Huskers Battle No. 2 Baylor Wednesday

The Nebraska women’s basketball team will try to open conference play with a 3-0 record for the first time since the 1991-92 season while shooting for its fifth consecutive win overall, when the Huskers take on No. 2 Baylor at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 7:05 p.m.

The game will be carried live on radio by the Pinnacle Sports Network on Froggy 98.1 FM-KFGE in Lincoln and on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. A live video stream of the game will also be available on the Nebraska Athletic Department’s premium website - HuskersNside - on a subscription basis for fans who have high-speed Internet access.

The Huskers (10-4 overall, 2-0 Big 12) are riding a four-game winning streak after storming back from a 13-point deficit with just over eight minutes left against Missouri. NU escaped from Columbia with an 81-74 win over the Tigers on Saturday to open league play with a 2-0 record for the first time since 1998-99.

No. 2 Baylor (12-1 overall, 2-0 Big 12) owns a 12-game winning streak after knocking off No. 7 Texas, 63-60, in Waco on Saturday afternoon. The Bears’ only loss this season came with a 71-70 setback to No. 1 LSU in Austin, Texas in their season opener on Nov. 14.

The Huskers have never beaten a top-five team in women’s basketball. Last year’s 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24, matched the highest-ranked opponent ever beaten by NU. The Huskers’ only other wins over top-10 opponents in school history came with a 73-67 victory over No. 9 Iowa on Dec. 8, 1996, and a 78-68 win over No. 10 Texas on Dec. 5, 1982.

This season, the Huskers are an impressive 8-0 at the Devaney Center and their last six wins have been by an average of 30.2 points per game, including victories over 2004 postseason qualifiers Colorado (84-62) and Memphis (82-50) in their last two home games.

Although Nebraska has enjoyed success at home this season, Baylor has found the Devaney Center to be a friendly road arena. The Bears have won three consecutive games in Lincoln, including a 69-44 win over the Huskers on Feb. 5, 2003. Nebraska’s only win against Baylor at the Devaney Center came in the first meeting between the two teams in school history, when the Huskers ran to a 91-73 win over the Bears on Feb. 19, 1997.

Scouting the No. 2 Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears (12-1, 2-0) head into Wednesday’s game as one of the top teams in the nation. Fifth-year head caoch Kim Mulkey-Robertson has led the Bears to 12 consecutive wins since losing a 71-70 thriller to No. 1 LSU in Austin, Texas, to open the season on Nov. 14.

Baylor is coming off a 63-60 win over No. 7 Texas in Waco on Saturday afternoon. The Bears overcame an eight-point first-half deficit and did not have a lead in the second half until forging ahead 59-58 with just over three minutes to play in the game.

The Bears feature two of the best inside players in the Big 12 with Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon. Young, a 6-1 junior forward, has opened league play in dominant fashion. A native of St. Vincent in the West Indies, Young leads the Big 12 in scoring (23 ppg), rebounding (13.5 rpg) and steals (3.5 spg) in conference play. Overall, Young ranks fourth in the Big 12 in scoring with 17 points per game, while ranking second in the league with 9.5 rebounds per game. Young owns seven double-doubles this season, including a 25-point, 15-rebound effort in Saturday’s win over Texas.

Blackmon has been nearly as dominant. The 6-2 post from Dallas, Texas, ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 19.5 points per game and fifth in the conference in rebounding with 8.2 boards per contest. Blackmon also ranks fourth in the Big 12 with her 85.9 free throw percentage.

In addition to their dominance inside, the Bears feature one of the top reserves in the Big 12 in sophomore Emily Niemann. The 6-1 forward from Houston, Texas has come off the bench in all 13 games to rank third among the Bears with 9.8 points per game. Niemann is shooting a blistering 56.5 percent from three-point range.

Chameka Scott has led the Baylor backcourt by averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while Chanelle Fox (2.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and Angela Tisdale (5.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg) round out BU’s probable starting lineup.

