Huskers Seek Sixth Big 12 Win Against Sooners

The Nebraska women’s basketball team shoots for its third straight victory while trying to snap Oklahoma’s six-game series winning streak when the Huskers and Sooners square off on Super Bowl Sunday at 3:06 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The game will be televised live nationally by FSN with Kevin Eschenfelder and Brenda VanLengen calling the action. Sunday’s contest will also be carried live on radio by the Pinnacle Sports Network on 1400 AM-KLIN in Lincoln and 1110 AM-KFAB in Omaha, along with an Internet radio broadcast on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

The Huskers (13-7, 5-3) are coming off a dramatic 73-71 win at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Sophomore Kiera Hardy capped a 28-point performance by hitting a runner from the left side of the lane at the buzzer to beat the Cowgirls. Nebraska’s win over Oklahoma State followed a 59-48 win over Kansas on Saturday, Jan. 29. All three of the Huskers’ league losses have come against top-25 opponents, while NU improved to 4-0 in conference play against unranked foes with the win over Oklahoma State. The Huskers also own a 103-99 triple overtime victory over then-No. 2 Baylor.

On the season, six of the Huskers’ seven losses have come against teams ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, and five of those losses came away from the Devaney Center. The Huskers lost at No. 2 Ohio State, at No. 6 Notre Dame, at No. 15 Kansas State, at No. 19 Iowa State and to No. 25 North Carolina State at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. The Huskers also suffered a home loss to No. 12 Texas Tech. NU’s only loss to an unranked opponent came with a 58-57 loss to Creighton, a team that has received votes in the polls throughout the year.

The Sooners (12-7, 4-4) are coming off a 65-49 win at Kansas on Wednesday. Much like the Huskers, Oklahoma has fared well against unranked teams this season but have struggled against top-25 competition. All four of OU’s Big 12 losses have come to top-20 foes and two of the Sooners’ other three losses this season have come to teams who were ranked in the top 25 at some point during the season, including setbacks to Iowa and TCU.

Oklahoma has dominated the series between the two teams recently, reeling off six straight wins to take the all-time series lead at 22-21. The Huskers have played the Sooners within 15 points only once in those six meetings, with OU winning by an average of nearly 22 points per game (75.7-53.8).

Scouting the Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners enter Sunday’s game with the Huskers with a 12-7 record and a 4-4 mark in Big 12 action. The Sooners, who cruised to a 65-49 win at Kansas on Wednesday, sit directly behind the Huskers in the conference standings and are hoping to pull even with Nebraska in the league race.

A loss for OU would drop the Sooners two full games behind the Huskers with just seven games to play, and four of Oklahoma’s final seven contests will come against teams ranked among the top 16 teams in the nation in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 (Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech and at Texas). The Huskers have just three games against top-25 opponents remaining on their schedule (at Texas, Iowa State and Kansas State).

The Sooners have been led this season by senior guard Dionnah Jackson, who ranks second on the team with 14.3 points per game, while leading OU with 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

Leah Rush, a 6-1 sophomore forward, leads the Sooners with 14.5 points per game, while ranking second on the club with 6.6 rebounds per game. Erin Higgins, a 5-9 sophomore guard, has joined Rush and Jackson in the starting lineup for all 19 games this season, adding 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Higgins has been OU’s top shooter from long range, hitting 42-of-115 three-pointers (36.5 percent) on the year.

Chelsi Welch, a 5-9 sophomore guard, has made 15 starts and averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 boards per game, while hitting 31.4 percent (22-70) of her three-pointers. She did not start on Wednesday night at Kansas, as 5-8 sophomore guard Britney Brown (1.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg) made her second start of the season.

Laura Andrews, a 6-0 junior forward, had started 11 consecutive games for the Sooners before coming off the bench in Wednesday night’s win at Kansas. Andrews heads into Sunday’s game averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest. Antoinette Wadsworth earned her first career start against KU, but played just seven minutes and did not score. A 5-11 junior forward, Wadsworth is averaging 2.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Lauren Shoush (5.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Beky Preston (4.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg) have also earned time in the starting lineup during the season for the Sooners.

As a team, Oklahoma has averaged 70.1 points per game, while surrendering just 59.8 points per contest. The Sooners are shooting a solid 42.4 percent from the field, including 31.3 percent shooting from three-point range. OU has also hit 70.5 percent of its free throws. The Sooners have a 1.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while forcing opponents into a 1.5-to-1 turnover-to-assist mark on the year. OU owns a plus-1.8 team turnover margin on the year, while adding a plus-5.1 team rebounding margin.

