Huskers Open WNIT with Western Illinois

The Nebraska women's basketball team tips off the 2004-05 regular season by taking on Western Illinois in the first round of the SportsView.TV Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:05 p.m.

The Huskers enter regular-season action after a pair of convincing exhibition wins over in-state NCAA Division II squads Nebraska-Kearney (82-52, Oct. 31) and Nebraska-Omaha (86-57, Nov. 7). NU found success in exhibition play despite a roster that includes seven newcomers and a starting lineup that features just one returning player from last year’s club that advanced to the second round of the postseason WNIT and finished with an 18-12 overall record.

Senior Jina Johansen, the lone returning starter for the Huskers, is coming off a solid 10-point, seven-assist effort in Sunday’s win over UNO. Kiera Hardy, Nebraska’s top returning scorer from last season, has performed well in NU’s exhibition wins, averaging 20.5 points per game, including a 26-point effort in the win over UNK.

Hardy and Johansen will need to provide leadership for the Huskers if NU plans to extend its 23-game winning streak in season openers. Western Illinois comes to Lincoln for the first time after winning its lone exhibition game against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 75-48, in Macomb, Ill., on Monday.

Western Illinois will present a major hurdle for the Huskers. WIU closed the 2003-04 season with a 20-9 overall record as the Mid-Continent Conference regular-season champions. The Westerwinds were knocked out of the conference tournament and did not advance to postseason play, but expectations are high for the 2004-05 campaign. WIU is the preseason No. 2 pick in the Mid-Con and will feature the preseason conference player-of-the-year Zane Teilane.

A 6-7 center from Riga, Latvia, Teilane earned first-team All-Mid-Con honors last year by averaging 14.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots per game. She finished the season with 112 blocked shots and ranked fourth nationally in blocks per game, while ranking 15th nationally with a 56.9 field goal percentage. Two other returning starters, Rita Castans and Jessica Cook, will rejoin Teilane in an experienced WIU lineup.

Huskers Close Exhibition Play with Win over UNO
Nebraska raced to a 14-1 lead in the first five minutes and cruised to an 86-57 win over Nebraska-Omaha in the Huskers’ exhibition finale in front of 1,573 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday.

Sophomore forward Jessica Gerhart produced the best half of basketball in her career by erupting for 15 first-half points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field to help the Huskers sprint to a 50-19 halftime lead. Sophomore guard Kiera Hardy added nine first-half points, despite being forced to the bench for 10 minutes because of foul trouble.

The Huskers, who defeated UNO 94-47 last season in exhibition play, left little doubt about the outcome from the opening tip. NU shot 63.3 percent (19-30) from the field in the first half, including 42.9 percent (3-7) from three-point range. They also hit 9-of-11 free throw attempts. The Mavericks struggled to shoot 26.9 percent (7-26) from the field, while hitting 2-of-8 three-pointers and 3-of-5 free throw chances. NU outrebounded UNO, 23-10, in the first half and forced 14 turnovers on its way to the 31-point halftime advantage.

The Mavericks rebounded to outscore the Huskers in the second half, 38-36, thanks in large part to the hot shooting hand of guard Karen Thies. The transfer from Fort Lewis College scored 15 of her team-high 17 points in the second half by knocking down 6-of-8 field goal attempts, including a trio of three-pointers. The Mavericks hit 15-of-30 shots from the field and 5-of-14 three-pointers in the second stanza.

The Huskers continued to produce offensively in the second half, hitting 15-of-27 shots from the field (55.6 percent), including 2-of-3 three-pointers, but the Mavericks matched the Huskers with 15 rebounds.

Gerhart finished the afternoon with a game-high 18 points, which would have been a career high in a regular-season contest. She hit 8-of-11 shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. Last season, Gerhart attempted only one three-pointer the entire season and did not make a shot from long range.

Sophomore Chelsea Aubry added a career high with 15 points, while Hardy finished with 15 points of her own. Hardy added four assists and four steals in the win. Senior guard Jina Johansen contributed a solid performance with 10 points and seven assists.

