Huskers Defend Devaney Center Against Ragin? Cajuns

The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to the Bob Devaney Sports Center after a two-game road swing to take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

A live video stream of the game can be viewed at HuskersNside, the premium website of the Nebraska Athletic Department, on a subscription basis with a high-speed Internet connection. A radio broadcast with live statistics is also available on Huskers.com, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action on the Pinnacle Sports Network (1400AM-KLIN in Lincoln).

The Huskers (6-4) carry a perfect 5-0 home record this season into Monday night’s game with the Ragin’ Cajuns, who own a solid 8-2 overall mark. The road has not been as kind to Nebraska, as the Huskers have suffered all four of their losses away from the Devaney Center this season, including an 0-3 record in true road games. NU is coming off a hard-fought 58-57 loss at Creighton in Omaha on Saturday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns come to Lincoln for the second straight season after falling to the Huskers, 61-59, in a thriller last season. Louisiana-Lafayette is coming off a 90-72 win over Sam Houston State in Lafayette, La., on Saturday afternoon. ULL will be playing its third game in five days, after suffering an 82-68 loss to 8-1 Arkansas in Little Rock on Thursday. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ only other loss came to current No. 2 and undefeated Stanford (67-47) at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 24.

Kiera Hardy has been carrying the scoring load for the Huskers over the last six games. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is averaging 22 points per game over the last six contests, and 24 points per outing in the past three games. She is Nebraska’s leading scorer on the season with 18.1 points per game and has scored 20 or more points on five occasions already this season.

Anna Petrakova comes to the Devaney Center as the Ragin’ Cajuns’ primary weapon. The 6-3 senior center from Moscow, Russia, is averaging 16.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. In ULL’s loss to the Huskers last season, Petrakova put on a spectacular performance, scoring 23 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking four shots while playing the full 40 minutes. Petrakova averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season to earn Sun Belt Conference Player-of-the-Year honors.

Fox Announces Tip-Off Change at Kansas Feb. 20
The Nebraska women’s basketball team’s start time at Kansas on Feb. 20, has been moved one hour to a 1 p.m. tip-off. The change was announced by Fox Sports Net last week with the approval of the two schools.

The game was originally scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m. central time at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.

Scouting the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
Louisiana-Lafayette comes to Lincoln with a glossy 8-2 overall record after running past Sam Houston State, 90-72, on Saturday afternoon in Lafayette, La. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ only losses have come at the hands of current No. 2 and undefeated Stanford, 67-47, at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 24. ULL’s only other loss came last Thursday to Arkansas in Little Rock, where the Ragin’ Cajuns’ fell to the 8-1 Razorbacks, 82-62.

Coach J. Kelley Hall, a 1982 graduate of Troy State, has the Ragin’ Cajuns on the rise in his third season at the reins of the program. In his first season, ULL struggled to an 8-19 overall record, including a 4-11 mark in the Sun Belt Conference. Last season, the Ragin’ Cajuns managed a 13-15 overall record, including a 7-8 conference mark. Last year’s 13-15 record included a 61-59 loss at the hands of the Huskers in Lincoln on Dec. 14, 2003.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 72.7 points per game, while limiting their opponents to just 54.9 points per contest to give them an impressive average scoring margin of plus-17.8 points per game. ULL has also been solid on the boards, sporting a plus-7.4 rebounding margin. The Ragin’ Cajuns are hitting just 29.5 percent of their free throw attempts, but they are making a solid 7.1 three-pointers per game. They have also outscored their opponenets by a total of 30 points at the free throw line, while hitting 67.1 percent of their free throws. ULL has taken excellent care of the basketball, committing just 16.4 turnovers per game.

Four Starters Return from Solid 2003-04 ULL Team
Louisiana-Lafayette returns four starters from last year’s clash with the Huskers, including senior Anna Petrakova. The 6-3 center from Moscow, Russia, struck for 23 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks against NU last season, while playing all 40 minutes. She is averaging a double-double through 10 games this season with 16.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. Not only is Petrakova a handful inside, hitting 55.7 percent of her field attempts, but she has also shown the ability to hit from outside, connecting on 7-of-21 three-point attempts this season. She has also been solid at the free throw line, knocking down 80 percent (24-30) of her attempts. The 2004 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Petrakova averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 boards a year ago.