The Sooners, who have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules, have lost six of their seven games to teams that have been ranked in the AP Top 25 poll at some point during the season, including Iowa, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas and Iowa State. Their only loss to an unranked foe came in a 67-59 loss to Tulsa on Dec. 4.

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma Series History
Oklahoma has taken over the all-time series lead with the Huskers 22-21, after the Sooners have run to six straight wins against Nebraska over the past five seasons. OU has won the last six contests by nearly 22 points per game (75.7-53.8), including a 70-51 win over the Huskers in Norman, Okla., on Jan. 7, 2004. That Sooner win followed a 71-51 OU victory on March 11, 2003, at the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas, Texas.

The last time the two teams met in Lincoln, Oklahoma managed a 57-43 win over the Huskers on Jan. 11, 2003. That game not only marked the first-ever meeting between NU Coach Connie Yori and OU Coach Sherri Coale, it was also the only time in the last six games that the Huskers have played the Sooners within 15 points.

Before Oklahoma’s recent series dominance, the Huskers had rolled to five consecutive series wins, including an 85-62 win over the Sooners at the Devaney Center on Jan. 31, 1999 - the last time Nebraska beat Oklahoma. During Nebraska’s five-game streak from 1996 to 1999, the Huskers beat the Sooners by an average of 24 points per game (84.6-60.6).

Husker Quick Tips
Oklahoma will be Nebraska’s third consecutive Big 12 opponent to enter the game with a losing conference mark. Five of Nebraska’s first six games against league foes came against teams that entered the game undefeated in league play at game time.

The Sooners will be Nebraska’s third unranked opponent in the last seven games. The Huskers are 4-0 against unranked Big 12 foes, with an 84-62 home win over Colorado, an 81-74 win at Missouri to open conference play, and a 73-71 win at Oklahoma State on Feb. 1. Nebraska, which enters the weekend in sixth place in the Big 12 standings, will play five of its final eight Big 12 Conference games against unranked opponents.

Six of Nebraska’s seven losses have come against opponents who are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The only unranked team NU has lost to is Creighton, which managed a 58-57 win in Omaha on Dec. 18. The Bluejays are 14-4 on the year and have received votes in both major polls throughout the season.

The Huskers improved to 5-3 at the halfway point in Big 12 Conference play for the first time since 1999-2000, the last year NU went to the NCAA Tournament. If the Huskers can knock off Oklahoma, their 6-3 start would be their best league start since the first season of Big 12 play in 1996-97.

Nebraska closed January with a winning record (4-3) in Big 12 play for the first time since 1999-2000, when the Huskers opened the year with a 5-2 conference mark. The Huskers, who made their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999-2000, were 4-2 in November, 4-2 in December and 4-3 in January.

The Huskers claimed four Big 12 Conference weekly honors during January. Kiera Hardy won the Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award on Jan. 17, while Jelena Spiric added a pair of Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors (Jan. 10, Jan. 17). Danielle Page gave the Huskers their fourth award on Jan. 31, when she captured NU’s third Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award of the month.

Nebraska scored 80 or more points in every game during its five-game winning streak from Dec. 20 through Jan. 12. The Huskers had not scored 80 points in five straight games since the 1996-97 season (Games 2-6).

Husker Hot Shots
Sophomore guard Kiera Hardy ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.8 points per game, trailing only Kansas State All-American Kendra Wecker’s 20.8 points per contest. Hardy leads the league in conference games only, averaging 23.5 points per game, including a career-high 37 points in Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor. She added 29 points in the loss at No. 23 Kansas State, to average 33 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on her way to Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors on Jan. 17. Hardy has scored 28 or more points on six occasions this season, including her 28-point performance at Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

Kiera Hardy has scored 20 or more points 10 times this season, and has two 30-plus scoring games, including a 31-point outburst against Hampton on Nov. 27. She has produced double figures in 16 consecutive games and 17 times this season.

Danielle Page earned her first Big 12 Conference Rookie-of-the-Week award on Jan. 31, after posting her first career double-double with career highs of 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in Nebraska’s 59-48 win over Kansas on Jan. 29. Page is making a bid for back-to-back Big 12 honors after matching her career best with 12 points, while adding five rebounds and a career-high four assists in NU’s 73-71 win at Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Page has produced the first three double-figure scoring efforts of her career in NU’s last three contests.