The Huskers hit 59.6 percent (34-57) from the field for the game, including 50 percent (5-10) from three-point range. NU also shot 72.2 percent (13-18) from the free throw line and outrebounded UNO, 38-25. The Huskers committed 18 turnovers, while forcing 22 Maverick miscues.

Hardy Produces Strong Exhibition Performances
Sophomore Kiera Hardy started the 2004-05 season strong with a pair of solid performances in exhibition wins over Nebraska-Kearney and Nebraska-Omaha.

After closing 2003-04 by averaging 19 points in NU’s two postseason games against Drake and Oregon State in the Postseason WNIT, Hardy averaged 20.5 points per game in the Huskers’ exhibition wins this season.

The 5-6 sophomore guard from Kansas City, Mo., opened 2004-05 with a bang by lighting up the Lopers for a career-high 26 points in the Huskers’ 82-52 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Halloween.

Hardy hit 10-of-20 field goal attempts, including 4-of-7 three-pointers, while adding a pair of free throws in the effort. Her 26 points surpassed the 21 points she scored against Missouri on Feb. 25, 2004, which is her regular-season career best. Hardy added four rebounds, four assists and a steal in a solid all-around effort against UNK.

In the win over Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday, Hardy was handcuffed by foul trouble throughout the game but still managed a solid effort with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. She added five rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Nebraska’s top returning scorer after averaging 9.1 points per game a year ago, Hardy came on strong at the end of last season, averaging 11.9 points per game over the Huskers’ final seven games. Hardy also tied Jina Johansen for the team lead with 30 three-pointers last season and led the Huskers with a team-high 45 steals as a true freshman.

Sophomore Forwards Shine in Victory over Mavericks
Sophomore forwards Jessica Gerhart and Chelsea Aubry produced the top performances of their young Husker careers in Nebraska’s win over Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday. Gerhart, a 6-2 native of Fenton, Iowa, erupted for a career-high 18 points to lead all scorers. She hit 8-of-11 shots from the field, including a sizzling 7-for-7 effort in the first half. Gerhart’s performance included the first two made three-pointers in her career. She added four rebounds in a solid effort.

Aubry, added a career high of her own with 15 points, while pulling down three boards and dishing out one assist. The 6-2 native of Kitchener, Ontario, who is also a member of the Canadian Senior National Team, hit 5-of-7 field goal attempts and 5-of-9 shots from the free throw line.

Gerhart and Aubry joined fellow sophomore Kiera Hardy to combine for 48 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Huskers in the win. The trio hit 20-of-27 field goal attempts on the afternoon.

Newcomers Show Potential in Exhibition Win
Nebraska’s class of seven newcomers performed well in the Huskers’ exhibition victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday, Oct. 31. The group combined for 40 points, 30 rebounds, eight assists and six steals on the afternoon, As a team, the Huskers finished with 82 points, 49 rebounds, 18 assists and 12 steals.

Elena Diaz provided the biggest contribution for the Huskers. The junior from Medellin, Colombia, by way of Dodge City (Kan.) Community College scored 16 points and added four rebounds. Jelena Spiric, a junior college All-American from Colby (Kan.) Community College pitched in seven points, four rebounds, three assists and a game-high four steals.

Junior transfer LaToya Howell managed seven points, two rebounds, four assists and one steal in just 11 minutes before suffering a severely sprained ankle in the closing minutes of the first half. True freshman Danielle Page contributed a game-high 10 rebounds, along with six points, one blocked shot and a steal.

Scouting the Western Illinois Westerwinds
Western Illinois will provide a formidable foe for the Huskers in the first round of the SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT at the Devaney Center in Lincoln on Friday night. Western Illinois rolled to the Mid-Continent Conference regular-season crown last season and finished the year with a 20-9 overall record. Unfortunately for WIU, the school did not advance to postseason play after falling in the Mid-Con postseason tournament.

The Westerwinds lost Mid-Con Player-of-the-Year Tiffany Cornelius from last year’s club, but two-time league coach-of-the-year Leslie Crane enters 2004-05 with the Mid-Con Preseason Player-of-the-Year Zane Teilane. The 6-7 center from Riga, Latvia averaged 14.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots per game as a sophomore last season. Teilane ranked fourth nationally in blocked shots and 15th nationally with a 56.9 field-goal percentage.