As a team, Baylor is averaging 75.6 points per game, while holding opponents to just 57.5 points per contest. Along with their plus-18.1 scoring margin, the Bears have been strong on the glass with a plus-7.0 team rebounding margin. BU has been efficient on offense, hitting 46.1 percent of its shots from the field, including 44.9 percent of its attempts from three-point range. The Bears are also hitting 70.8 percent of their free throws. Baylor owns a plus-2.3 turnover margin and is averaging a solid 5.6 blocked shots per game.

Nebraska vs. Baylor Series History
Baylor leads the all-time series with Nebraska 6-3, including four consecutive wins overall and three straight wins in Lincoln. Last season, Baylor managed a 67-57 victory in Waco, after running to a 69-44 win over the Huskers two years ago in Lincoln. The Bears beat Nebraska 74-62 in Waco on Jan. 30, 2002, and rolled to a 77-57 win on Feb. 24, 2001, in Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson’s rookie season at Baylor.

The Huskers won a pair of games against the Bears during the 1999-2000 season, after Baylor snapped Nebraska’s 27-game home winning streak the previous season with a 59-53 win on Feb. 10, 1999. The Huskers also fell to Baylor in Waco 76-71 on Jan. 21, 1998, after opening the all-time series against the Bears with a 91-73 win at the Devaney Center on Feb. 19, 1997.

Last season, the two teams met in a battle of top-25 teams, as Baylor entered the game ranked No. 16 and the Huskers were ranked No. 25. The Bears used a 10-0 run late in the second half to turn a two-point game with seven minutes left into a 10-point win at the Ferrell Center.

Nebraska trailed by 13 points at 50-37, before the Huskers used a 10-0 run to burst back into the game. Alexa Johnson led the Huskers with 13 points, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Jessika Stratton led the Bears with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, while the Huskers held the duo of Young and Blackmon to a combined 24 points and 10 rebounds to keep the game within reach.

Huskers Come Back for 81-74 Win at Missouri
Nebraska scored the game’s final nine points and did not allow Missouri to hit a field goal in the last 9:45, as the Huskers overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to escape from Mizzou Arena with an 81-74 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night.

Kiera Hardy scored a team-high 23 points to lead four Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska improved to 10-4 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 1998-99. The Tigers slipped to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Jessica Gerhart posted the first double-double of her career with 17 points while tying her career high with 11 rebounds. Jelena Spiric, who went on to earn Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors for her performance, added a career-high 18 points and tied her career best with six boards. She added four assists and two steals.

Along with career performances from Gerhart and Spiric, Jina Johansen produced perhaps the best all-around game of her career with a season-high 14 points and a season-high tying eight assists. She did not commit a turnover despite playing the full 40 minutes for the 13th time in her career. The 5-7 senior guard from Dannebrog, Neb., scored all 14 of her points in the second half, including seven points in Nebraska’s decisive 26-6 surge in the final 8:26.

Johansen’s decision-making helped the Huskers run to their fourth straight win and their fourth consecutive 80-point scoring performance this season.

After NU grabbed an early lead, Missouri used an 18-4 first-half run to claim a 27-14 edge with 7:27 left in the first half. Nebraska answered with a run of its own to trim the lead to 33-30 with just 2:34 left in the half,as Spiric scored a career-high 12 points in the first half alone. Hardy and Gerhart each added 10 first-half points for the Huskers. Missouri closed the half strong, outscoring NU 7-1 down the stretch to carry a 43-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Hardy, a Missouri native who has averaged 20.3 points per game in three head-to-head contests against her home-state school, scored NU’s first seven points of the second half to help the Huskers trim the MU lead back to just five points at 54-49 with 14:24 remaining.

But the Tigers answered with a run of their own to match their biggest lead of the game at 13 points after a pair of Tiffany Brooks free throws with 8:26 left. After Brooks’ free throws, LaToya Bond nabbed a steal, but MU was unable to convert on a three-on-one scoring opportunity that may have put the game away. Instead, the Huskers raced out in transition and Hardy knocked down a long two-point jumper to spark NU’s rally.

Brooks finished with a game-high 30 points for the Tigers, including 14-of-17 shooting at the free throw line, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Missouri from missing its final 15 shots from the field.

While the Tigers went ice cold, the Huskers scored on 13 of their final 15 possessions of the game.