Senior Jina Johansen set a school and Big 12 record by playing all 55 minutes in the Huskers’ triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12. Johansen scored eight of her 10 points after halftime against the Bears and finished with eight assists. The 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., has played the full 40 minutes 14 other times in her career, including NU’s wins over Kansas on Jan. 29, and at Missouri on Jan. 8. In league games, Johansen is averaging 39.2 minutes per game. She is averaging 8.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists in Big 12 play.

Junior forward Jelena Spiric has been a difference-maker in Big 12 Conference play. Spiric, who earned Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors in back-to-back weeks (Jan. 10, Jan. 17) to open league play, ranks second on the team in scoring with 9.5 points per game, while leading the team through eight Big 12 games with 5.1 rebounds per game. She has added 1.9 steals and 1.0 assist per contest in league action. Spiric notched career highs with 19 points and nine rebounds in the win over No. 2 Baylor, scoring all 19 of her points after halftime.

Last-Second Shot Saves Huskers at Oklahoma State
Kiera Hardy scored on a running jumper from four feet on the left side of the lane as time expired to give the Nebraska women’s basketball team a 73-71 win over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Tuesday night.

Hardy, the Big 12 Conference’s leading scorer in league play, struck for a game-high 28 points and tied her career high with six three-pointers to power the Huskers to their fifth conference victory, as NU improved to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in league action.

In addition to Hardy’s 28 points, her fifth 20-plus point performance in eight Big 12 games, true freshman Danielle Page matched her career high for the second straight game with 12 points. Page added five rebounds while setting a career-high with four assists.

Chelsea Aubry and Jina Johansen each added eight points for the Huskers. Johansen, a senior captain from Dannebrog, Neb., scored four of the Huskers’ final eight points, including a jumper to give NU a 67-66 lead with just over four minutes to play, and a pair of free throws with 59 seconds left to extend NU’s lead to 71-68.

After Johansen gave the Huskers a three-point edge with under a minute to play, Taleesha Conder cut NU’s lead to just one with 45 seconds left. Nebraska was unable to score on its next possession, and Nina Stone was fouled with 9.6 seconds left to send her to the line for two shots and a chance to give the Cowgirls a lead.

Stone missed the first of two shots, and Nebraska Coach Connie Yori called timeout to draw up the Huskers’ final play. After Stone made the second free throw to tie the score, LaToya Howell inbounded the ball and it found its way to Hardy’s hands at the right wing. Hardy dribbled to the top of the key and turned the corner down the left side of the lane thanks to a screen from Danielle Page to free up some space for Hardy to hit the game-winner as the buzzer sounded.

Stone scored all of her team-high 18 points in the second half to power the Cowgirls back from a 52-39 deficit with 14:30 left. Stone struck for OSU’s next nine points to cut the NU lead to six with 11:01 left in the game.

After NU extended the lead back to 12 points with a pair of free throws with 9:02 left, OSU went on a 10-0 run capped by a Stone three-pointer to trim the Huskers’ advantage to 60-58 with 6:43 left. Page stopped the run with a three-point play, but the Cowgirls kept charging, taking just their second lead of the game at 66-65 on another Stone three-pointer with 4:30 to play.

Conder added 16 points off bench for the Cowgirls, while Christian Hood added 12 points and Eliz Gomes gave OSU four players in double figures with 10 points on the night.

Hardy scored 18 points in the first half, while knocking down four three-pointers in the opening stanza. She scored 10 straight points in a 1:46 span late in the first half to give NU its largest lead at 36-23 with 1:41 to play. After OSU scored the final six points of the first half, Hardy got the Huskers going again in the second half by knocking down two more three-pointers in the first two minutes.

Nebraska shot 43.6 percent from the game, including a solid 54.5 percent from three-point range, as Hardy hit all six of NU’s three-pointers on the night. The Huskers also excelled at the free throw line by hitting 86.4 percent of their shots (19-22).

OSU hit 44.1 percent of its field goal attempts, but managed just 3-of-12 shooting from three-point range. The Cowgirls did hit 16-of-22 free throws. OSU outrebounded NU 38-30, and both teams committed 13 turnovers.

High-Scoring Hardy’s Buzzer Beater Buries Cowgirls
Nebraska sophomore Kiera Hardy has proven herself as one of the most exciting young players in the Big 12 Conference this season. Hardy leads the Huskers with 19.8 points per game, while hitting a team-high 48 three-pointers on the year. She is also tied for second on the team with 27 steals, while ranking second on the squad with 2.2 assists per game.

Hardy hit the first game-winning buzzer-beater of her career (any level) when she hit a runner just outside of the lane near the left block to allow the Huskers to escape from Stillwater with a 73-71 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.