Petrakova receives strong support from 5-9 senior forward Bernette Tolston, who enters the game averaging 10.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Tolston scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists while playing all 40 minutes against NU last season. Tolston leads ULL with 29 made three-pointers this season, while hitting 34.9 percent of her attempts from long range.

A third returning starter, 6-1 senior forward Tiffany Washington, has contributed 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest for ULL this season. The 2004 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Oklahoma State by way of New Mexico Junior College, Washington also played the full 40 minutes against the Huskers last season, hitting for nine points and five rebounds.

Junior Ashley Blanche rounds out the quartet of returning starters for ULL. Blanche enters Monday’s game averaging 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds, while leading ULL with 6.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The lone newcomer to ULL’s starting lineup is 5-8 freshman guard Onna Charles, who has averaged 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game to open her career. Charles may be the most accurate shooter on the Ragin’ Cajun roster, connecting on 45.2 percent (14-31) of her three-pointers and 88.9 percent (8-9) of her free throws.

Off the bench, Alexandra Kotta (6.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Sherita Anderson (1.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Sonora Edwards (6.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Alicia McDaniel (1.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg) have also seen significant playing time this season to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a deeper bench than a year ago.

Last season against the Huskers, ULL had only six players compete for more than two minutes, with Petrakova, Tolston, Washington and departed senior Sharee Glenn playing the full 40 minutes. Blanche added 32 minutes. Only Morgan Mayon played more than two minutes, seeing six minutes of action. Edwards saw two minutes of playing time, while Trina Johnson and Nikita Scott each played less than one minute.

Nebraska vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Series History
Nebraska’s history head-to-head with Louisiana-Lafayette on the basketball court is brief, but last year’s first encounter with the Ragin’ Cajuns was a show-stopper. The Huskers used an 18-1 run early in the game to build a comfortable lead but needed last-second heroics from Margaret Richards to hold off the Ragin’ Cajuns, 61-59, in a Sunday afternoon thriller at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Dec. 14, 2003.

The Huskers led by as many as 15 points at 26-11 with 7:41 left in the first half, before ULL began to chip away at the lead. The Ragin’ Cajuns took their first lead of the game at 54-43 with six minutes left in the contest and claimed their biggest lead at 59-55 with 3:20 remaining in the game on a three-pointer by Bernette Tolston.

The Huskers, who were coming off an emotional 60-55 win over No. 13 Ohio State just two days earlier, dug deep and found the energy to score the game’s final six points to claim the win. Richards, who finished with eight points on the day, hit a free throw with 2:15 left to make it a one possession game at 59-56, before getting behind the ULL defense in transition for a layup with 1:32 left. With 54 seconds left, Richards hit a three-pointer to give Nebraska the 61-59 victory.

After ULL center Anna Petrakova missed a jumper and NU’s Keasha Cannon-Johnson pulled down the rebound with 36 seconds left, NU was unable to get off a shot, giving the Ragin’ Cajuns the ball back with 4.1 seconds left. Petrakova received the inbounds pass at the high post and drove to the basket, but missed a left-handed layup as time expired.

Petrakova finished with a game-high 23 points, to go along 14 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Cannon-Johnson led the Huskers with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Katie Morse contributed 15 points and six rebounds as the only other Husker in double figures. NU shot just 33.3 percent from the field, but committed just 13 turnovers and outrebounded ULL, 41-38.

Huskers Fall at Creighton Despite Hardy’s 29 Points
Kiera Hardy scored a team-high 29 points, including the Huskers’ last 11 points of the game, but the Nebraska women’s basketball team still came up short in a 58-57 loss to the Creighton Bluejays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.

After a low-scoring first half, the teams gained momentum offensively in a high-flying second stanza, as Nebraska outscored Creighton, 36-34. The Huskers outscored the Bluejays 11-3 in the final five minutes, but CU still found a way to win.