Johansen tied the score for the Huskers at 74 on a layup and grabbed a defensive rebound with 1:57 to play off a missed jumper by Brooks. The Huskers regained the lead for the first time in the second half on Gerhart’s jumper with 1:42 to play. Spiric then snatched her second steal of the game, and Johansen converted a jumper with 52 seconds left to match Nebraska’s biggest lead of the game at 78-74.

Freshman Danielle Page, who finished with seven points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots, then knocked down 1-of-2 free throws before making a key defensive play to force another Brooks’ miss.

Spiric sealed the win by knocking down a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left in the game.

Husker Quick Tips
Sophomore forward Chelsea Aubry missed Nebraska’s first two Big 12 Conference games against Colorado and Missouri and will not play against No. 2 Baylor on Wednesday. Aubry suffered a foot injury in practice on Saturday, Jan. 1. The injury is expected to keep Aubry on the sideline for two weeks.

Nebraska has scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games and six times this season. In Coach Connie Yori’s first two seasons in Lincoln, the Huskers scored 80 points in just three of 58 games. The last time NU scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games came in 1996-97, when the Huskers put up at least 80 points in games two through six early in the season.

The Huskers have opened the season with an 8-0 record at home for the second straight season. Nebraska is 20-2 at the Devaney Center in regular-season non-conference action under third-year coach Connie Yori. The Huskers are 2-4 away from the Devaney Center this season.

Last season, Nebraska opened the year with a 10-0 home record that included Big 12 wins over Iowa State, Texas A&M and Kansas State, before losing to Texas at the Devaney Center on Jan. 28, 2004.

Nebraska is averaging 79.9 points per game in its eight home victories this season, compared with just a 58.4 scoring average in its five games away from the Devaney Center. The Huskers’ road woes have plenty to do with the level of competition they have faced. NU has squared off against a pair of top-10 teams on the road, losing to Notre Dame and Ohio State, along with 2004 NCAA Tournament qualifier North Carolina State. The Huskers defeated 2004 NCAA qualifier Hampton away from home, but lost a narrow one-point decision to 2004 Postseason WNIT champion Creighton.

Nebraska has had at least four players score in double figures in four consecutive games, as Kiera Hardy (17.8 ppg), Jessica Gerhart (15.5 ppg), Jina Johansen (11.5 ppg) and Jelena Spiric (11.5 ppg) are averaging in double figures over the past four contests.

Nebraska opened Big 12 Conference play with a 2-0 record for the first time since 1998-99 with wins over Colorado and Missouri last week. The Huskers also opened league play in 1998-99 with wins over the Buffaloes and Tigers.

Nebraska has not opened Big 12 play with a 3-0 record since the 1991-92 season. Nebraska Coach Connie Yori, who spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Creighton before taking the reins for the Huskers in 2002-03, was in her second season as the head coach at Division III Loras College in 1991-92.

Husker "O" on Roll in Big 12 Play
The Nebraska offense fired on all cylinders in its first two Big 12 Conference contests of the season. As a team, the Huskers averaged 82.5 points per game in wins over Colorado and Missouri to out-produce Iowa State’s 77 points per game for the top scoring average in the league in the first week of conference play.

The Huskers also produced the top three-point field goal percentage in the Big 12 during the first week of league action by knocking down 48 percent (12-25) of their long-range attempts.

Four Huskers rank among the top-20 scorers in the league during conference play-only, led by Kiera Hardy’s 22.5 points per game to rank second in the Big 12 behind only Baylor’s Sophia Young (23 ppg)

Jessica Gerhart is tied for ninth in scoring in Big 12 Conference play with 16.5 points per game, while tying for seventh in rebounding with 7.5 boards per contest. Gerhart also leads the league in three-point shooting percentage by knocking down all three of her attempts in the first two games of conference action.

Jina Johansen is tied for 18th in the league in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while leading the league with a 7.50 assist-to-turnover ratio. She is also tied for the Big 12 lead with 7.5 assists per game, and tied for sixth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (60 percent - 3-5). Johansen is also tied for second in the league in overall field goal percentage at 64.3 percent.