Hardy’s game-winner capped a 28-point performance against the Cowgirls that included a career-high tying six three-pointers. Her scoring total marked the sixth time in 2004-05 that Hardy had scored 28 or more points in a game, and was her 10th 20-plus scoring effort of the year.

The Big 12’s leading scoring through eight conference games at 23.5 points per game, Hardy struck for a career-high 37 points in NU’s dramatic 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12. She added 31 points in a win over Hampton in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov. 27, to earn her a spot on the Paradise Jam All-Tournament team.

Hardy has led the Huskers in scoring in 14 of the last 16 games, including each of Nebraska’s eight Big 12 Conference contests. Her 15-point outing against No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 19, snapped a streak of four consecutive games with 20 or more points. She led the Huskers with 17 points against Iowa State and Kansas. She has scored in double figures in 16 straight games heading into Sunday’s contest against Oklahoma.

Along with her 30-plus scoring performances against Baylor and Hampton, Hardy added 29-point outbursts at Creighton on Dec. 18 and at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15. She contributed a 22-point effort in the loss at No. 10 Ohio State on Dec. 11, a 23-point effort in the win at Missouri, 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 10 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 37 points against Baylor marked the second-highest scoring total by a sophomore in school history, trailing only Crystal Coleman’s 41 points against Oklahoma State on Feb. 19, 1983. 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.

Hardy Scoring at NU’s Strongest Rate in Six Seasons
Kiera Hardy heads into the Oklahoma game averaging 19.8 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. In Big 12 games only, Hardy has been even better, averaging 23.5 points per game to lead the league, 2.7 points per game ahead of Texas sophomore Tiffany Jackson and 3.6 points per game ahead of Wecker.

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 guard Nicole Kubik averaged 19.8 points per game.

Hardy’s scoring average ranks as the second-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 ranks fourth with 18.8 points per game in 1986-87.

Hardy has averaged 22.0 points per game over Nebraska’s last 15 games. She owns a pair of 30-point scoring efforts on the season, and six games with 28 or more points. She erupted for a career-high 37 points in NU’s 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor. She added a 31-point effort in a win over Hampton on Nov. 27. She just missed a third 30-point performance with a 29-point outing in the loss at Creighton on Dec. 18, and produced another near-30 effort with 29 points in the loss at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15. She opened the season with 28 points in a win over Western Illinois, before adding another 28-point effort in a win at Oklahoma State Feb. 1.

Hardy has scored 20 or more points 10 times this season, including nine of NU’s last 15 games and each of NU’s first four Big 12 Conference games. She has produced double figures in 16 consecutive games.

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 17.6 points per game, while Texas Tech’s Alesha Robertson has managed 14.7 points per contest.

Hardy Knocking Down Threes at Record Rate
Kiera Hardy leads the Big 12 in conference games only with 3.13 made three-pointers per game through eight league contests. Hardy hit a career-high six three-pointers in the win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, matched her career-best with six three-pointers in the win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday, after adding five more three-pointers at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15.

Hardy’s 48 three-pointers this season have already eclipsed her total of 30 trifectas last season, when she matched Jina Johansen for the team lead. Hardy’s total through just 20 games trails only Kate Galligan’s 50 three-pointers in 1993-04 on the Huskers’ sophomore single-season three-point list.

Hardy has also moved into the No. 5 spot on Nebraska’s all-time single-season three-point list with 48. Hardy needs just two more three-pointers to climb into a tie for third, and just four more to catch Galligan’s 52 three-pointers in 1995-96 in the No. 2 spot on the single-season list. Amy Stephens owns NU’s single-season record with 85 three-pointers in 1988-89.

With 78 three-pointers in her career, Hardy has already climbed into eighth on Nebraska’s career three-point chart, despite playing just 47 games in her career with 19 starts. Hardy needs just four more three-pointers to vault to No. 6 on the NU career list. The school record is 155 made three-pointers by current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge (1995-98).

Johansen Surging Down Stretch in Senior Season
Nebraska’s lone returning starter from a year ago, senior Jina Johansen has helped the Huskers elevate their play during the last 10 games.

One of the smartest players in the Big 12 Conference, the CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee’s decision-making has been outstanding in league play. She is averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, while hitting 20-of-41 shots from the field (48.8 percent). She has also hit 7-of-12 three-pointers (58.3 percent) and 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) of her free throw attempts. She is also averaging a Big 12-leading 39.2 minutes per game in league action.