Teilane will be joined by returning starters Rita Castans and Jessica Cook. Castans, a senior guard, started 27 games and averaged 7.5 points and a team-high 2.6 assists per game. Cook, also a senior guard, started 20 of 24 games after missing five games in the mid-season with an injury. Cook averaged 9.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.

Mid-Con All-Newcomer Team member Orinta Kavaliauskaite is expected to join the veteran trio in the starting lineup this season. Kavaliauskaite averaged 8.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a junior after transferring from Hill College. The 5-10 senior swing player is a native of Siauliai, Lithuania, one of four international players on WIU’s roster. Sophomore guard Rachel Reed rounds out Western Illinois’ projected starting lineup. Reed averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per game as a freshman last season.

Western Illinois played its only exhibition game of the season on Monday night, knocking off Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 75-48, in Macomb, Ill. Teilane led WIU with 16 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. Cook contributed 16 points, while Kavaliauskaite added 12 points. Newcomer Stephanie Lovingood, a 6-1 freshman forward, pitched in 10 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes of action off the bench.

The Huskers have never faced Western Illinois in women’s basketball. However, the Nebraska football team opened the 2004 campaign by defeating the Leathernecks, 56-17, in Bill Callahan’s first game as NU’s head coach on Sept. 4 at Memorial Stadium.

Previewing the SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT
Nebraska opens 2004-05 with its second all-time appearance in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. This season’s 16-team, single-elimination SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT tips off around the nation on Friday, Nov. 12, with all eight games at home sites.

Nebraska’s half of the bracket features preseason Associated Press co-No. 10 Notre Dame, taking on Illinois State in South Bend, Ind. The winner of Nebraska’s game with Western Illinois will tangle with the winner of Notre Dame/Illinois State contest on Sunday, Nov. 14, at a site and time to be determined by the WNIT. Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season and features a top candidate for national player-of-the-year honors in All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast.

The lower half of Nebraska’s side of the bracket includes 2004 NCAA Elite Eight participant Duke, which takes on Davidson. While NCAA Tournament qualifier Middle Tennessee State tangles with South Florida in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in the other matchup.

The other side of the bracket features preseason co-AP Top 10 selection Ohio State battling Bowling Green in Columbus, Ohio. Boston takes on Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia, while Saint Mary’s battles Arizona in Tucson. McNeese State and Rice round out the tournament field with their game in Houston.

Overall, the 16-team tournament field features five teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including Elite Eight qualifier Duke, Sweet 16 qualifier Notre Dame, and second-round participants Middle Tennessee State and Ohio State. Arizona also earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Four other teams, including Nebraska, earned trips to the 2004 Postseason WNIT. The Huskers joined Rice, Saint Joseph’s and South Florida in the Postseason WNIT field last season.

Huskers Hope for More Success in Second WNIT Trip
Nebraska hopes to equal or surpass its success from its first Preseason WNIT appearance, when the Huskers take the floor for the second time in tournament history this Friday night.

The Huskers performed well in the 1997 version of the tournament, rolling to three victories to earn a spot in the WNIT Championship Game.

In 1997, Nebraska opened the season with a win over Miami (Ohio), before knocking off a pair of ranked foes, Alabama and Western Kentucky, in Coach Paul Sanderford’s first season as NU’s head coach. The Huskers fought valiantly in Storrs, Conn., where they fell to the Connecticut Huskies, 71-61, in the title game.

Nebraska finished the 1997 season with a 23-10 overall record and advanced to the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Those Huskers were led by current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge, of the Phoenix Mercury.

NU Owns Strong Tradition of Season-Opening Success
Nebraska has won 23 consecutive season-opening games and hopes to extend that streak to 24 when the Huskers take on Western Illinois on Friday at the Devaney Center.

The Huskers’ last season-opening loss came with an 88-56 setback to Kansas on Nov. 21, 1980, at the Devaney Center to open the 1980-81 campaign. Since then, NU has reeled off 23 straight season-opening wins, including a 104-46 pounding of Wofford on Nov. 21, 2003, to open last season. During the streak, only two teams have played the Huskers within 10 points. The Huskers escaped with a 75-73 win over Creighton at the Devaney Center on Nov. 22, 1991, the season before Coach Connie Yori took the reins as the Bluejays’ head coach. NU also experienced a close call with a 79-70 win at Illinois State on Nov. 22, 1996, the only time in the history of the streak that NU opened the season on the road.