Jelena Spiric rounds out the Nebraska quartet in the top 20 by averaging 13 points per game. Spiric is also tied for 17th in the league in rebounding with six boards per contest. Spiric’s 61.5 field goal percentage is tied for fifth, while her 2.0 steals per game are tied for seventh in Big 12 games only.

Huskers Win Four Straight with 80-Point Efforts
Nebraska has scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games and six times this season. In Coach Connie Yori’s first two seasons in Lincoln, the Huskers scored 80 points in just three of 58 games. The last time Nebraska scored 80 points in four straight games came in 1996-97, when NU scored 80 or more points in five straight games (Games 2-6).

The Huskers rolled to an 81-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20 and an 82-50 victory over Memphis on Dec. 30, before their impressive 84-62 win over Colorado to open Big 12 play on Jan. 5. NU added an 81-74 win over Missouri on Jan. 8.

A season-high five Huskers scored in double figures against the Ragin’ Cajuns, led by Jessica Gerhart’s 16 points and seven rebounds. Kiera Hardy added 15 points, Chelsea Aubry 11 and Jina Johansen and Jelena Spiric each contributed 10 points.

In the win over Memphis, four Huskers scored in double figures, while 10 of the 11 Huskers who played scored four or more points. Seven Huskers pulled down five or more rebounds on the night, as Nebraska dominated the glass with a plus-30 rebounding margin and season highs with 55 total rebounds and 24 offensive boards. The Huskers tied a season high with 24 assists against Memphis, after dishing out 18 assists against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Nebraska added four more players in double figures in the win over Colorado, led by 22 points from Hardy, 16 points from Gerhart, 13 from Johansen and 10 from Bojana Samardziska. All 10 Huskers who played in the game found the scoring column against the Buffaloes.

In the win over Missouri, Hardy scored 23 points, while Spiric added a career-high 18 points. Johansen added a season-high 14 points, while tying a season high with eight assists, and Gerhart contributed the first double-double of her career with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The team-wide production in the last four contests has come in stark contrast to Nebraska’s losses at Creighton (Dec. 18) and No. 10 Ohio State (Dec. 11). In a 58-57 loss at Creighton, Hardy scored more than half of NU’s points with her 29-point effort and was the only Husker to score more than seven points. In the loss at Ohio State, Hardy and Gerhart combined for 35 of NU’s 61 points and no Husker managed five rebounds. The Huskers had just 10 assists against Creighton and only nine assists at Ohio State.

Hardy Scoring at NU’s Strongest Rate in Six Seasons
Kiera Hardy heads into the Baylor game averaging 18.0 points per game, which leads the Huskers and trails only Kansas State senior All-American Kendra Wecker (20.7 ppg) on the Big 12 Conference scoring chart.

A 5-6 sophomore from Kansas City, Mo., Hardy has produced NU’s best scoring average since the 1998-99 season when first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-American Nicole Kubik averaged 19.8 points per game.

Hardy’s scoring average 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. Debra Powell (1982-83) and Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-81) each added 17.6 points per game in their second seasons.

Hardy has averaged 20.8 points per game over Nebraska’s last nine 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. Hardy has scored 20 or more points seven times this season, including six of NU’s last nine games. She scored a career-high 31 points in the Huskers’ win over Hampton on Nov. 27.

In the Big 12 Conference, Hardy ranks as the highest-scoring sophomore in the league. Tiffany Jackson from Texas ranks second among conference sophomores with 15.6 points per game, while Texas Tech’s Alesha Robertson has managed 14.4 points per contest.

Hardy led the Huskers in scoring for six straight contests before Jessica Gerhart scored a team-high 16 points in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette. During that six-game stretch Hardy averaged 22.0 points per game.

She averaged 22.5 points per game in Nebraska’s two league wins to open conference play, including 23 points at Missouri.

Johansen Sizzling During NU’s Four-Game Streak
Nebraska’s lone returning starter from a year ago, senior Jina Johansen has helped the Huskers elevate their play during their current four-game winning streak.

One of the smartest players in the Big 12 Conference, Johansen’s decision-making has been impeccable over the past four games. She is averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game during that stretch, while hitting 17-of-26 shots from the field (65.4 percent). She has also hit 6-of-9 three-pointers (66.7 percent) and and all six of her free throw attempts. Even more impressively, she owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 7-to-1 (28-to-4) during NU’s last four games.