On the season, the 5-7 guard from Dannebrog, Neb., leads the Huskers with 6.0 assists per game, while adding 6.6 points and 3.0 boards per contest. One of the top passers in Nebraska history, Johansen ranks third on the school career chart with 495 assists. She needs 71 more assists to catch Nicole Kubik (1997-2000) in the No. 2 spot on the NU chart. She will need to average 7.9 assists per game over the next nine contests.

Johansen produced one of the best efforts in her career at Missouri. She scored all of her season-high 14 points in the second half, while dishing out 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.

She added 10 points and eight more assists in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple-overtime win over No. 2 Baylor. In that game, Johansen never came off the floor while playing a Big 12 record 55 minutes.

Johansen posted the first victory of her career over Colorado by scoring 13 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. She also notched two steals against the Buffs. Johansen scored four of the Huskers’ final eight points to help NU escape from Stillwater with a 73-71 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 1. She finished with eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 39 minutes against the Cowgirls.

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 scored just six points, but tied her career high with nine assists in the loss at Kansas State on Jan. 15. She distributed 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 20 games in her sophomore season and just 47 games with 19 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 642 points including 395 points in 20 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 498 points in 108 career games.

With 78 three-pointers in her career, Hardy is also Nebraska’s active three-point leader, ahead of Johansen’s 54 career three-pointers.

Freshman Page Earns First Big 12 Rookie Honor
Freshman Danielle Page claimed her first Big 12 Conference Rookie-of-the-Week award on Jan. 31, after posting the first double-double of her career with 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Huskers’ 59-48 win over Kansas on Jan. 29.

Page’s breakout performance marked the third straight game in which she set her career high in points, following a 10-point effort at No. 19 Iowa State, and a nine-point performance against No. 10 Texas Tech.

The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., is pushing for her second straight league rookie honor next week, after matching her career high with 12 points, while setting a career high and leading the Huskers with four assists in NU’s 73-71 over Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Page also set a screen to free Kiera Hardy to hit the game-winning shot as time expired against the Cowgirls.

Over the past four games, Page is averaging 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She has added 1.5 blocked shots per game to push her team-leading total to 19 blocks on the season.

Before Page’s emergence in the past four games, her previous career high came with eight points 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.

In Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, Page played a career-high 39 minutes off the bench and scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and snagged two steals. She added six points, two rebounds, one block and a steal at Kansas State on Jan. 15.

Page has increased her season averages to 5.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in blocked shots with 19 and needs just five more blocks to crack Nebraska’s freshman single-season top five in that category. She has continued to improve in Big 12 play to average 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals through eight league games.

In the Huskers’ win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1, Page scored seven points and grabbed 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, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and one assist in just 14 minutes in the win over Northern Colorado.

Aubry Returns to Starting Lineup in Last Two NU Wins
Sophomore Chelsea Aubry made her first start in Big 12 Conference action in Nebraska’s 59-48 victory over Kansas in Lincoln on Jan. 29. She added her second straight start in the Huskers’ 73-71 win at OSU on Tuesday, scoring eight points, pulling down five boards and tying a career high with two blocked shots.

Aubry, who missed two weeks of action after suffering a foot injury in practice on Saturday, Jan. 1, did not play in NU’s first three Big 12 games, before coming off the bench in each of Nebraska’s next three games to provide a solid presence.

After playing just nine minutes at Kansas State on Jan. 15, the 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada led the Huskers with eight rebounds, just one shy of her career high, while adding five points in 19 minutes against No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 19. Aubry came off the bench again at Iowa State, producing eight points, six rebounds and a career-high three assists in 26 minutes against the Cyclones.

She scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out an assist and snagged a steal in her return to the starting lineup against Kansas.

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

Aubry ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.0 points per game and second on the club in rebounding with 4.8 boards per contest. She is also one of Nebraska’s best interior defenders and leads the Huskers in the number of charges drawn this season. She was averaging 10.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with starts in each of NU’s first 12 games before the injury.

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.

Gerhart Misses Win Over Cowgirls After Routine Surgery
One of three leaders of Nebraska’s solid sophomore class, Jessica Gerhart did not travel to Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Instead, she underwent routine surgery to have her appendix removed on Tuesday morning in Lincoln.

The procedure went well and Gerhart is expected to return to the court soon for the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, did not start NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 29, playing just five minutes after experiencing flu-like symptons for much of the week leading up to the game.

Nebraska’s leading rebounding and second-leading scorer on the season, Gerhart started each of NU’s first 18 games and is averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest.

Gerhart was averaging 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game through the Huskers’ first 15 contests, but has hit just four of her last 24 shots from the field (16.7 percent) over her last four games, including 0-for-7 shooting from three-point range. She has not attempted a free throw in those four contests.

A CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee who has spent her time working in the classroom, in the community and on the court, Gerhart has far surpassed her production from all of last season in less than two-thirds of the games. Through 19 contests, Gerhart has scored 202 points, 111 more than the 91 points she scored last season. She has also hit 14 three-pointers this season, after going without a made three-pointer last season.

Gerhart leads the Huskers with 112 rebounds, a total that has more than doubled the 52 boards she grabbed in all 30 games last season. She also ranks second on the squad with 10 blocked shots on the season.

Gerhart produced 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.

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.

Spiric Increasing Production in Big 12 Play
Junior college transfer Jelena Spiric has started 11 of NU’s 20 games this season, including each of the Huskers’ last six Big 12 contests.

Spiric made her first Big 12 start in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, and erupted for career highs with 19 points and nine rebounds to help the Huskers to an upset over the Bears. She added her second Big 12 start in the loss at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15, scoring 10 points and pulling down five boards. She added seven points and four rebounds in NU’s loss to No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 19.

The Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, Spiric averaged 13 points and six rebounds in wins over Colorado and Missouri to open Big 12 play. She averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game against Baylor and Kansas State. In the win over Baylor, Spiric hit 15-of-16 free throws, including eight straight free throws to open the third overtime period to lead the Huskers to victory.

Spiric’s 15 made free throws rank as the second-highest total in NU history, while her 16 attempts rank fourth on the Husker career chart. Her 44 minutes played against the Bears also demolished her previous career high of 26 minutes played one week earlier against Colorado.

The 6-0 forward from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, while also dishing out four assists and grabbing two steals in Nebraska’s 81-74 win at Missouri on Jan. 8. 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.

In Big 12 play, Spiric is Nebraska’s second-leading scorer with 9.5 points per game, while leading the Huskers on the boards with 5.1 rebounds per contest. In the win over Colorado on Jan. 5, Spiric scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds, while snagging two steals. She added seven points, three boards and two steals in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 29, and added seven points and three boards in NU’s win over OSU on Feb. 1.

In the Huskers’ win over Memphis on Dec. 30, Spiric scored 10 points, while dishing out a career-best six assists and pulling down five rebounds. In NU’s 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.

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’s recent production has allowed her to increase her season averages to 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. She is also tied for second on the team with 27 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.

Hardy’s 37 in Baylor Win Places Her Among NU Elite
Kiera Hardy’s career-high 37-point performance in Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, in Lincoln placed her among an elite list of Huskers.

Not only did Hardy’s total tie for the seventh-highest single-game effort in school history, it also provided her with her second 30-point effort of the season. Her first 30-point performance came against Hampton in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov. 27.

The two 30-point outbursts during her breakout sophomore season place her among a select group of Huskers who accomplished multiple 30-point games as sophomores. The last NU sophomore to produce a pair of 30-point games was two-time All-American Karen Jennings, who did it in 1990-91.

Debra Powell, who was an All-Big Eight performer on the court and an All-American sprinter on the track, was the first Husker sophomore to score 30 in a game on multiple occasions. Powell produced three 30-point games in 1982-83.

Maurtice Ivy, who was the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1988 after leading the Huskers to their only conference title in school history, matched Powell’s feat with a trio of 30-point performances as a sophomore in 1985-86.

A year later, Amy Stephens added two 30-point efforts during her sophomore season in 1986-87.

Hardy’s 37 points is the highest single-game total among the elite group of NU sophomore scorers and ranks as the second-highest scoring performance in school history by a sophomore, trailing only a 41-point eruption by Crystal Coleman against Oklahoma State on Feb. 19, 1983. The performance was Coleman’s only 30-point or more scoring game of her career, which ended at Nebraska after her sophomore season.

Hardy is just the seventh player in Nebraska history to record two or more 30-point efforts in the same season, and one of just eight Huskers to score 30 twice in her career. The last player to score 30 points twice in the same season was Kubik, who had a trio of 30-point performances in 1998-99. Only 16 different Huskers in history have scored 30 or more points in a single game - a total of 54 times. Jennings owns the NU record with 12 30-point scoring efforts in her career, including eight in 1991-92.

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 is the only Husker to start all 20 games this year and leads the Huskers with 36.6 minutes per game after playing a school and Big 12 record 55 minutes in NU’s 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12. That marathon performance by Johansen came after playing the full 40 minutes for the 13th time in her career in the win at Missouri on Jan. 8. She added her 14th 40-minute effort in the Huskers’ win over Kansas on Jan. 29.