The Huskers had the ball with 12 seconds left and a chance to win, but Hardy was called for a travel with under two seconds remaining after being tied up by Creighton freshman Ally Thrall to end Nebraska’s bid for a victory. Hardy scored Nebraska’s final 11 points in the last five minutes to single-handedly erase a nine-point Creighton lead at 55-46.

Jessica Gerhart added seven points and eight rebounds, while Chelsea Aubry contributed six points and six boards for the Huskers. Nebraska hit just 37.7 percent (23-61) from the field and connected on just 2-of-12 three-pointers, but held CU to just 35.4 percent (23-65) field goal shooting and just 4-of-13 accuracy from three-point range. The Huskers forced 18 CU turnovers, while committing just 14 turnovers of their own, but Creighton outrebounded NU, 48-37.

Senior guard Laura Spanheimer led the Bluejays with 21 points and five steals, while junior forward Angie Janis added a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, despite hitting just 6-of-26 shots on the day, including just 2-for-15 shooting in the first half. Junior guard Kristi Woodard added a double-double of her own with 13 points and 10 boards for Creighton.

The Bluejays struggled to a 24-21 halftime lead, as the two teams combined to hit just 26.9 percent (18-67) from the field, including a combined 1-for-13 from three-point range. The Bluejays, the nation’s top three-point shooting team, were 0-for-5 from three-point range in the first half, before knocking down 4-of-8 trifectas in the second half.

In a game of two distinct halves, Hardy carried the Huskers in a low-scoring opening stanza, scoring 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Hardy’s three-pointer with just under five minutes to go in the first half gave Nebraska its biggest lead at 21-16, but CU shut NU out the rest of the half to close on an 8-0 run and lead 24-21 at halftime.

Hardy Heating Up Over Last Six Games
Nebraska’s leading scorer on the season averaging 18.1 points per game, Kiera Hardy has been even better over the past six games. Hardy’s 29-point effort in the loss at Creighton on Sunday allowed her to jump from fifth to a tie for first on the Big 12 Conference individual scoring chart. She is tied with Texas Tech sophomore Alesha Robertson for the league’s scoring lead.

Hardy, a 5-6 sophomore guard from Kansas City, Mo., has led the Huskers in scoring in each of the last six contests and is averaging 22.0 points per game during that span. She is shooting 51.6 percent (48-93) from the field during the stretch, including a solid 39.5 percent (15-38) behind the three-point arc and 84.0 percent (21-25) from the free throw line. Hardy’s 15 three-pointers over the past six games represent half her team-leading season total of 30 three-pointers over 27 games last season.

Hardy has produced three consecutive games with 20 or more points, and is averaging 23.7 points per game over the past three contests. She has scored 20 or more points in four of Nebraska’s last five games, including a career-high 31 points against Hampton in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 27. She added her fifth 20-point effort of the year with 28 points in Nebraska’s season-opening victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 12.

Hardy’s hot shooting in the last six contests followed on the heels of an 8-for-41 (19.5 percent) shooting slump that spanned Nebraska’s second, third and fourth games this season.

Hardy Scoring at NU’s Strongest Rate in Six Seasons
Kiera Hardy enters the Louisiana-Lafayette game averaging 18.1 points per game, which leads the Huskers and is tied with Texas Tech sophomore Alesha Robertson for the Big 12 Conference lead through 10 games.

Hardy’s scoring average represents Nebraska’s most productive individual scoring mark since the 1998-99 season when first-team All-Big 12 selection and honorable-mention All-American Nicole Kubik averaged 19.8 points per game as a junior.

Hardy’s scoring average also ranks as the fourth-best output by a sophomore in school history. All-American Karen Jennings produced the top scoring average by a sophomore with 20.5 points per game in 1990-91, while Maurtice Ivy averaged 19.7 points per game in 1985-86. Amy Stephens hit for 18.8 points per game in 1986-87. All three of those Huskers earned first-team all-conference honors during their careers.

Hardy has averaged 22 points per game over Nebraska’s last six games, including a career-high 31-point effort in a win over Hampton on Nov. 27 and 29 points in the loss at Creighton on Dec. 18. No Husker individual has averaged 20 points per game since Nafeesah Brown averaged 20.2 points per contest in 1993-94. No Husker has averaged 15 points per game in the past four seasons.