Nebraska’s average victory margin during the season-opening streak has been nearly 29 points. The Huskers have averaged 88 points per game to open the season over the last 23 years, while surrendering just 59. 1 points per contest.

Huskers Hope to Continue Program’s Climb
A year after producing one of the top turnarounds in college basketball, the Nebraska women's basketball team will try to produce another surprising season in 2004-05.

The Huskers ran to an 18-12 overall record and a trip to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in Coach Connie Yori's second season at the helm.

Nebraska's 10-game improvement from its 8-20 record in Yori's first season ranked as the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I. It also came as a surprise to coaches and writers around the Big 12 Conference who picked the Huskers to finish last in the preseason polls.

Rather than finishing in the cellar, the Huskers closed the Big 12 season in a tie for seventh with a 7-9 league mark, just missing an NCAA Tournament bid by one win, as the league sent seven teams to the Big Dance.

"We really had a great season based on our perceived potential," Yori said. "As a coach, you want to measure your season based on your potential. We came pretty close to maximizing our potential. Had we won one more game, we would have been in the NCAA Tournament."

After rising to the challenge of proving the pundits wrong last season, the Huskers will face a similar task this season. The Huskers must replace four seniors who joined Jina Johansen in the starting lineup for all 30 games a year ago. Honorable-mention All-Big 12 performers Alexa Johnson and Keasha Cannon-Johnson are gone, along with Margaret Richards and Katie Morse. As a group, those four combined for more than 3,000 points and 1,700 rebounds in their careers at Nebraska.

"We are going to miss our seniors from last season because you can't substitute the experience they gained from four or five years as student-athletes at this level," Yori said. "Our freshmen and junior college transfers will have to start building experiences and learning from them."

Nebraska Builds on Johansen’s Experience
Senior guard Jina Johansen is the only player on Nebraska's roster with a career start for the Huskers. The senior from Dannebrog, Neb., has been a fixture in the NU lineup at point guard the past two seasons, starting 57 of the Huskers' last 58 games.

Coach Connie Yori said Johansen would be counted on for even more leadership this season to help a youthful Nebraska roster that includes two freshmen, four sophomores and five junior transfers.

"Jina is the only player on our roster that has been in our program for more than a year, which is unbelievable if you think about it," Yori said. "She is the most obvious candidate to be a leader. Her work habits are good and she is very dedicated. We will need her to be more assertive and more vocal."

Johansen showed her ability to thrive in a new role last season, when she made the transition from a pure passing point guard to one of Nebraska's most dangerous three-point shooters a year ago. Johansen hit just 9-of-36 three-point attempts in her first two seasons, but caught fire to knock down 22 three-pointers in Big 12 Conference play last season. Johansen shot better than 41 percent from long range for the season.

"Jina's improvement with her shooting was remarkable, but it's no secret how she did it," Yori said. "She made a commitment and put in lots of time shooting on her own. Her work was rewarded, and we hope she continues to improve as an offensive threat."

Along with providing an increased role as a scorer, the Huskers will continue to count on Johansen as a distributor. She enters the season ranked sixth in school history with 376 career assists.

Junior Newcomers Plan to Contribute Immediately
Along with Jina Johansen's experience, the Huskers will gain a five-player junior class that will be counted on to contribute immediately.

LaToya Howell spent last season as a redshirt at Nebraska after transferring from Air Force. Howell was one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference as both a freshman and a sophomore.

She brings an explosive presence on offense and defense to Nebraska's backourt. Howell set Air Force single-game scoring, assist and steals records during her stay in Colorado Springs. She scored 38 points against Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2002, and dished out 15 assists against UNLV on Jan. 30, 2003. She added eight steals against UNLV on Feb. 23, 2002.

Howell also showed her consistency by setting Air Force single-season marks in both assists (2002-03) and steals (2001-02).

Another element that could add to Nebraska's chemistry is the addition of three transfers who not only played on the same junior college, but the same club program in Serbia & Montenegro.