Johansen owns 83 career starts, including 51 straight starts heading into Sunday’s game against Oklahoma. 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 3.696 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 rank second in the Big 12 with 119 total assists, she also ranks third in the conference with a 2.90 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Johansen has committed just 41 turnovers against her 119 assists. She tied her career high with nine assists at No. 23 Kansas State and added an eight-assist performance at Missouri when she played the full 40 minutes without turning the ball over. She added eight more assists while playing a school and Big 12 record 55 minutes in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12.

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 a 10-1 home record by dishing out 71 assists and committing just 19 turnovers in NU’s 11 home contests. Those numbers translate to a 3.74 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Husker Individuals among Big 12 Leaders
Senior point guard Jina Johansen and sophomores 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 19.8 points per game, trailing only Kansas State senior Kendra Wecker (20.7 ppg). Hardy also ranks third in the conference with 2.40 made three-pointers per game, while her 48 three-pointers rank second in the Big 12.

Jina Johansen ranks second in the Big 12 with 119 total assists, while her 6.0 assists per game rank third in the Big 12. She also ranks third in the Big 12 with her 2.90 assist-to-turnover ratio (119 assists-to-41 turnovers).

Johansen’s 39.5 percent shooting from three-point range would rank eighth in the league but she is shy of the minimum requirement of 1.0 made three-pointer per game. Johansen has hit 15 three-pointers in 20 games for the Huskers. In Big 12 games only, Johansen leads the league with her 58.3 percent accuracy from long range (7-12).

Jessica Gerhart ranks 22nd on the Big 12 scoring chart with 10.6 points per game. Gerhart also ranks 18th in the Big 12 with 5.9 rebounds per game.

Howell Keys Husker Defensive Pressure
LaToya Howell has earned six starts this season, but has come off the bench in each of the last six games to provide an offensive and defensive spark for the Huskers.

Howell has helped the NU defense turn up the heat on the opposition by averaging 2.9 steals per game over the last 11 games, including four games with four steals each during that stretch (Creighton, Colorado, Kansas State, Kansas).

The 5-5 guard started NU’s first two Big 12 Conference games, but has come off the bench in each of the Huskers’ last six contests. In the Huskers’ 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor, Howell sparked the Huskers with nine points off the bench. She added eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench against No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 19.

In NU’s win over Kansas, Hardy knocked down her only three-point attempt and hit a free throw to score the first four points of Nebraska’s decisive 10-0 run midway through the second half. Howell’s spark helped turn a 39-37 NU lead with 11 minutes left into a 49-37 edge with 7:50 to play against KU. She knocked down all six of her free throw attempts and snagged a pair of steals to help the Huskers to a 73-71 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

Howell enters the Oklahoma game averaging 4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-leading 2.1 steals per game.

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 junior from Chicago, Ill., was one of the Huskers’ top players in practice during her redshirt season after transferring from Air Force before the 2003 fall semester.

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

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

Diaz Earns Role as Starter in Big 12 Action
Elena Diaz has provided a major contribution in her first year at Nebraska after transferring from junior college. Diaz has made 11 starts, including each of Nebraska’s last six Big 12 Conference games.

In Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, Diaz tied a career high with 11 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. She earned her second straight start at Kansas State and contributed six points and a career-high eight rebounds. She added a solid outing with eight points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal against No. 10 Texas Tech, and eight points and three rebounds in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 29. She also started against Colorado. Diaz is averaging 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

On the season, Diaz ranks second on the team with her 51.4 field goal percentage. She is shooting a team-best 54.8 percent (17-31) in Big 12 Conference play. Since taking over as a starter in the last six games, Diaz is shooting a sizzling 63.0 percent (17-27) from the field. She was perfect from the field in back-to-back games, going 3-for-3 from the field against Kansas and 2-for-2 at Iowa State.

Diaz set her career high with 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 six rebounds against Tennessee-Martin, and 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.

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 to close the non-conference season 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 is averaging 4.1 points per game, despite playing just 8.1 minutes per contest. She has added 2.3 rebounds per game, while ranking third on the team with nine blocks.

For the season, Samardziska leads the team in shooting at 51.9 percent (27-52). 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 3.0 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 13 games and averaged 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She has also knocked down four three-pointers for the Huskers, and dished out seven assists in just 6.0 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 14.3 turnovers of per game and committed a season-low seven turnovers in its win at Missouri on Jan. 8. The Huskers are averaging just 14.0 turnovers per contest in conference play, despite playing three overtimes in the win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12.

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.

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.