Hardy Takes Over as Nebraska’s Active Scoring Leader
Although she has played just 10 games in her sophomore season and just 37 games in her college career, Kiera Hardy became Nebraska’s active career scoring leader with her 29-point outburst at Creighton on Saturday.

The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., enters the Louisiana-Lafayette game with 428 career points in 37 career games, including 181 points in 10 games this season and 247 points in 27 games as a true freshman last season. NU senior guard Jina Johansen was the Huskers’ active leader in career points with 413 points in 97 career games, including 72 starts, entering the Creighton game. Johansen now ranks second among active Huskers with 415 points.

With 50 three-pointers in her career, Hardy is also Nebraska’s active three-point leader, just ahead of Johansen’s 44 career three-pointers. Hardy needs just 16 more three-pointers to crack NU’s all-time top 10 list in that category.

Hardy Sparks Trio of Husker Super Sophomores
Nebraska’s sophomore trio of Kiera Hardy, Jessica Gerhart and Chelsea Aubry have led the Huskers through the first 10 games this season. Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., leads the Huskers with 18.1 points per game, while hitting a team-high 20 three-pointers on the year. She also leads NU with 15 steals, while ranking second on the team with 2.6 assists per game.

Hardy struck for a career-high 31 points in NU’s win over Hampton at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov. 27. She added 16 points against North Carolina State to earn a spot on the Paradise Jam All-Tournament team. Hardy has led the Huskers in scoring in six straight games, including a 29-point outburst at Creighton on Dec. 18, and a 22-point effort in the loss at No. 10 Ohio State on Dec. 11. She added a 20-point performance in the win over Tennessee-Martin. She produced the first of five 20-point scoring efforts this season with a then-career-high 28 points in the season-opening victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 12.

Hardy’s 31-point effort against Hampton was the first 30-point scoring performance by a Husker since the 1999-2000 season and the most points scored by an NU player since Nicole Kubik struck for 32 points against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament on March 8, 2000.

Nebraska’s top returning scorer from a year ago when she averaged 9.1 points per game, Hardy averaged 19 points per game in the Huskers’ Postseason WNIT games to close the 2003-04 season. Hardy also led the Huskers last season with 30 three-pointers (tied Jina Johansen) and 45 steals.

Gerhart Leading the Huskers on the Glass
One of three leaders of Nebraska’s solid sophomore class, Jessica Gerhart has produced strong efforts through the first 10 games to tip off her second season. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, leads the Huskers’ boardwork with 6.7 rebounds per contest. Gerhart has led the Huskers on the glass in six of 10 games this season, including each of the last four contests.

Along with leading the Huskers with 67 rebounds, a total that has already surpassed the 52 boards she grabbed in all 30 games last season, Gerhart ranks second on the team with 12.3 points per game. Gerhart’s 51.5 field goal percentage also leads the Husker starters, while her four blocked shots rank third on the squad.

Gerhart hit for a career-high 20 points in the Huskers’ 89-46 victory over Northern Colorado at the Devaney Center on Nov. 19, and followed that effort the next time out with a team-high 19 points in a win over Washington State on Nov. 22.

Nebraska’s most accurate shooter a year ago (56.3 percent; 40-71 FG), Gerhart has already surpassed her production from all of last season in just over one-third of the games. Through 10 games, Gerhart is 53-of-103 from the field (51.5 percent) and has scored 123 points, 32 more points than the 91 points she scored last season. She has also hit eight three-pointers this season, after going without a made three-pointer last season.

Gerhart hit the first three three-pointers of her career and finished with 13 points in the second-round Preseason WNIT loss at No. 10 Notre Dame. Her performance against the Fighting Irish followed a then-career high 17-point, nine-rebound effort in the first-round WNIT win over Western Illinois on Nov. 12. Against the Westerwinds, Gerhart also hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to seal NU’s three-point victory. She added 13 points at No. 10 Ohio State.

Aubry Provides Skill and Strength for Huskers
Sophomore Chelsea Aubry gives the Huskers a strong No. 3 scoring option in the lineup in her second season. Aubry joins fellow sophomores Kiera Hardy and Jessica Gerhart in a trio of talented second-year players.

