Huskers Battle No. 10 Notre Dame Sunday

The Nebraska women's basketball team travels to South Bend, Ind., to square off with No. 10 Notre Dame in the second round of the SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT at the Joyce Center on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. central time.

The Huskers advanced to the second round of the 16-team tournament with a 74-71 victory over Western Illinois at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Friday night. Kiera Hardy led the Huskers with a career-high 28 points, the highest point total by a Husker since the 1999-2000 season, while fellow sophomores Jessica Gerhart (17 points) and Chelsea Aubry (16 points) both added career highs.

The trio of sophomores combined for 61 of Nebraska’s 74 points to help the Huskers hold off a strong second-half rally by the defending Mid-Continent Conference regular-season champion Westerwinds. Mid-Con Preseason Player-of-the-Year Zane Teilane, a 6-7 center from Riga, Latvia, led WIU with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Jessica Cook added 24 points and nine boards in a losing effort.

Nebraska’s win was its 24th consecutive season-opening victory dating back to an 88-56 loss over Kansas on Nov. 21, 1980. The Huskers’ three-point margin of victory over Western Illinois marked just the third time in those 24 games that an opponent had battled Nebraska within single digits during the streak.

The Huskers also improved to 4-1 all-time in the Preseason WNIT. Nebraska advanced to the championship game in its only other appearance in the preseason tournament in 1997, rolling to wins over Miami (Ohio) and ranked opponents Alabama and Western Kentucky before falling in the title game at Connecticut. That Husker squad eventually advanced to the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament and finished with a 23-10 overall record.

While the Huskers were battling the Westerwinds down to the wire in Lincoln, the Fighting Irish were cruising to a 92-73 win over Illinois State at the Joyce Center in South Bend. Courtney LaVere led six players in double figures for the Irish with 18 points, while Charel Allen added 14 points and six boards off the bench. Preseason National Player-of-the-Year candidate Jacqueline Batteast contributed 13 points and five boards for Notre Dame in its season-opening victory.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Notre Dame, 1-0, defeating the Fighting Irish 98-88 in double overtime at South Bend in the only meeting between the two schools in women’s basketball on Feb. 25, 1982.

Huskers Open with 74-71 Win over Western Illinois
Sophomores Kiera Hardy, Chelsea Aubry and Jessica Gerhart erupted for career highs to lead the Huskers to a 74-71 win over Western Illinois in the opening round of the SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT in front of 1,729 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night.

Hardy scored a career-high 28 points, including 14 in each half, to give the Huskers their 24th consecutive season-opening victory. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., knocked down 10-of-21 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws for the game. Hardy’s 14 first-half points helped the Huskers build a 15-point halftime lead at 41-26. Nebraska’s top returning scorer from a year ago, Hardy’s 28-point performance was NU’s highest individual point total since Nicole Kubik scored 32 points against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament on March 8, 2000. Hardy smashed her previous career high of 21 points set last season against Missouri (Feb. 25, 2004).

After scoring 14 first-half points, Hardy continued to fire in the second half, helping NU’s lead grow as large as 17 points, before Western Illinois began to chip away. WIU scored on 22 of its 34 second-half possessions with strong work on the glass.

The Westerwinds, who were the 2004 Mid-Continent Conference regular-season champions, used a 13-rebound advantage in the second half to erase NU’s lead. WIU trimmed the Huskers’ lead to one point on several occasions, the first time at 59-58 with 6:02 left in the game. Hardy answered the call for the Huskers with a jumper to give NU some breathing room, but Nebraska’s lead would grow no greater than five points the rest of the way.

Western Illinois knocked the lead back to one point at 68-67 with 3:03 remaining on a Rita Castans three-pointer, before a pair of Jina Johansen free throws preserved NU’s lead. WIU cut the lead to one point a final time at 72-71 on a pair of free throws by Zane Teilane with 1:03 left.

But Gerhart, who hit for a career-high 17 points on the night, sealed Nebraska’s win with a pair of free throws with seven seconds left in the game. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, nearly produced the first double-double of her career by adding nine rebounds.

Aubry, a 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, added a career-best 16 points to go along with six boards to help the Huskers. Aubry had 10 points and four boards in the first half alone to help the Huskers build a comfortable lead after trailing 7-0 in the first three minutes of the contest.

Gerhart and Aubry helped the Huskers match Teilane’s production inside for WIU. The 6-7 center who was named the preseason player of the year in the Mid-Con, scored 17 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for the Westerwinds. She produced 13 points and nine boards during a strong second-half effort.

While Teilane’s work on the glass fueled the WIU comeback, Jessica Cook was firing on all cylinders for the Western Illinois offense. Cook scored 24 points and pulled down nine boards, while Castans finished with 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers.

For the game, Nebraska hit 42.6 percent (26-61) of its field goal attempts, but just 3-of-14 three-pointers. Although NU struggled from long range, the Huskers were sizzling from the free throw line, connecting on 19-of-21 attempts (90.5 percent). The Huskers also took excellent care of the basketball, committing just 10 turnovers on the night, including just four in the second half.