Nebraska vs. Baylor - One for Record Books
The following is a compilation of top-10 all-time performances by the Huskers in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Wednesday, Jan. 12, in Lincoln.

Team
Longest game in school and Big 12 Conference history - three overtimes
Highest-ranked opponent defeated in school history - No. 2 (AP) Baylor
Most free throws made in school history - 46 (Big 12 record)
Most free throws attempt in school history - 54 (Big 12 record)
Nine three-pointers - tied for second in school history (school record, 10)

Individual
Most minutes played in school and Big 12 history - Jina Johansen, 55 minutes
Second-most minutes played in school and Big 12 history - Kiera Hardy, 52 minutes
Tied for second-most three-pointers in school history - Kiera Hardy (6-of-10)
Second-most free throws made in school history - Jelena Spiric, 15
Fourth-most free throws attempted in school history - Jelena Spiric, 16
Tied for seventh-highest scoring total in school history - Kiera Hardy, 37 points
Tied for seventh-most three-point attempts in school history - Kiera Hardy, 10 (6 made)
Ninth-best free throw percentage in school history - Jelena Spiric (93.8 percent, 15-16)
Tied for 10th-most field goal attempts in school history - Kiera Hardy, 25 (10 made)

Combined
Most free throws made by both teams in school history - 67 (NU 46; BU 21)
Tied for most free throw attempts by both teams in school history - 87 (NU 54; BU 33)
Tied for third-most personal fouls in school history - 58 (NU 25; BU 33)
Tied for third-highest combined points in school history (202) - school record 220 vs. Michigan, Nov. 28, 1980 (Nebraska 118, Michigan 92)

Huskers Win Five Straight with 80-Point Efforts
Nebraska had scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games before having that streak snapped at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15. The Huskers have produced 80-plus scoring performances seven 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 five straight games came in 1996-97 (Games 2-6).

Although NU’s numbers during that five-game stretch rank among the best offensive stretches in school history, perhaps the most impressive statistic is that the Huskers’ success came against a group of opponents that included four teams (Baylor, Colorado, Missouri, Memphis) that advanced to postseason play in 2004, including three NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Baylor, Colorado, Missouri).

The Huskers’ 103-point scoring effort in three overtimes against No. 2 Baylor tied for the 15th highest single-game total in school history and the most points scored by NU against a conference team since scoring 103 points in a 104-103 overtime loss to Kansas State on Jan. 18, 1983.

Nebraska started its offensive surge after scoring just 57 points in a 58-57 loss at Creighton on Dec. 18. Two days later (Dec. 20), the Huskers rolled to an 81-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette in Lincoln. NU improved on that output with an 82-50 victory over Memphis on Dec. 30, before an 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, before hitting the century mark against the Bears.

At least four Huskers produced double figures in all five of those games, including a season-high five players in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette. In the win over Memphis, four Huskers scored in double figures, while 10 of the 11 Huskers who played scored four or more points.

Nebraska added four more players in double figures in the win over Colorado, while all 10 Huskers who played in the game found the scoring column. In the win over Missouri, Hardy scored 23 points, while Spiric added a then-career-high 18 points. Johansen added a season-high 14 points, while tying her season high with eight assists, and Gerhart contributed the first double-double of her career with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

In NU’s win over Baylor, Hardy erupted for a career-high 37 points, while Spiric notched career scoring and rebounding highs for the third straight game with 19 points and nine rebounds. Elena Diaz tied her career best with 11 points and added a career-high seven rebounds, while Johansen pitched in 10 points and tied her season-high again with eight assists.

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. The Huskers added the biggest win in school history by knocking off No. 2 Baylor, 103-99 in triple overtime at the Devaney Center on Jan. 12.

The Huskers suffered their first conference loss in a 74-59 setback at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15, before dropping their first home game in league action to No. 10 Texas Tech, 68-58, on Jan. 19. NU also fell at No. 19 Iowa State 74-54, to end a streak of four straight games against ranked foes.

Nebraska rebounded with a 59-48 win over Kansas in Lincoln on Jan. 29, before traveling to Stillwater, Okla., to take Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.

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 287-101 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 102-64 (.614) in conference games.

The Huskers have opened 2004-05 with a 10-1 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 home postseason play, 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 next round to Oregon State on March 22, 2004.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2005 Fastbreakers Pregame Backboard Banquet
Saturday, Feb. 26, Missouri 5 p.m.

The Fastbreakers also announced a "Traveling Fastbreakers" bus trips for the 2004-05 season.
Sunday, Feb. 20, at Kansas (Lawrence, Kan.) 1 p.m.