A 6-2 sophomore forward from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Aubry ranks third on the team in scoring and second on the club in rebounding with 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. She is also one of Nebraska’s best interior defenders and leads the Huskers in the number of charges drawn this season.

Along with providing the Huskers with a solid interior presence, Aubry has shown her versatility by moving to the wing in Nebraska’s last four games. She is shooting 47.6 percent from the field, which ranks second among the Huskers’ regular starters, while connecting on a 33.3 percent (5-15) of her three-point attempts.

Aubry put her versatility on display in Nebraska’s win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1, by just missing her first career double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds against the Lady Lions.

In the Huskers’ home win over Washington State on Nov. 22, Aubry tied her career high with 16 points for the third time this season and powered a strong second-half effort against the Cougars. With the Huskers leading by one point at halftime, Aubry charged out of the locker room to score NU’s first seven points of the second half. She also pulled down all seven of her rebounds after halftime to help erase WSU’s 14-rebound edge in the first half.

Aubry opened the season with a career-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in a 74-71 win over Western Illinois in the first round of the Preseason WNIT in Lincoln on Nov. 12. She matched her career high with an even more impressive effort with 16 points and four boards in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame on Nov. 14.

Aubry was one of Nebraska’s top players off the bench during her true freshman campaign, averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. She played in all 30 games last season and averaged 18.4 minutes of action per contest off the bench.

Nebraska’s first-ever Canadian women’s basketball player, Aubry gained international experience this summer by playing with the Canadian Senior National Team. One of the top junior players in Canada, Aubry spent 2003 with the Canadian Under-20 National Team and represented her home country at the World University Games.

Johansen Keeps Dishing Out Assists for Huskers
Nebraska’s lone returning starter from a year ago, senior Jina Johansen continues to provide leadership for the young Huskers in 2004-05. The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., who likes to lead by example, continues to help her teammates by dishing out assist after assist.

Johansen leads the Huskers with 5.8 assists per game, while adding 4.8 points and 2.9 boards per contest. One of the top passers in Nebraska history, Johansen ranks fourth on the school career chart with 434 assists. She needs just 10 more assists to catch Amy Stephens (1986-89) at No. 3 on NU’s all-time list.

Johansen matched her season high with eight assists in NU’s win over Tennessee-Martin, after scoring a season-high 10 points in the win over Southeastern Louisiana. She connected on 5-of-7 shots from the field, while dishing out six assists and pulling down four rebounds in a season-low 24 minutes against the Lady Lions.

In the win over Washington State, Johansen scored nine points on a trio of three-pointers to go along with seven assists. She also helped shut down Cougar star Adriane Ferguson in the second half. Ferguson scored 19 points and hit five three-pointers in the first half, before the Huskers switched Johansen to guard Ferguson. Johansen limited Ferguson to just five points in the second half, before Johansen butted heads with WSU guard Jessica Perry and had to leave the game for the final four minutes with a severely swollen left eye.

Johansen, a 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. Johansen has started all 10 games this year and leads the Huskers with 35.3 minutes per game. She owns 73 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.

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 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.

Husker Individuals among Big 12 Leaders
Three Husker sophomores rank among the top 30 scorers in the Big 12 Conference through the first 10 games, led by Kiera Hardy, who is tied for the league-lead with Texas Tech sophomore Alesha Robertson at 18.1 points per game. Hardy also ranks ninth in the conference with 2.0 made three-pointers per game, while her 20 three-pointers are tied for second in the Big 12.

Jessica Gerhart ranks 17th on the Big 12 scoring chart with 12.3 points per game. Gerhart ranks ninth in the Big 12 with 6.7 rebounds per game and 13th in the league in field goal percentage (51.5 percent). Chelsea Aubry rounds out the NU trio in the top 30 by ranking 27th with 10.5 points per game.

Jina Johansen leads the Big 12 with 58 total assists, nine assists ahead of Oklahoma’s Dionnah Jackson (49). Johansen’s 5.8 assists per game rank second in the Big 12, trailing only Texas Tech’s Erin Grant (6.83 apg). Johansen also ranks third in the Big 12 with her 3.05 assist-to-turnover ratio (58 assists-to-19 turnovers).