The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., leads the Huskers with 6.1 assists per game, while adding 6.7 points and 3.2 boards per contest. One of the top passers in Nebraska history, Johansen ranks third on the school career chart with 462 assists. She needs 104 more assists to catch Nicole Kubik (1997-2000) in the No. 2 spot on the NU chart. She will need to average nearly seven assists per game over the next 15 contests. Johansen is coming off one of the best efforts in her career at Missouri. She scored all of her season-high 14 points in the second half, while tying her season high with eight assists. In NU’s 26-6 run over the final 8:26 against the Tigers, Johansen hit all three of her attempts from the field, including a three-pointer and the game-tying layup with 2:17 to play.

In Big 12 play, Johansen is averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists. She has also directed NU to the highest scoring offense in the league during Big 12 play, as the Huskers are averaging 82.5 points per game and have produced the only two 80-point efforts of the league season.

She posted the first victory of her career over Colorado by scoring a season-high 13 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. She also notched two steals against the Buffs. She scored 10 points, tied for the team-high with seven rebounds and led the Huskers with six assists in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20. She added nine points and seven assists in just 26 minutes against Memphis.

Johansen matched her season high with eight assists in NU’s win over Tennessee-Martin, after scoring 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.

Hardy Takes Over as Nebraska’s Active Scoring Leader
Although she has played just 14 games in her sophomore season and just 41 games with 13 starts in her college career, Kiera Hardy became Nebraska’s active career scoring leader with her 29-point outburst at Creighton on Dec. 18. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., has pushed her career total to 499 points including 252 points in 14 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 461 points.

With 56 three-pointers in her career, Hardy is also Nebraska’s active three-point leader, just ahead of Johansen’s 50 career three-pointers. Hardy needs just 10 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 14 games this season. Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., leads the Huskers with 18.0 points per game, while hitting a team-high 26 three-pointers on the year. She also ranks second on the team with 20 steals, while tying for 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 eight of the last 10 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 22-point performance in the win over Colorado on Jan. 5, and 20 points in the win over Tennessee-Martin. She produced the first of seven 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 14 games to tip off her second season. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, leads the Huskers’ boardwork with 7.0 rebounds per contest, which ranks 10th in the Big 12. Gerhart has led the Huskers on the glass in nine of 14 games this season, including seven of the last eight contests.

Along with leading the Huskers with 98 rebounds, a total that has nearly doubled the 52 boards she grabbed in all 30 games last season, Gerhart ranks second on the team with 13.2 points per game, which ranks 17th in the conference. Gerhart’s 49.4 field goal percentage also leads the Husker starters, while her six blocked shots rank third on the squad.

Gerhart is coming off her first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Missouri on Jan. 8. 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. She also led the Huskers with 16 points in NU’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20, and 13 points in the Huskers’ rout of Memphis on Dec. 30. She added 16 more points in NU’s win over Colorado Jan. 5.

Nebraska’s most accurate shooter a year ago (56.3 percent; 40-71 FG), Gerhart has far surpassed her production from all of last season in less than half the games. Through 14 contests, Gerhart is 79-of-160 from the field (49.4 percent) and has scored 185 points, 94 more points than the 91 points she scored last season. She has also hit 13 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 Out Two Weeks with Foot Injury
Sophomore Chelsea Aubry is expected to miss two weeks of action after suffering a foot injury in practice on Saturday, Jan. 1. Aubry missed NU’s first two Big 12 games and will not play against Baylor on Wednesday.

Aubry has joined fellow sophomores Kiera Hardy and Jessica Gerhart in a trio of talented second-year players.

A 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Aubry ranks third on the team in scoring and second on the club in rebounding with 10.1 points and 5.0 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 her last six games. She is shooting 48.4 percent from the field, which ranks second among the Huskers’ regular starters, while connecting on a 37.5 percent (6-16) 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 Sets Tone for Husker Turnaround
Jina 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 14 games this year and leads the Huskers with 35.2 minutes per game after playing the full 40 minutes for the 13th time in her career in the win over Missouri on Jan. 8.