Jelena Spiric, Bojana Samardziska and Ivana Drmanac helped Colby (Kan.) Community College rise to national prominence in the junior college ranks over the past two seasons. Spiric, a 6-0 forward, earned first-team NJCAA All-America honors as a sophomore for the Lady Trojans, averaging 15.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game a year ago.

The Huskers hope Spiric can provide a major presence as a scorer early in her NU career, but a knee injury in her final junior college game last season could slow her immediate impact.

Samardziska, a 6-4 center, provided a dominant inside presence, averaging 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game to earn second-team NJCAA All-Region VI honors in 2003-04.

Samardziska captured first-team NJCAA Region VI All-Tournament honors by averaging 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and an amazing 5.5 blocks per game. She finished her two-year career ranked fourth on Colby CC's all-time scoring list with 1,038 points. She added 601 rebounds to finish her career with averages of 16.0 points and 9.2 rebounds over 65 career games.

Along with Spiric and Samardziska, Drmanac could fill a role for the Huskers by adding depth at the forward position. Drmanac averaged 9.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest a year ago, and plays well off Spiric and Samardziska.

A fourth junior college transfer, Elena Diaz, joins the Huskers from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. Diaz enjoyed a strong sophomore season at Dodge City. She led the Lady Conquistadors to the NJCAA Region VI Tournament title game by averaging 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 2003-04.

The 6-1 junior forward from Medellin, Colombia, led all players in the Region VI Tournament with 11.3 rebounds per game. She averaged a double-double during the three tournament games by ranking fifth in the tournament with 17.3 points per contests.

Two Freshmen Add to List of Newcomers
In addition to the five junior newcomers, a pair of freshmen could make an immediate impression on the Husker program.

Danielle Page, a 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., and Sarah White, a 6-0 forward from Topeka, Kan., will both compete for playing time this season.

"Both of our freshmen had very good senior seasons," Coach Connie Yori said. "They are both young and hard-working players who have a lot of potential and want to get better. They are going to help us lay a solid foundation for the long-term success of our program."

Sophomores Provide Nucleus for Future
While the newcomers will play a major role in Nebraska's fortunes this season, a solid nucleus of sophomores is helping to form the core of the Huskers' future.

Kiera Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., enjoyed one of the best freshman seasons in the Big 12 last year. She averaged 9.1 points per game and led Nebraska with 45 steals. Hardy was the Huskers' most explosive and consistent threat off the bench in her rookie campaign. She was also Nebraska's top player during the postseason, averaging 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in two WNIT contests.

"Kiera was our most improved player last season and she also became our most coachable player," Coach Connie Yori said. "She plays the game with passion and our other players feed off her energy."

Joining Hardy as regular contributors as freshmen in 2003-04 were forwards Chelsea Aubry and Jessica Gerhart. Aubry, a 6-2 native of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season. A member of the Canadian Under-20 National Team before arriving at Nebraska, Aubry gained her first experience with the Canadian Senior National Team over the summer of 2004.

"Chelsea is one of our most experienced players, even though she has been in the program for only one year, so we are going to need her to make more of a contribution this year," Yori said. "Defensively, she is very solid and we know we can count on her. Offensively, we are working to get her more involved and become more of a consistent threat for us."

Gerhart, a 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, showed flashes of her offensive abilities as a freshman. She averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, despite playing less than 10 minutes per contest.

"Jess showed flashes of very good offensive play last year," Yori said. "Her focus is to get stronger and more fit and develop her athleticism."

Heather Kephart rounds out Nebraska's sophomore class. She was one of the Huskers' most dangerous shooters from long range last year, but missed 19 games with a foot injury. She shot nearly 35 percent from long range and hit 17 three-pointers in just 136 total minutes last year. One of the most prolific scorers in the history of Oklahoma basketball, Kephart has worked hard after surgery during the offseason. She is not 100 percent, but the coaches are hopeful that Kephart can help the Huskers in 2004-05.

Johansen Continues to Grow in Husker System
Senior Jina Johansen is the lone returning starter on Nebraska’s 2004-05 roster. The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., will be expected to provide leadership and consistency to a youthful Husker squad this season.