Howell Earns Second Start at Creighton
After spending the entire 2003-04 season as a redshirt and missing Nebraska’s first two regular-season games in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, LaToya Howell finally played her first regular-season game as a Husker in the win over Northern Colorado and made her first start in the win over Washington State.

Despite being limited somewhat while recovering from a severely sprained ankle suffered late in the first half of NU’s exhibition opener against Nebraska-Kearney, Howell scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and distributed three assists in her first appearance against the Bears. She added seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win over Washington State.

Howell enters the Louisiana-Lafayette game averaging 4.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She is coming off her second start of the season, after playing a career-high 30 minutes in a 58-57 loss at Creighton. Howell scored five points, grabbed five rebounds, snagged a career-high four steals and dished out three assists in a steady all-around effort.

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, and will be counted on to provide the Huskers with major minutes at the guard spot once she returns to 100 percent.

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.

Diaz Earns Role as Part-Time Starter in First Season
Elena Diaz has provided the Huskers with the biggest contribution from a quartet of junior college transfers. Diaz has made four starts, including three of the last four games, and is averaging 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Diaz struck for a career-high 11 points in the win over Northern Colorado, which included 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. The junior from Medellin, Colombia, by way of Dodge City (Kan.) Community College added three rebounds and an assist in just 15 minutes of work against the Bears.

Diaz opened the season with a seven-point, five-rebound effort in the first-round Preseason WNIT victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 12, before making the first start of her career in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame in the second round of the tournament. She added the second start of her career in the win over Southeastern Louisiana and her third start in the win over Tennessee-Martin, before getting the nod at No. 10 Ohio State.

Spiric Starting to Increase Production Off Bench
Junior college transfer Jelena Spiric has started five of NU’s 10 games this season, but has come off the bench in each of the Huskers’ last four games to produce solid outings.

Spiric had an eight-point, four-rebound performance in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1, after putting up eight points, three steals and two assists in the win over Washington State on Nov. 22. She added six points and four boards in the win over Tennessee-Martin, before tying her career high with eight points at No. 10 Ohio State on Dec. 11. She added two points, three rebounds, a steal and her first career block at Creighton on Dec. 18.

A 2004 NJCAA All-American at Colby (Kan.) Community College, Spiric has seen the most time on the court of any of the junior college transfers despite being slowed by a knee injury. Spiric suffered a torn ACL in the final game of her sophomore season and underwent offseason surgery. Her rehabilitation is going well, but she is still far from 100 percent. She is averaging 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. She also ranks third on the team with 10 steals

Samardziska Makes Splash in Win over UT-Martin
Junior college transfer Bojana Samardziska played her best game of the season in Nebraska’s 69-60 win over Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 7. The 6-4 center from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, erupted for a career-high 19 points against the Skyhawks by knocking down 9-of-12 shots from the field. She also hit her only free throw attempt of the game, while pulling down five rebounds, blocking two shots and snagging one steal. She did all that in just 13 minutes of court time, in an amazingly productive performance.

Samardziska had scored just 21 points in Nebraska’s first seven games before her outburst against Tennessee-Martin. She entered the UT-Martin game averaging 3.3 points per game, but vaulted to fourth on Nebraska’s season scoring list and is now averaging 5.4 points per game.

For the season, Samardziska has added 2.5 rebounds per game, while ranking second on the team with five blocked shots. She is shooting 51.6 percent (16-31) from the field and has dished out four assists while committing just two turnovers. She has also contributed five steals.

In her two-year career at Colby (Kan.) Community College, Samardziska scored 1,038 points and grabbed 601 rebounds. She captured first-team NJCAA Region VI All-Tournament honors by averaging 26 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocked shots per game in 2004. She averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game on her way to second-team All-Jayhawk West Conference honors last season.

Freshman Page Contributing Early for Huskers
Freshmen Danielle Page has shown promise through the first 10 games of her rookie season for the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., has provided solid contributions, including a career-high seven-point effort in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1. Page also tied her career high with eight rebounds against the Lady Lions.