Nebraska’s 19-5 edge at the free throw line helped the Huskers compensate for a 43-33 disadvantage on the glass. NU also forced 15 WIU turnovers. The Westerwinds shot 44.9 percent (31-69) from the field, including 4-of-13 from three-point range. WIU managed just 5-of-9 shooting at the free throw line.

Hardy Shooting for Super Sophomore Season
Sophomore Kiera Hardy started the 2004-05 season strong with a scintilating performance in the first round of the Preseason WNIT after a pair of solid efforts in exhibition wins over Nebraska-Kearney and Nebraska-Omaha.

Hardy opened her sophomore season with a career-high 28 points to lead the Huskers to a 74-71 win over Western Illinois in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT on Friday in Lincoln. Hardy scored 14 points in each half, hit 10-of-21 field goal attempts, 3-of-5 three-pointers and 5-of-6 shots at the free throw line. Her trio of three-pointers and her four assists also tied career bests, while she added four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Hardy’s 28 points were the most by a Husker since Nicole Kubik scored 32 points against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament on March 8, 2000. Hardy’s performance surpassed her previous career best of 21 points set against Missourin on Feb. 25, 2004.

After closing 2003-04 by averaging 19 points in NU’s 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 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. Hardy added four rebounds, four assists and a steal in a solid all-around effort against UNK.

In the win over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 7, 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 Husker Victories
Sophomore forwards Jessica Gerhart and Chelsea Aubry have produced strong back-to-back efforts for the Huskers.

Gerhart went off for career highs of 17 points and nine rebounds in NU’s first round Preseason WNIT win over Western Illinois. The 6-2 native of Fenton, Iowa, also hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to seal NU’s three-point win over the Westerwinds.

Gerhart’s performance against WIU followed on the heels of an 18-point effort in NU’s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 7. She hit 8-of-11 shots from the field against the NCAA Division II Mavericks, 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’s production in Nebraska’s last two games has been nearly as impressive. The 6-2 native of Kitchener, Ontario, produced a career-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in the Huskers’ win over Western Illinois to open the regular season. Aubry’s effort against WIU followed a 15-point performance against UNO.

Gerhart, Aubry and fellow sophomore Kiera Hardy combined for 61 points, 19 rebounds and five assists, while hitting 23-of-47 field goal attempts in the win over Western Illinois. They joined forces for 48 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the win over Nebraska-Omaha, hitting an amazing 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 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 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame entered the 2004-05 season as the preseason co-No. 10 team in the nation according to the Associated Press after advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Fighting Irish lived up to their preseason hype in the opening round of the SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT with a convincing 92-73 victory over Illinois State in front of 6,190 fans at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind., on Friday night.

Junior forward Courtney LaVere led six players in double figures with 18 points, while adding five assists. Freshman guard Charel Allen came off the bench to add 14 points and six rebounds, while preseason national player-of-the-year candidate Jacqueline Batteast added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in just 17 minutes of action.

Senior tri-captain Megan Duffy pitched in 12 points and a game-high eight assists for the Fighting Irish, while senior tri-captain Teresa Borton added 11 points and five boards to put four of Notre Dame’s five starters in double figures.

Sophomore forward Crystal Erwin rounded out the list of Fighting Irish in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals, as Notre Dame’s bench combined to contribute 34 points and 19 rebounds to the Irish win.

In 2003-04, Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last eight seasons. The Fighting Irish produced their 11th straight 20-win season making Notre Dame one of just six schools in the nation with an active streak of 11 or more trips to the Big Dance. The Irish also went undefeated at home last season (15-0) and carry a 21-game home winning streak into Sunday’s game with Nebraska.

Batteast, an honorable-mention All-American in 2002 and 2004, led Notre Dame by averaging 16.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season. She shot 45.2 percent from the field, including 34.5 percent from three-point range. Duffy added 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and a team-leading 3.9 assists per game last season to help the Fighting Irish to a 21-11 overall record and 12-4 mark in Big East Conference play. LaVere contributed 8.6 points and 4.5 boards per game, while leading the team with 41 blocks. The trio represents Notre Dame’s top three returning scorers from a year ago.

In her 18th season at Notre Dame, Muffet McGraw owns an impressive 385-149 overall record to improve her career mark to 473-190 in 23 seasons. She has guided Notre Dame to a pair of NCAA Final Four appearances, including a national championship run in 2001, when the Irish finished with a 34-2 overall record. McGraw was the Naismith, Associated Press and WBCA National Coach of the Year in 2000-01.

Since taking the reins at Notre Dame before the 1987-88 season, McGraw has guided the Irish to all 11 NCAA Tournament appearances in school history. Although Notre Dame had never advanced to an NCAA Tournament before McGraw’s arrival, they had produced a 164-99 overall record from 1977-78 through 1986-87.

Nebraska vs. Notre Dame Series History
Although Nebraska and Notre Dame share two of the most storied athletic traditions in the nation, the two school have met only once in women’s basketball. The Huskers came away victorious in that meeting with a 98-88 double-overtime win over the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 25, 1982.