The preseason honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection by the media has been a leader both on and off the court in her first three seasons. She enters her senior season with 63 career starts, including all 30 games as a junior and 27 of 28 contests as a sophomore in 2002-03. She has led the Huskers in minutes played in each of the past two seasons and became one of Nebraska’s most dangerous offensive weapons from long range as a junior.

After knocking down just 9-of-36 three-pointers in her first two seasons combined, Johansen tied Kiera Hardy for the team lead with 30 three-pointers in 2003-04, while tying Amy Stephens (1987-88) for the second-best single-season three-point percentage in school history by connecting on 41.1 percent (30-73) of her attempts from beyond the arc.

Along with her increased success from long range, Johansen continued to provide a steady play-making presence for the Huskers by ranking fifth in the Big 12 with 4.8 assists per game. Her 144 assists on the year ranked as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history, while inreasing her career total to 376 assists, which ranks sixth on the Nebraska all-time chart.

While Johansen helped set the tone for the turnaround of the Nebraska program with her work ethic on the court, she has also established herself as a top performer in the classroom. Johansen is a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection and is expected to be a CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee again in 2004-05. She carries a 3.70 grade-point average as a nutrition/dietetics major.

Hardy Sparks Emergence of Solid Sophomore Class
Sophomore Kiera Hardy will begin her second season at Nebraska as the Huskers’ top returning scorer after averaging 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as a rookie in 2003-04. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., provided an electric presence off the bench with her abilities on both offense and defense.

Hardy led the Huskers with 1.7 steals per game to rank among the top 10 players in the Big 12 in that category. She also tied Jina Johansen for the team lead by knocking down 30 three-pointers on the season, which ranked as the second-best total by a freshman in Nebraska history.

Hardy continued to improve throughout the season and led the Huskers in scoring in both games of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in March. In two WNIT games, Hardy averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. In the season finale against Oregon State, Hardy struck for 20 points, while pulling down five rebounds, which followed her 18-point, seven-rebound performance that included a career-high four assists in the 73-60 win over Drake in the opening round.

Over the final six games, Hardy averaged 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. During that stretch, Hardy produced the top three scoring efforts of her career with 21 points against Missouri, 20 against Oregon State and 18 points against Drake.

Hardy scored in double figures 11 times and had 17 games with eight or more points to provide a consistent threat off the bench. She was also a model of consistency at the free throw line, hitting 41-of-49 attempts (83.7 percent), which ranked as the third-best free throw percentage by a freshman in school history.

While Hardy grabbed headlines, she was far from the only freshman who made major contributions. Chelsea Aubry provided a solid presence inside by averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, scored in double figures six times, while grabbing five or more rebounds nine times during the season. She played in all 30 games and averaged 18.4 minutes per contest.

Jessica Gerhart also generated some offensive sparks off the bench for the Huskers, averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in just 8.5 minutes per game. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, led Nebraska by hitting 56.3 percent of her shots on the season, which ranked as the second-best field goal percentage by a freshman in school history.

Heather Kephart hit 17 three-pointers in her first eight games at Nebraska before falling victim to a foot injury. Kephart missed 13 games before returning for three contests late in the season. The pain returned and she underwent surgery in early March. The injury limited her offseason workouts and slowed her at the start of fall practice. She finished 2003-04 averaging 5.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game after playing in 11 contests. She was averaging 7.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game before the injury.

Howell Eager for First Playing time in Husker Uniform
After spending the entire 2003-04 season as a redshirt, LaToya Howell is expected to see her first action in a Nebraska uniform in 2004-05. The 5-5 junior guard from Chicago, Ill., was one of the Huskers’ top players in practice during her redshirt season after transferring from Air Force before the 2003 fall semester.

Howell was one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference as a sophomore, earning a pair of Mountain West Conference Player-of-the-Week awards in 2002-03. She started 17 games and averaged 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Her top performance as a sophomore came with a 38-point outburst against Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2002, which tied the school single-game scoring record. She also set the school single-game steals record with eight steals against the Runnin’ Rebels on Feb. 23, 2002.