After going scoreless in the season-opening win over Western Illinois, Page struck for six points, five rebounds and her second blocked shot of the season in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame.

Page played an impressive game with six points, a career-high eight rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and one assist in just 14 minutes in the win over Northern Colorado. She added three points, six rebounds and her fifth blocked shot of the season in the win over Washington State.

Page notched her team-leading sixth block of the season against North Carolina State. She produced at least one block in each of the Huskers’ first five games, but has not notched a block in the last five contests.

Page is averaging 3.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. She leads the team in blocked shots with six and also ranks third on the team in rebounding despite playing 14.6 minutes per game.

White, Drmanac Add Depth to Nebraska Roster
Freshman Sarah White’s early production was a pleasant surprise for the Huskers. NU coaches had considered redshirting White this season as she made the transition from high school post player to college wing player, but injuries to Nebraska backcourt players Heather Kephart, LaToya Howell and Jelena Spiric forced White into action earlier than expected.

The 6-0 native of Topeka, Kan., stepped up to the challenge. After going scoreless in eight minutes in the season-opening win over Western Illinois, White struck for six points, including her first career three-pointer, in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame. She produced a career-high seven-point performance in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1.

White added three points on her second career three-pointer and a career-best three rebounds in the win over Northern Colorado. White is averaging 3.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, and leads the team with her 53.8 field goal percentage.

Junior college transfer Ivana Drmanac has also added depth to Nebraska’s backcourt. The 6-1 forward has played in seven games and averaged 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She has also knocked down three three-pointers for the Huskers, and dished out five assists in just 7.1 minutes per game.

Huskers Take Care of the Rock
Nebraska displayed an uncanny ability to protect the basketball through the first four games this season. The Huskers committed just 45 turnovers, an average of 11.3 per game, through the first four contests, including a season-low nine turnovers in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame.

NU committed just 10 turnovers in the season-opening win over Western Illinois, despite playing with an injury-depleted backcourt and a roster that included seven newcomers who have seen significant playing time this year. NU added just 11 turnovers in the win over Washington State, after committing a season-high 15 turnovers in the win over Northern Colorado.

The Huskers’ 11.3 turnovers per game were just ahead of school-record pace for the fewest turnovers per game in NU history. Nebraska established that record with 369 turnovers in 32 games in 1991-92, a season that Nebraska finished with a 21-11 record and won the first NCAA Tournament game in school history.

However, the Huskers faced a dominant defense from North Carolina State, and the Wolfpack forced a season-high 25 turnovers by NU on Nov. 27. Hampton applied a variety of full-court pressure packages and forced 19 turnovers, giving NU 44 turnovers in two games in the Virgin Islands.

After putting up big turnover numbers at the Paradise Jam, the Huskers have taken good care of the basketball again and are averaging just 14.5 turnovers of per game as one of just five Big 12 teams averaging 15.0 or fewer turnovers per contest.

Last season, the Huskers committed just 488 turnovers (16.3 per game), 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.

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. The Huskers fell to the No. 10 Fighting Irish, 73-57 in South Bend. The Irish went on to win the Preseason WNIT title, and the Huskers rebounded with impressive home victories over Northern Colorado (89-46) on Nov. 19, and Washington State (78-61) on Nov. 22.

Nebraska traveled to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam during the Thanksgiving holiday and returned with a third-place showing after falling to eventual champion North Carolina State (55-45) on Nov. 26. The Wolfpack earned a bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament. NU faced another postseason team and came away with a 72-54 win over 2004 NCAA Tournament qualifier Hampton on Nov. 27.

After running past Southeastern Louisiana, 82-35 at home on Dec. 1, the Huskers defeated Tennessee-Martin, 69-60, on Dec. 7. Nebraska suffered its second loss to a top 10 team this season when it fell at No. 10 Ohio State, 86-61, on Dec. 11. The Buckeyes advanced to the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers fell to 2004 WNIT Champion Creighton, 58-57, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on Dec. 18, before returning home to battle Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20. Nebraska closes 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 282-100 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 99-63 (.611) in conference games.

The Huskers have opened 2004-05 with a 5-0 home record, after running to a 13-4 home mark in 2003-04. NU’s home victory total last year 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.