Deb Powell led the Huskers against the Irish that day in South Bend, scoring 34 points, which at the time matched her own school record set two months earlier against Morningside College. Powell and NU career blocked shot leader Janet Smith are pictured on page 160 of Notre Dame’s 2004-05 women’s basketball media guide.

The game is still an historic one for both schools, as it was the first double-overtime game in the history of both schools’ women’s basketball programs.

The Huskers have played only one other double-overtime in school history, an 83-75 win over Colorado on Feb. 14, 1996. The Fighting Irish have played two other double-overtime games with a 76-70 win over Dayton on Jan. 9, 1992, and a 93-91 victory over UCLA on Nov. 30, 1997.

On the gridiron, the Huskers own an 8-7-1 series edge over the Irish that dates all the way back to 1915, when NU won 20-19 in Lincoln. The Huskers added a 27-10 win over Notre Dame at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln in 2001, after coming away from South Bend with a 27-24 overtime victory in 2000.

The two programs also clashed frequently in big matches on the soccer pitch in the late 1990s. Notre Dame ended Nebraska’s season for three consecutive years in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, 1998 and 1999, including a pair of losses at Notre Dame and a dramatic 1-1 loss that went four overtimes and into sudden death penalty kicks at the Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln in 1999. The match was one of the longest in NCAA Tournament history.

Recapping the First Round of the Preseason WNIT
Nebraska opened the 2004 SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT with a 74-71 victory over Western Illinois. The Huskers advanced to take on No. 10 Notre Dame in the second round, after the Fighting Irish defeated Illinois State 92-73 at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind.

On the bottom half of the Huskers’ side of the bracket, No. 6 Duke knocked off Davidson, 89-69, and South Florida upset Middle Tennessee State on the road, 70-62.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 10 Ohio State rolled to an 89-41 win over Bowling Green in Columbus, while Saint Joseph’s snuck past Boston University, 51-49, in Philadelphia. No. 24 Arizona cruised to an 87-72 win over Saint Mary’s for the Wildcats’ 28th consecutive homecourt victory, while the Rice Owls ran past McNeese State, 62-43, in Houston.

This season’s 16-team, single-elimination SportsView.TV Preseason WNIT tipped off around the nation on Friday, Nov. 12, with all eight games at home sites. The eight remaining teams will compete in quarterfinal games on Sunday, with Nebraska traveling to Notre Dame and South Florida journeying to Duke.

Ohio State will play host to Saint Joseph’s, while Arizona will try to extend its home winning streak to 29 games against Rice.

The winner of Nebraska’s game with Notre Dame will face the winner of the Duke vs. South Florida contest on Wednesday, Nov. 17. If the Huskers beat Notre Dame and Duke defeats South Florida, NU would travel directly from South Bend, Ind., to Durham, N.C., for Wednesday night’s contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Overall, the 16-team tournament field featured 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. The Huskers improved to 4-1 all-time in Preseason WNIT play with their 74-71 win over Western Illinois, but NU needs two more wins to match its success from its first tournament trip in 1997.

The Huskers rolled to three victories to earn a spot in the 1997 Preseason WNIT Championship Game. Nebraska opened the 1997-98 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
With the win over Western Illinois in the first round of the Preseason WNIT, Nebraska extended its season-opening winning streak to 24 games.

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 24 straight season-opening wins, including a 104-46 pounding of Wofford on Nov. 21, 2003, to open last season.

Nebraska’s win over Western Illinois marked just the third time in the last 24 seasons that an opponent has played the Huskers within single digits in the season opener. Along with the narrow 74-71 win over the Westerwinds, 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.

Before Friday’s win over Western Illinois, Nebraska’s average victory margin during the season-opening streak had been nearly 29 points. The Huskers averaged 88 points per game to open the season over the previous 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 was the only player on Nebraska's roster with a career start for the Huskers before Friday night’s 74-71 win over Western Illinois in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT. 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 as a sophomore and junior. She made her 64th career start against Western Illinois to open her senior season.

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 Notre Dame game ranked sixth in school history with 380 career assists.

Junior Newcomers Plan to Contribute Immediately
Along with Jina Johansen's experience, the Huskers have gained 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 four seasons at Nebraska. She owns 64 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. She has inreased her career total to 380 assists, which ranks sixth on the Nebraska all-time chart. She needs just 12 more assists to tie current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge for fifth on the Husker career 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 began 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 freshman campaign 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.

The Huskers continued to show their commitment to taking care of the basketball in the 2004-05 season-opening win over Western Illinois. NU committed just 10 turnovers against the Westerwinds, which was just one more than last year’s season-low performance of nine turnovers against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 9, 2004.

2003-04 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
Now in 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 six 2004 postseason qualifiers during the non-conference season, opened the regular season in the 2004 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Preseason WNIT began Nov. 12 with the Huskers’ win over Western Illinois (74-71). NU advanced to the second round to take on 2004 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Notre Dame, which enters Sunday’s contest ranked No. 10 nationally. The 16-team tournament 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.