Despite playing a shortened sophomore season, Howell still set the Air Force single-season assist mark with 119 assists in 2002-03. She also established the school’s single-season steals record with 90 steals in 2001-02. As a freshman, Howell averaged 10.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

NU’s Focus on Reducing Turnovers Produces Results
Nebraska committed just 488 turnovers (16.3 per game) in 2003-04, which ranked 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 third-lowest turnover total with 497 total turnovers (17.8 per game) in Coach Connie Yori’s first season at Nebraska in 2002-03. 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, 2004, 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.

Starters Came to Play Every Night
Nebraska’s 2003-04 starting lineup of departed seniors Alexa Johnson, Katie Morse, Margaret Richards, Keasha Cannon-Johnson and current senior Jina Johansen was unwavering last season. In fact, the Huskers were one of only eight NCAA Division I teams to feature the same starting lineup for every game.

The only other teams in the country to accomplish that feat were DePaul, Florida, Niagara, Purdue, Utah, Villanova and West Virginia. Seven of the eight teams advanced to postseason play in 2003-04, with Niagara being the only school to fall short of either the NCAA or WNIT tournaments. Niagara finished with an 18-10 overall record.

Yori Working to Establish Foundation at Nebraska
Entering her third season at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori has the Husker program moving in the right direction. After the Huskers suffered through four consecutive losing seasons, Yori helped Nebraska turn the corner in 2003-04 by producing one of the nation’s top turnarounds. The Huskers’ 10-game improvement tied for the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2003-04. More impressively, NU’s 18-12 record came against a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play.

The Huskers raced to a 10-1 non-conference record that included victories over No. 13 Ohio State and eventual WNIT champion Creighton, before notching one of the biggest wins in school history with an 81-63 victory over No. 9 Kansas State in league play. The Huskers finished with a 7-9 record in the Big 12 to finish in a tie for seventh place. NU was a two-point loss to Missouri or three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.

The Huskers made their first postseason appearance since 2000 and played host to a postseason tournament game for the first time since 1993. Nebraska notched just the second home postseason victory in school history with a first-round WNIT win over Drake, before hosting just the third postseason game in school history in the second round against Oregon State.

Along with the success on the court, the Huskers also enjoyed a rejuvenation at the turnstiles, as attendance grew nearly 20 percent from the 2002-03 season. Nearly 450 more fans per game were in attendance at the Devaney Center last year, while 10,000 more total fans came to women’s basketball games than a year earlier. The Huskers averaged nearly 3,100 fans per game in 2003-04.

Although the Huskers struggled to an 8-20 overall record and a 1-15 Big 12 mark in 2002-03, NU players 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 in 2002-03, NU returned five experienced starters for 2003-04. That group of five starters was a model of consistency, starting all 30 games to help fuel Nebraska’s turnaround.

The Huskers also featured some depth in 2003-04, a luxury they lacked in 2002-03. Yori and her staff made up some major ground on the recruiting trail by adding five freshmen to their 2003-04 roster. They continued their recruiting success by adding one Division I transfer, four junior college transfers and a pair of freshmen for the 2004-05 season.

The 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Yori led Creighton to a 24-7 overall mark and a 16-2 MVC record in 2001-02 to capture the league’s regular-season and tournament titles. Yori’s success at CU in 2001-02 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 41-year-old Yori is married to Kirk Helms, and the couple had their first child, Lukas, in early July of 2004.

Huskers Expect to Face Another Challenging Schedule
After playing 19 games against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2004, the Huskers will again square off with another loaded schedule in 2004-05.

The Huskers, who will play a minimum of five 2004 postseason qualifiers during the non-conference season, will open the regular season in the 2004 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Preseason WNIT begins Nov. 12 and concludes with a championship game on Nov. 20. NU opens the regular non-conference portion of its schedule at home against Northern Colorado on Nov. 19, before battling Washington State on Nov. 22.

Nebraska travels to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam during the Thanksgiving holiday to face North Carolina State on Nov. 26. The Wolfpack earned a bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament. NU will face another postseason team in either Louisville or Hampton on Nov. 27.

After home games against Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 1) and Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 7) the Huskers play 2004 NCAA Tournament qualifier Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 11. The Huskers then travel to Omaha to take on 2004 WNIT champions Creighton at the Civic Auditorium on Dec. 18.