Johansen owns 77 career starts, 45 straight games heading into Wednesday’s game with Baylor. She started all 30 games as a junior and 27 of 28 contests as a sophomore in 2002-03, stepping out of the starting lineup only on Senior Night. 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 3.66 grade-point average as a nutrition/dietetics major.

Johansen Tough to Turn Over
One of the top point guards in the Big 12 Conference, senior Jina Johansen has proven herself as one of the most consistent ball-handlers in the league. Not only does she lead the Big 12 with 86 total assists, she also leads the conference with a remarkable 3.74 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Johansen has committed just 23 turnovers against her 86 assists and has been nearly perfect in her decision-making during Nebraska’s four-game winning streak. Johansen has dished out 28 assists and committed just four turnovers in the last four games, including an eight-assist performance at Missouri when she played the full 40 minutes without turning the ball over.

As impressive as Johansen’s overall assist-to-turnover ratio is, she has been even better at the Devaney Center this year. Johansen has helped the Huskers to an 8-0 home record by dishing out 52 assists and committing just 10 turnovers in NU’s eight home contests. Those numbers translate to a 5.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Husker Individuals among Big 12 Leaders
Senior point guard Jina Johansen and sophomoress Kiera Hardy and Jessica Gerhart are ranked among the Big 12 Conference leaders in several categories. Hardy ranks second in the league in scoring at 18.0 points per game, trailing only Kansas State senior Kendra Wecker (20.7 ppg). Hardy also ranks 11th in the conference with 1.86 made three-pointers per game, while her 26 three-pointers are tied for seventh in the Big 12.

Jessica Gerhart ranks 17th on the Big 12 scoring chart with 13.2 points per game. Gerhart also ranks 10th in the Big 12 with 7.0 rebounds per game.

Jina Johansen leads the Big 12 with 86 total assists, seven more assists than Texas Tech’s Erin Grant (79). Johansen’s 6.1 assists per game rank second in the Big 12, trailing only Grant’s 6.6 assists per game. Johansen also leads the Big 12 with her 3.74 assist-to-turnover ratio (86 assists-to-23 turnovers).

Howell Keys Husker Defensive Pressure
LaToya Howell has earned starts in each of the last five games for the Huskers and has helped the NU defense turn up the heat on the opposition. Howell is averaging 2.5 steals per game over the last four games. Howell enters the Baylor game averaging 3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a team-leading 1.9 steals per game. She is coming off her sixth start of the season in the win over Missouri.

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, 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 a season-high 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and distributed three assists against Northern Colorado. She added seven points, a season-high six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win over Washington State. She dished out a season-best six assists in the win over Southeastern Louisiana, and produced season highs with four steals at Creighton and in the win over Colorado in Lincoln on Jan. 5.

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 a major contribution in her first year at Nebraska after transferring from junior college. Diaz has made five starts, including the Huskers’ Big 12 opener against Colorado in place of the injured Chelsea Aubry. Diaz is averaging 4.0 points and 3.4 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.

She pulled down a season-high six rebounds against Tennessee-Martin, and matched that performance with six boards against Louisiana-Lafayette to go along with eight points against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

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 Increasing Production as Husker Super Sub
Junior college transfer Jelena Spiric has started five of NU’s 14 games this season, but has come off the bench in each of the Huskers’ last eight games to produce solid outings.

The 6-0 forward from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro earned Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors after the best effort of her career in Nebraska’s thrilling 81-74 win at Missouri on Jan. 8. Spiric scored a career-high 18 points and matched her career high with six rebounds, while also dishing out four assists and grabbing two steals against the Tigers. During NU’s decisive 26-6 run in the final 8:26, Spiric hit 5-of-6 free throws, while adding one rebound, one assist and one steal to help the Huskers.

