather Kephart (75 percent) and Keasha Cannon-Johnson (70.2 percent) are all shooting above 70 percent at the line. 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 29 games have been decided by eight points or less, including 11 of the Huskers' first 15 games and three of their last five 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 16 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 have 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 18 games against teams that advanced to postseason play in the NCAA Tournament (12 games) or Women's National Invitation Tournament (six games), after defeating Drake, 73-60, in the first round of the WNIT on March 18 in Lincoln.

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 trio of 2004 WNIT qualifiers in Creighton (Dec. 21), Iowa State (Jan. 10) and Drake (March 18). The Huskers are 5-2 at home against teams that advanced to the postseason this year.

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.

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, before earning another WNIT trip in 2004.

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 WNIT. Nebraska and Iowa State both advanced to the second round of the WNIT, and the Cyclones have already moved on to the third round with a win over Miami (Ohio).

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 18-11 overall record and a 7-9 Big 12 mark to improve Yori's career record to 221-171 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 made its first postseason appearance in the Yori era a successful one by defeating Drake, 73-60, in the first round of the 2000 Women's National Invitation Tournament on March 18. It was the Huskers' first postseason appearance since 2004, and NU's first postseason win since 1998. It was also Nebraska's first home postseason appearance since 1993.

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 277-99 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 99-63 (.611) in conference games. Nebraska is 13-3 at home in 2003-04, and has more than doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers were 5-3 at home in the Big 12 this season and are a perfect 8-0 against non-conference competition, including 1-0 in WNIT play.

Nebraska is 2-0 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. The Huskers added a 73-60 victory over Drake in the first round of the WNIT on March 18, 2004.

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 3,085 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.