The Huskers return home to take on Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20, before closing the non-conference season against WNIT qualifier Memphis at the Devaney Center on Dec. 30.

Nebraska will play 12 of its 16 regular-season Big 12 Conference games against teams that qualified for postseason play. The Huskers’ home conference schedule at the Devaney Center will include battles with 2004 NCAA qualifiers Kansas State, Colorado, Missouri, Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma, along with WNIT qualifier Iowa State. The Huskers will also take on Kansas at home. NU’s road league slate will include all of the North Division teams, along with confrontations with NCAA qualifier Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.

Huskers Claim Inaugural Life Skills Team Award
Along with showing gains on the court during the 2003-04 season, members of the Nebraska women’s basketball team also focused on improving themselves in the classroom and the community.

During the 2003-04 academic year, Nebraska initiated a new Life Skills Award of Excellence team competition, which was 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 embraced the new program and won the inaugural title.

"In my mind it is the most important award you can win as a team on our campus," Coach Connie Yori said. "What we are trying to do in our program is to build quality young women who are not just good athletes, but who are ready to take on the challenge of being good citizens upon graduation."

All 21 Husker teams took part in the program, which assigned 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 were earned by going above and beyond the traditional categories and communicating with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Husker Outreach Council.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 277-100 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 99-63 (.611) in conference games. Nebraska was 13-4 at home in 2003-04, and more than doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers were 5-3 at home in the Big 12 and 8-1 against non-conference competition, including 1-1 in postseason WNIT play.

Nebraska is 2-1 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 win over Drake in the first round of the WNIT on March 18, 2004, before losing 75-67 in the second round to Oregon State on March 22, 2004.

Attendance is a big part of the Huskers’ success. Nebraska’s average home attendance increased nearly 20 percent in 2003-04 to 3,074 fans per game. The Huskers averaged 449 more fans per game than the 2,625 fans per contest that NU drew in 2002-03. A season-high 5,809 fans witnessed NU’s 2003-04 Big 12-opening win over Iowa State on Jan. 10, while 5,088 fans were in attendance for an 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24.

Over the past six seasons, the Huskers have averaged over 3,800 fans per game, attracting 338,535 fans to the Devaney Center for 89 home contests. Nebraska ranked 14th nationally in average home attendance in 1999-2000 after ranking 15th nationally with a school-record average of 5,000 fans per game in 1998-99. The Huskers established a school record with a crowd of 13,226 fans in the final home game of the 1999-2000 season against Kansas State on Feb. 26, 2000.

Fastbreakers Booster Club Corner
The Nebraska Women’s Basketball Booster Club, The Fastbreakers, and the Lil’ Breakers provide dynamic support to the Huskers. Membership benefits include regular news flashes during the season, a free Nebraska Yearbook, game information, monthly pre-game meals with the coaches, traveling Fastbreakers, an invitation to the postseason awards banquet and a Senior Night reception.

For more information on the Fastbreakers and Lil’ Breakers Booster Club, please call the Fastbreaker Hotline at (402) 434-6501.

On Monday, Nov. 8, the Fastbreakers announced the dates for the Pregame "Backboard Banquets" for the season. The banquets are scheduled for 5 p.m. on the upper concourse of the Devaney Center. This year’s banquets will include guest speakers and several giveaways.

The cost of each meal is $10 per person and the proceeds go directly to the Nebraska women’s basketball program. For reservations to attend the pre-game "Backboard Banquets" please call Rose at the women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

2004-05 Fastbreakers Pregame Backboard Banquet
Monday, Nov. 22, Washington State, 5 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 1, Southeastern Louisiana, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 29, Kansas, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 26, Missouri, 5 p.m.

The Fastbreakers have also announced a tentative schedule for their "Traveling Fastbreakers" bus trips for the 2004-05 season.
Saturday, Dec. 18, at Creighton (Omaha, Neb.) 3:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 8, at Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 15, at Kansas State (Manhattan, Kan.) 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22, at Iowa State (Ames, Iowa) 2 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 20, at Kansas (Lawrence, Kan.) 2 p.m.