Over the past eight contests, Spiric is averaging 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Through Nebraska’s first six games this season, when she started five contests, Spiric averaged just 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Spiric has been even better during NU’s current four-game winning streak, averaging 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In the win over Colorado on Jan. 5, Spiric scored eight points and established her season high with six rebounds, while snagging two steals. In NU’s win over Memphis on Dec. 30, she scored 10 points, while dishing out a career-best six assists and pulling down five rebounds. In the Huskers’ win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20, Spiric had the first double-figure scoring effort of her career with 10 points, while adding four rebounds and three assists against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Spiric’s production off the bench the last eight games has allowed her to increase her season averages to 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She also ranks third on the team with 16 total steals

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 adding 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.

Freshman Page Contributing Early for Huskers
Freshman Danielle Page has shown promise through the first 14 games of her rookie season for the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., has provided solid contributions, including a career-high eight-point effort in Nebraska’s win over Memphis on Dec. 30, when she added seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

Page came up big down the stretch for the Huskers in their win at Missouri on Jan. 8. She finished with seven points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. During Nebraska’s 26-6 surge in the final 8:26, Page scored three points, grabbed all four of her rebounds and blocked both of her shots on the night.

Page has increased her season averages to 3.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She leads the team in blocked shots with 12 and also ranks third on the team in rebounding, while playing 15.0 minutes per game.

In the Huskers’ win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1, Page scored seven points and 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 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.

Samardziska Shows Impressive Production
After making a splash with a career-high 19 points in Nebraska’s 69-60 win over Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 7, junior college transfer Bojana Samardziska has continued to produce off the bench for the Huskers. Her performance off the bench in recent weeks helped her earn her first start of the season at Missouri on Jan. 8, in place of injured NU forward Chelsea Aubry.

Samardziska, a 6-4 center from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, arrived against Tennessee-Martin 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 in the win over the Skyhawks. 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.

She added another hugely productive outing in the win over Memphis on Dec. 30, when she scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and added a blocked shot in just 11 minutes of action off the bench.

In Nebraska’s win over Colorado to open Big 12 Conference play on Jan. 5, Samardziska helped the Huskers with 10 points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal in a career-high 20 minutes.

Samardziska ranks sixth on the team in scoring with 5.7 points per game, despite playing just 9.9 minutes per contest. She has added 2.7 rebounds per game, while also ranking second on the team with eight blocks.

For the season, Samardziska leads the team in shooting at 52.0 percent (26-50). She has also contributed seven steals and four assists.

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.

White, Drmanac Add Depth to Nebraska Roster
Freshman Sarah White’s early production has been 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 has given the Huskers solid minutes off the bench in recent victories. Against Memphis, she scored six points and and grabbed three rebounds in 12 minutes. She added six more points and one rebound in just six minutes of work against Colorado to improve her season averages to 3.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Junior college transfer Ivana Drmanac has also added depth to Nebraska’s backcourt. The 6-1 forward has played in 10 games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She has also knocked down four three-pointers for the Huskers, and dished out seven assists in just 6.2 minutes per game.

Huskers Take Care of the Rock
The Huskers have produced two of the top three turnover marks in school history in Coach Connie Yori’s first two seasons at NU and are on their way to their best season of taking care of the basketball under Yori this season.

Nebraska is averaging just 14.0 turnovers of per game after committing a season-low seven turnovers in its win at Missouri on Jan. 8. The Huskers are averaging just 10 turnovers per contest in conference play.

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.

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 just nine turnovers in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame. Nebraska has had similar success in the last four games, committing just 12.8 turnovers per game during its four-game winning streak.

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.

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 in early December by Fox Sports Net 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.

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 played 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 rebounding for an impressive 81-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, which finished its non-conference season with a 10-3 record, on Dec. 20. Nebraska closed the non-conference season with its best performance of the year in an 82-50 rout of 2004 WNIT qualifier Memphis at the Devaney Center on Dec. 30. The Lady Tigers returned four starters from a team that won 20 games in 2003-04.

Nebraska opened Big 12 play with an impressive 84-62 win over Colorado to give the Huskers their second straight victory over a 2004 postseason qualifier, and made it three wins in a row over 2004 postseason teams with 81-74 come-from-behind win at Missouri on Jan. 8. 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 includes battles with 2004 NCAA qualifiers Colorado, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Missouri 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.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 285-100 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 100-63 (.613) in conference games.

The Huskers have opened 2004-05 with a 8-0 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.